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SALVATION DEPENDS TOTALLY ON GOD

This week we focus on the study of Ephesians chapter one. This letter refers to the Church as a body to illustrate the unity of purpose and show how each individual member is a part that must work together with all the other parts.  I will be sharing with you some selected notes from the Life Application Study Bible (NLT). Enjoy

SCRIPTURE TEXT: “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.”–Ephesians 1: 4(NLT) 

Paul says that “God chose us” to emphasize that salvation depends totally on God. We are not saved because we deserve it but because God is gracious and freely gives salvation. We did not influence God’s decision to save us; He saved us according to His plan.
 
Thus, there is no way to take credit for our salvation or to allow room for pride. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of Good long before we existed. It is hard to understand how God could accept us. But because of Christ, we are holy and blameless in His sight. God chose us and when we belong to Him through Jesus Christ, God looks at us as if we had never sinned. All we can do is express our thanks for His wonderful love.

STAY BLESSED

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WHERE WILL YOU SPEND ETERNITY?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

In our homes, we use smoke detectors to warn us of fire. Our car’s dashboard has lights to indicate a malfunction. We’d be foolish to ignore these warnings. In the same way, Scripture   passages warn us about the terrible consequences for rejecting God’s provision of a Savior.

The Bible tells us how to be reconciled to God so we can spend eternity with Him. We need to understand and accept the following truths:

Sin separates us from God (Rom. 3:23; Col. 1:19-22). Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, we are all born with a nature bent away from the Lord. His justice requires that we pay for our transgressions.

God sent His Son Jesus to make that payment for us (1 Corinthians 15:3). Only the death of one who was perfect would satisfy the Father’s righteous judgment. Jesus lived a life without sin, which qualified Him to become our substitute. He willingly took our place and died on the cross in order to pay our penalty. God accepted His death in place of ours and declared us righteous in His sight (Rom. 3:22).

Salvation is a free gift, received through faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9). Our good works will neither satisfy divine justice nor pay for our transgressions. They are not what God requires for forgiveness or adoption into His family. Faith in Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6). When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, heaven becomes our eternal destination.

God wants you to live forever with Him. If you haven’t yet made your eternal destination certain, do so now.

Bible in One Year: Luke 12-13

STAY BLESSED

SOURCE: Culled from In Touch Ministries