Devotionals

Scripture Reading: I John 1:6-7

Eternal life is a gift from God and is free to all who believe. This is truly the grace of God in its purest form of reality. You don’t have to work, beg, or plead for it; you don’t even have to worry about being turned down or rejected. Incredibly, all you must do is receive the gift of eternal life and all of its benefits will be yours! How can this be?

When Jesus died on the Cross, He made us free from all sin and evil. He freed us from darkness and brought us into His glorious light. 1 John 1:6-7 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” We are forgiven of all our sins; Jesus died for every one of them. Thus, we are free from sin’s penalty. It can no longer separate us from the love of God.

Romans.4:7-8 says, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. ⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Wow, what a benefit! Did you know that as believers nothing can separate us from the presence of God in our lives?

In order to really see and experience God’s grace in our lives and the benefits of our position in Christ, we must study the first chapter of Ephesians. In verse one, we see that Paul was addressing the saints and the faithful in Christ Jesus. It says, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Notice that He wasn’t talking to unbelievers here. If He had been talking to unbelievers, He would not have called them saints or faithful. Therefore, we learn that it is a blessing to be God’s child. We are saints. People would never know that by our actions and behavior, would they? This should really make us stop and think about how we carry ourselves in the world we live in and how we represent Christ to others.

In Ephesians 1:3-14, we see the benefits of our eternal position. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

The first benefit is found in verse three. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” We see that we are blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places. This means that we have the presence of God within us for all of life’s circumstances. We are identified with Christ through these blessings. He blesses us with His strength for conquering all of life’s adversities.                        

The next benefit of our eternal position is found in Ephesians 1:4. It says we were “chosen in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” It is so rewarding to know that God chose us before the foundations of the world. This word chosen means He selected us to serve Him according to His will for our lives. In our eternal position, God will never unchoose us; we are eternally His, specially created by Him.

The third benefit is found in verse five. It says, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” When God called us unto salvation, He also predestinated us to fulfill His will and plan so that everything He said He would do would come to pass. Remember, it is through Jesus Christ that we are brought into this position.

Through salvation, Jesus blesses us with a heavenly Father. His Father becomes our Father. In John 20:17 Jesus told Mary, “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” We have a new relationship with God that we were unable to attain before salvation. Through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, His Father becomes our Father and His God our God.

Blessings come no greater than that of a heavenly adoption. In 1 Peter 1:2, we see that we first had to be elected before we could be predestinated for the coming together of God’s plan. It says, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” Oh, what a Savior!

The next benefit is one that we, in the flesh, have a problem dealing with. It is found in verse 6. It says, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” We are eternally and unconditionally accepted by Christ Jesus. This word accepted has the most beautiful meaning for all believers. It means to be highly favored. The Lord highly favors all those who receive Him unto salvation.

To be highly favored means that God makes a fuss over us. He, as our Savior, wants to make us free and provide for us even in the times that we make a mess of our lives. He wants to set our feet on solid ground regardless of our situation. When we are highly favored, we are not judged or put down for our faults. Instead, we are reprimanded with the love of God and taught that we must turn from our sins and shortcomings by depending upon our Lord and Savior for deliverance. We should never let unworthy thoughts and feelings rob us of the truth that Christ accepts us unconditionally. He died for us while we were still sinners. That was His purpose for coming to earth in the form of a man. He came to redeem us from our sins.

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” We see here another great and eternal benefit. We are redeemed. Jesus Christ made us free from the bondage of sin. He became sin for us, reconciling us to Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”

If we are truly saved, our sins are forgiven. We are bought with the Blood of Jesus Christ; our lives were redeemed at Calvary. Nothing can ever separate us from this love, for it is with love that we are bought. There is an old song that’s very dear to my heart, and it goes like this:

I’m redeemed by love divine.

Glory, glory, Christ is mine.

All to Him I now resign.

I have been redeemed.

Indeed, we can never praise the Lord enough for redeeming us from our sins. The greatest form of praise for our redemption is to just love Him above anyone and anything else. We have access to God at all times through His redemption plan.

The revelation of the mystery of His will is another benefit for all who believe. This means that through salvation we are able to know the deep things of God. We can seek His will for our lives and find it. We can know the mystery of His will. We should praise Him for our redemption. We have the Holy Spirit within us, Who reveals to us the spiritual things of God so that all doubt and confusion can be buried. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

This is how the mystery of His will is revealed to us. Our responsibility is to study the Word. We need to feed off of the meat of God’s Word in order to know the difference between truth and lies, righteousness and unrighteousness. In Ephesians 3:3-5 Paul says, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” This is where people who doubt their salvation can find peace.

God will make known to anyone his or her position in Him. This is the mystery of His will. All things are made known unto us in the pages of The Holy Bible. No one has to wander around with fear and insecurity about their eternal position in Christ Jesus. Where this mystery was made known to Paul by revelation, it is made known to us by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:20 says, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” This unction is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and He teaches us the things of God.

Only a saved person can know the deep things of God. 1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

The only way that the mystery of God’s will can be kept from you is if you are lost. If you are lost, the Holy Spirit does not abide in you. Therefore, the deep things of God cannot be revealed to you by Him.

It thrills my heart to know that I can know all things about God through His Holy Spirit. I don’t have to frustrate my salvation or my position in Christ because the Holy Spirit searches them and reveals them to me. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

There is absolutely no reason for us to walk around in doubt of our salvation or in question of the issue of “once saved - always saved.” God wants to make these things known to you, and He wants you to be settled in His truth.

As we narrow down the benefits of our eternal position in Christ Jesus, there are two more that we need to study. These two seem very hard for our minds to comprehend. Our flesh can’t relate to such benefits, but our hearts will leap and shout underneath our breath at the two remaining benefits.

The next benefit is presented to us in Ephesians 1:11. It says this: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Wow! Through Jesus Christ, we have obtained an inheritance.

Jesus gave His life for a world that had no place to go but hell. We had no hope. We were outcasts, and we had no place in the family of God. We were sinners and strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and we had no ground to stand on. The promises were not ours; they were given to God’s chosen. The covenants were not ours; they were for God’s chosen also. We were literally strangers in a foreign country but, glory to God, we now belong to the Kingdom of God!

Jesus bought us, and He alone owns us. We are no longer servants to sin, but we are heirs to His Kingdom. This word inheritance means that we have been assigned a place in Heaven with Jesus, our Redeemer. God bestows His grace upon us through His only begotten Son. We now can sit in heavenly places. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Galatians 3:27-29 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Right now we are flooded with spiritual blessings through the promises of God. The grace of God is upon us, and He walks with us at all times. There is coming a day that we will celebrate with Jesus as God presents the “Bride” (God’s Church) to the “Groom” (Jesus Christ). On this day, grace will become visible as we share with Him in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Our inheritance is soon to unfold, and there will be no heartache or pain. All will be peace as the glory of God is before our eyes. Yes, the lion and the lamb will lie down together. There will be no killings, and no murmurings or disputings. All will be peace.

My friends, we do sit in heavenly places because of who we belong to. Jesus endured the Cross so that we could have the promises of God. With His Blood He has cleansed us, and on that great and notable day, God will present the Church without spot or wrinkle. Oh, the best is yet to come!

1 John 3:2-3 says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” I have this hope in me; I know I am a child of God, and I know I have an eternal position in Christ Jesus. You, too, can have this assurance.

Ephesians 1:13 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” This is where we find our final benefit. As God’s children, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. This means that nothing can come between us and the Lord. Satan can’t rob us of our salvation. He can try to tempt us and steal our joy, but he can never separate us from the love of God.

When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit came to abide within us. Without Him we could not be redeemed from sin. His sanctifying part in salvation is going on in our lives right now. He is the third person of God, and He is the final part of God’s redemptive work.

The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of our sins and reveals to us that we are lost. He then reveals to us the righteousness of God and draws us to salvation. Once we are saved He never leaves us. He is always walking with us, ready to make intercession for us to Jesus, who sits at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and our Teacher.

If we walk in the Spirit, instead of in our flesh, we will be able to rest in our position in Christ without battling doubt, fear, and confusion. The Holy Spirit is our witness as we walk in this life. He is God, and He lives inside of us. When we allow Him to rule our lives, then Jesus Christ is seen through us. Our bodies are the vessel; He is the power.

John16:7-8 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” This verse reveals to us the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without Him we could never be saved, sanctified, or sealed in Christ Jesus.

John 16:13 teaches us that the Holy Spirit didn’t come to uplift Himself, but He came to glorify the Son. He lives within us and reveals God’s voice to us. It says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.”

Without the Holy Spirit we wouldn’t know anything about the Lord. When He reveals to us the spiritual things, He is making known to us the mind of God and His will for our lives.

For myself, I have truly come to know the Holy Spirit in a very personal way. Through many years of studying, God has shown me the real person of the Holy Spirit and why He is abiding in me constantly. He is the person of God inside of me. He loves me because He is God, and He secures me in all things by reminding me of the Word of God. He is not a white sheet flopping around inside of me. He is a real, true person, and I love Him and seek Him in my life daily.

God knew what it would take for us to survive this world of sin and judgment. He knew that the Holy Spirit would play a very vital role in sustaining our walk with Him. We receive Him at the moment we are saved, and we are sealed with Him eternally.

No one can ever take Him from us. He is the weapon of our warfare. He has power over any enemy. All we have to do is let Him have full control and lead the way. We must die to self and live unto Jesus Christ. We can only do this when we choose to walk in the Spirit and not in our flesh. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Dearly beloved, if you are saved there is no reason for doubt and confusion in your life. Jesus eliminated all of these negative things when He hung on the Cross. He made us free from sin and the bondage of the world; Satan can no longer bind you down. The victory over your sin was won when Jesus said, “It is Finished.”

You hold all eight of the benefits of an eternal position. As a child of God, you have been blessed, chosen, and predestinated unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ. You have been accepted and redeemed. He has revealed the mystery of His will to you. You have obtained an inheritance, and you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Wow! What an eternal position we hold!

In light of the fact that there are eight of these benefits, it is important to know the significance of the number eight in Scripture. The number eight signifies a new beginning. You see, Christ’s redemptive work was finished at Calvary. It is time to enjoy our salvation and to claim the freedom of the cross. We are made new in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

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• Tags: eternal, faithful, security

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• Posted by: Dr. Brenda Robinson