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No Matter What

blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one blessing us in all spiritual blessings... predestining us for adoption as his own... highly favoring us in the Beloved, having redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses...*

God put on my heart to meditate on these scriptures, no matter what, I am blessed with adoption, redemption, the forgiveness of sin. No matter what circumstances this life brings. No matter what storm comes our way, if through sickness we are facing our own mortality, no matter what let us be reminded we are adopted, redeemed, forgiven. Lord we pray, help us keep our mind on the that of heaven, and be grateful for the blessings we have in Christ. Though we exist treasure in a fragile jar of clay, pressed from all sides, emptied, thrown about, and cast down...* We are adopted, redeemed, forgiven. In these three blessings alone I have a lot to be grateful for, no matter what.

he predestined us for adoption to the extent of his own through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.*

Adoption, it is an amazing thing, God chose us, predestined us for adoption, before the creation of the world. We could just stop here and be very grateful, God chose me and adopted me. The concept is difficult to wrap our minds around so Paul prays, that we would be enlightened so to comprehend the hope to which we have been called and the inheritance we have among the saints. Adoption as sons includes an inheritance among the saints, the holy. The men in the Hall of Faith the writer of Hebrews tells us were looking at it from a distance, knowing they were strangers and exiles in the land, longing for a better home, a heavenly one.* They testified of their faith not receiving the promise, for God had something better in mind so that the goal would not be reached apart from us.* I am grateful that I have such hope and an inheritance among the saints.

Now when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.*

According to the good pleasure of his will, he chose us, predestined us for adoption as His own. This happened, as Paul writes, when we heard the gospel of our salvation, the word of truth, and believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until he takes possession of his own.* Think about what it means to be a guarantee of our inheritance, it is a formal promise or assurance; a pledge to redeem, to pay another person's debt. This sealing is equivalent to entering the kingdom of God, as Jesus said, one must be born from above, of the Spirit, to enter.* Jesus came to give us the right to become children of God, this is through believing, in which we are born unto His kingdom, not of human stock or will or decision but of the will of God.* God adopted us as sons, "now, because we are sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba Father."* God adopts us by putting His Spirit within us, it is why the Spirit is one of adoption. The Spirit is the pledge or guarantee of our inheritance, of our adoption.* I am grateful no matter what that I have been adopted into the kingdom of God and sealed by His Spirit awaiting the redemption of His people.

In him, we are chosen, predestined according to the purpose of him who works out everything according to the purpose of his will,*

God chose me, by grace, predestined me according to His purpose, and He is working out all things according to that purpose. Paul already told us what that purpose was, why He chose us which was to exist holy and in His presence in love. This is why He predestined us for adoption as His own. This purpose or plan God had before he created the world. For what purpose did he create the world? So to have a people of His own, exiting in His presence, in love. He would be their God and they would be his people, and He would walk among them.* How could we exist in his presence in love? In this, we see the idea of consecration, a people set apart, the very same concept in the Old Covenant, but unlike the Old the sign of our circumcision is inward, that of the heart by the Spirit.* We see the issue, the barrier or dividing wall, that He is holy and we are born into a sinful nature. But here is how he is working that out according to His plan. To be in His presence we need to be holy, like Him. So there is more to this purpose, than just love, we see the condition of holiness. God is love and God is holy. Paul tells us how through God's plan he is accomplishing this. Surely, as an adopted son who shares in his holy character, I can be in his presence in love. No matter what He is working out for good to those loved of God, we are being conformed to the image of His Son. 

now, we know because all things are working together for good to those loved of God because those who He foreknew also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son...*

Is he working out good to those who love God or to those who are loved of God? We love God because he first loved us, he chose us, and even the most rebellious of us he chose and is working out all for our good. God hates unrighteousness but loves righteousness. How is God dealing with the issue of sin and His holiness so that His plan and purpose is being accomplished? How can we be in His presence, blameless and loved? We are blessed with spiritual blessings in Christ, He has chosen us, adopted us through His Spirit, redeemed and forgiven our sin, but it doesn't end there, the purpose is being worked out according to His plan, He is conforming us to the image of His Son. I am grateful no matter what, He predestined me for adoption and is working out all things for my good.

to the praise of his glory, the grace which he highly favored us in the Beloved, in him having redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of the trespasses...*

Redemption, the forgiveness of sin, the outcome of being highly favored in the Beloved. It is interesting to me that Paul begins his letter not with by grace are you saved through faith nor with a message of repentance but with the concept that we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven. And he prays that we may be enlightened to comprehend all the spiritual blessings from the riches of his grace and glory, which we are blessed with in Christ Jesus. We see the concept of redemption in the story of Ruth, though their inheritance was lost, a family member redeemed them by paying the debt. The lineage of Christ comes through Ruth, speaking of the promise of inheritance is by grace through faith and to tell us of the coming redeemer, who would redeem us or buy back the inheritance which Adam had given up for a piece of fruit. No matter what, I am grateful to my redeemer.

justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.*

Justification is by grace through redemption, it is the means by which we are made righteous before God. Redemption comes not through gold and silver but through the precious blood of the Lamb. His blood, this is the price paid. "Therefore at the present justified in his blood, much more saved from the wrath of God."* Should we not be thankful that we are justified and saved from God's wrath? Just like there is much to the concept of adoption so there is to redemption and the forgiveness of sin.  So we pray that we would be enlightened to these things, so to have the mindset that no matter what, we comprehend we are favored in the Beloved, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven.

Redeemed

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