Feel Good Grace

Ephesians 1:5-6 (NIV)

In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ok, to me, this is just a feel good movie type Bible verse. 😍 Like in the previous verse, He planned this all along. From eternity past we were in His heart. And predestined tells me it wasn’t just an idea. This was a plan. The plan. God’s plan.

But it’s not just the way it starts – predestined means it’s going to happen. Through Jesus, we (Christians) certainly will (and now have) become His children. We are adopted. And He knew it would happen all along. If God is who I think He is, He was looking forward to the day all along.

God’s mind is infinite and can hold all the thoughts all the time. Each one of us is in there too. And from eternity past, He held each of us in His mind looking forward to the day, that He knew would come, when we’d become His.

And we become His "in accordance with His pleasure and will." He’s happy and excited!

And it’s only made possible by His grace. He has to provide the way for us to become His. He gives this happily and freely through Jesus "the One He loves." He knew that would be the price the whole time.

One, maybe many, of those thoughts all along had to do with the price "the One He loves" would pay. Our free gift wasn’t free. But according to His pleasure and will, that was the plan. To the praise of His glorious grace.

I love the idea that all along I was in His heart and mind. All along He determined I’d get to know Him. I’d get to become His son. There was never any doubt for Him. I took some convincing but He never considered changing the plan or giving up. And it was all according to His pleasure and will. To the praise of His glorious grace!