Ephesians 1:3-6
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places,
4 even as he chose us
in him before the foundation of the
world,
that we should be
holy and blameless before him.
In love
5 he predestined us for adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
with which he has blessed us in the
beloved.”
As I look at this set of verses I feel
as though I am looking more at a psalm than a new testament epistle,
and I smile. I smile because of that little word beloved. I smile
because He has chosen, not I have chosen, but He. I smile because it
is according to the purpose of His will. I smile because I'm not
perfect, because I am so incredibly broken, and yet He loves me. I
smile because by God making His own Son a curse He has made available
every spiritual blessing.
As I look at that word I wonder whom it
is that is being referred to as beloved? Is he saying the church or
Christ? Or both?
At first glance I would think Paul was
referring to the church as the beloved. Now I must say quite the
opposite Paul refers to Jesus as The Beloved.
I think Christ because the word “in”
that is used in these last few verses often is referring to Christ.
“Blessed us in Christ... Chose us in Him” “Blessed
us in the beloved.”
The Beloved of the church and the
Beloved of the Father. That word has such depth to it for me. I keep
thinking of the song of Solomon, where that word is used so often. I
think about the deep love between a married couple. I have not
experienced such love as that, yet the longer I walk with God the
more He opens my heart to knowing His love for me. The more He has
grown my capacity to love my sisters in Christ, and the lost.
It is convicting in a way, Paul calling
Christ the Beloved. I have known Jesus as my beloved, but how often
do I sit before Him and be with Him? How often do I simply cherish
Him? I know He cherishes me as beloved, and calls me beloved, waits
on me and listens to my struggles. Patiently deals with my sin, and
leads me into true life with Him. Yet so often I simply come to Him
with a list of things that have been on my mind, with my anxieties
and my troubles, like speaking through a phone never allowing myself
to listen to His voice, like never looking into His face. I do not
mean to say that bringing my troubles to Him is wrong, by all means
we should go to God with our struggles. 1St peter 5:7 says
“casting all your cares on him for he cares for you.” What I mean
to say is this, God will hear those prayers, but prayer is not about
us getting what we want, and sometimes I think I treat it that way.
However Prayer is about spending time with God. God does not need me,
but I feel a great sense of sadness in treating someone I claim to
love that way. I feel sad because of the Great love with which He has
loved me. I feel I am missing the best part of my time if I ask God
to help the circumstance, but do not allow time for Him to show me
His heart. And that I am doing an injustice to Him when I know He
truly wants to spend time with me. Yes He wants to hear my anxieties
but not only that, He wants all of my heart. Paul was a man who
cherished Christ as the Beloved. Am I?
Application.
Cherish Jesus.
How?
I will make a time this week to spend
alone with God and worship Him.
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