Ephesians 1 v 3 - 8

Gift after gift and wonder after wonder passes before Paul's mind's eye as he ponders what God has done for those who are His children. His mind runs along three lines: 1. Paul was always aware that he had been chosen by God rather than he doing the choosing. He had spent his lifetime before his road to Damascus conversion vainly pursuing an elusive Divine Being. God chose Paul and the wonder of His grace is that He has chosen you and me too! 2. God did not choose him or us in any kind of mealy-mouthed, giving out small portions of grace-like a divine server of Dicken's Oliver-at a time: no, God pours out His blessings on us, so many and so vast! And these blessings cannot be experienced in any other way. The peace and joy God pours out upon us are far greater and lasting than the peace experienced during meditation and the joy experienced when our team score a goal! 3. For what reason did God choose us? He chose us so that we can become holy and blameless! Holy in the sense of becoming separated, different. The Christian should be identifiable as such. Blameless in the sense of having the whole of our being directed towards God. ''Everything is spiritual'' Rob Bell declared rightly. And this is no Plan B, no making things up as you go along. This was God's plan before He had created the world. So, this is what God has done FOR US: 1. He has bought our freedom. We were prisoners and God has redeemed us. 2. He has forgiven our sins. In one sense, when Christ died for us on the cross, He provided forgiveness for us past, present and future. 3. He has not set us free so as to become our new taskmaster. No, He has SHOWERED kindness, wisdom and understanding upon us. To conclude, God has not only bought our freedom, but He has given us ALL THAT WE NEED to live holy and blameless lives. Brothers and sisters, what more could we ask for, what more could we need?!