Our position in Christ is established. We are no longer the walking dead, but we have been raised up. We “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 2

Key Verses: Ephesians 2:19 & 20

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

Christians take note. Our position in Christ is established. By the end of the second chapter, we have the words “in Christ” 19 times. Are we beginning to get the message? We are no longer the walking dead (verses 1-3). We have been raised up. We “Sit together in the heavenly places in Christ” (verse 6). Verse 11 begins with,“Therefore,” which is a turn-around word. (1) We are alive in Christ. (2) We experience the exceeding riches of His grace. (3) We are saved through faith, a gift of God. (4) We are created in Christ Jesus for good works (works do not produce any favor from God; they follow as a result of His favor). (5) We are citizens of His Kingdom with all the privileges that pertain thereto. (6) We are family; His DNA can be traced within us. (7) We are a holy temple, God’s habitation. We are “in Christ” and He is living in us. It is very, very humbling to recognize that, other than opening our hearts to Him, He’s done it all.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray that I will comprehend, as much as I have the capacity to do so, the magnitude of Your blessing on me. Please assist me to recognize that my behavior does not determine Your blessing, but Your blessing determines who I am. Thank You! I am forever blessed. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I made my lifetime decision to be a follower of Jesus at 16 years old, but it was not until I was 19 that I fully realized my position “in Christ.” It was then that I studied “The Doctrines of Salvation,” first in a Bible correspondence course and then in Bible College. The book “Lectures in Systematic Theology” by Henry C. Thiessen was a companion to my Bible. I find Thiessen’s teachings concise and biblical, and recommend this study as foundational to all other Bible study curricula. The words from today’s reading, “Chief Cornerstone,” stood out to me because of much time spent with our First Nations people. Over again and again, I heard them refer to their true Chief, Jesus Christ, as their “Chief Cornerstone.” I have the great honor of being an honorary chief. My ceremonial bonnet sits in my study. I’m reminded that Jesus is my Chief, now and forever.