Title selection (Ephesians 1:3-6)
Since time immemorial, Korea has been a country of unity. We have nothing to talk about except for Han. If you know the ghost story, it is the story of Han. Where did these hanks come from? Because I couldn't learn because I didn't have anything, I couldn't make a career out of it, so I'm trying to make my children study hard to get rid of that hunger. Yet again, if the child fails to relieve the grief, the suffering will be passed on to the grandchildren. But faith means that this limit becomes useless. Why does Han appear? It is a dissatisfaction with the world. It was because he thought that the things he had lusted for did not come true and that he was despised and suffered by people because of it.
However, there is no limit because Christianity does not put any hope in this world. Complaining and resentment cannot come out. Even though the first three are heaven, such an environment or my situation cannot be an object of complaint. Last time we thought about divine blessings. We have already thought that we are people who are covered in blessings. He said he didn't need any more blessings. He said that the blessings we had were too great to bear. But he said that he should not try to use this blessing in the world. Today, with the words of the text, we are going to examine what this spiritual blessing is in detail. Verse 4 says that He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and blameless before Him in love.
Paul specifically links this divine blessing to our salvation. God was trying to give us spiritual blessings, but when did you say that? It is called before the creation of the world. It is said that before the foundation of the world he chose us to be the sons of God. We treat this event of our salvation so easily as if it were just a coincidence. But it is clear that our salvation is not so easy and simple, it has been an event that has been foreseen from before the foundation of the world. In other words, the work of Jesus dying on the cross to deliver me from the evils of hell did not start when I was born, but was planned and prepared from before the foundation of the world. What a great thing this is. Is it because I am great? no.
No matter where I look, I am an insignificant being. Isn't it? Faith must start here. This grace is holding me back, why should I be grieved? How can I dare to grumble and complain before God? Do you have anything to say with ten mouths? This is the reason why believers do not envy this world, do not be discouraged by the things of this world, and do not be discouraged when people point their fingers and despise them so much. Live with pride. Be proud of what God has done for us, not what you have. Look at the disciples. They were beaten and imprisoned like that, but why did they live preaching Jesus? As I am writing this, Paul is in prison. What good things happen in prison?
But why does he have no choice but to sing praises? The prison cannot complain about this wonderful fact that he chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us to be his sons. If it's injustice, wouldn't it be unfair to Paul, who was imprisoned without any sin while preaching the gospel diligently? Or will we feel unfair because we are now bankrupt because our business is not working? Are we not listening to our children and weeping because our condition is miserable? This is waving the trick in front of the Tosa. This is the problem with our faith because we do not realize how great what we have been given. So, without such pride, we naturally believe in Jesus and live, but we love money, blame and resent people, and complain about the environment.
That is why Paul, while in prison, is revealing this top secret gospel to the Ephesians, asking them to live with pride. At the same time, he was so moved that he praised and scolded him. Here is an issue we need to watch out for. What we should not misunderstand about predestination is that it doesn't make us Robert as we think it is. The theory of predestination is that when God does something, He does it with a plan, and He does His work with His will. Simply put, it's like this. It is impossible for me to be saved without the event of the cross. So God sent Jesus. And I said I believe in Jesus. However, all of that was in God's plan, and now it has appeared in reality. There is no other reason to talk about this choice and talk about predestination.