Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we also have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in keeping with the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. He made known to us the mystery of his will in keeping with his good purpose, which he planned in Christ. This was to be carried out when the time had fully come, in order to bring all things together in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.
Applying God’s Word for today: God’s plan of salvation for you!
We can make plans, but whether they succeed is often uncertain. Even the best plans can hit obstacles, requiring us to reassess and adjust. How is your progress on overcoming the mistakes you’ve made? When you’ve hurt someone and the emotional remnants linger, or when someone has hurt you, and you’re not quite ready to forgive fully, you might say, “I am going to hold on to this until …” and fill in the blank with what you hope to accomplish. Meanwhile, this feeling eats away at your conscience, leading you to make more concessions that need to be addressed.
God’s plan was to give us forgiveness for all our sins without achievement or concessions; it was to be received through faith alone in Christ, with no works needed. When people fell into sin, God had already established His plan of salvation: to forgive people for His Son’s sake, and it would be given to each person through faith in Jesus, with no limitations or minimum requirements. God’s plan was set in place at the perfect time in the world’s history.
It was for His good purpose of restoring fallen man to Himself. Our sins condemned us to eternal suffering away from Him, but He set His plan in motion for all of us. His plan was completed perfectly, so that everyone who believes has eternal life. His plan does not give us a license to be loveless toward God and others; it means that when we fall short, we know Jesus has already forgiven and restored us. God’s plan shows His love by sending His Son to suffer and die on the cross, in our place. What a wonderful gift to share with those who don’t know about His love for them. His perfect plan was also fulfilled for them.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us even when we were hostile toward You and for never giving up on us. Thank you for establishing Your plan of salvation to save me from all my sins; please forgive me for Jesus’ sake and strengthen my faith in You. Thank you for revealing the mystery of Your salvation to all people in Your Word. Please let me share Your Word with others so they will also trust in Your Son, their Savior, and have eternal life. Amen.
God’s perfect plan was to restore you from your sins so that you are His child and heir of heaven. His plan was fulfilled through Jesus, His Son. Jesus suffered and died for you so that you are forgiven and can be confident in your salvation and eternal life in heaven.