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Seven Reasons to Praise Him

Words of Faith Final

Seven Reasons to Praise Him

Words of Faith 1-15-2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2021

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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Ephesians 1:3-14

[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love   [5] he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--   [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.   [7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace   [8] that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.   [9] And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,   [10] to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.   [11] In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,   [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.   [13] And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,   [14] who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. 

 

      This is a blast of pure praise!  We will look at it over several days, but first, we should drink from the fire hose!  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

      The KJV renders this “blessed be the God and Father.”  The word is eulogetos, which means to bless or “speak well of” in adoration. It is a special word always and only applied to God in the New Testament.  This is uniquely different from the word for blessing another person— eugoleo, which means “to speak well of” or invoke the blessing of God into and upon a person.

      There is a unique blessing that flows out of our spirit that should be directed toward people, but there is a blessing and adoration that is reserved only for God.  We are to speak blessing into one another, but we are to speak adoration only to God.

      So why praise God?  Paul shows us seven reasons to adore God with your words and spirit. 

     1st - For choosing us.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  He chose you to be holy, set apart, and made blameless, not because you were already blameless.  He picked you to be on His team. 

    2nd - For making a plan and adopting us. He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. God has adopted us as children through the work of Christ. This was His plan and design.  For his pleasure, it pleased God to adopt you.  This is for the praise of His glorious grace freely given in the One he loves.

     3 - For redeeming us.  In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. God has redeemed us--forgiven our sins.  The word means to “ransom fully.”  We were ransomed and paid for by the blood of Jesus. Through the riches of His grace.

     4 - For His wisdom and understanding. that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  He has given a superabundance of wisdom and understanding. By His Word and His Spirit, we have wisdom and understanding.  Wisdom, Sophia is higher understanding.  Understanding, phronesis - fron'-ay-sis - is moral insight.  We may or may not have knowledge in a situation, but we have higher understanding and moral insight.

      5 - For making known the mystery of His will.  God has revealed the mystery of His will to us. There is a purpose going on around us.  Everything is moving toward a conclusion and fulfillment. He will gather all things in heaven and on earth together.  Everything will be placed under the rule of Christ (v.9-10).

      6 - For His inheritance. We were chosen according to the plan in order that we who were the first to hope in Christ may be FOR the praise of His glory.  We are purposed and purchased to be FOR His glory.  We have a heritage with Christ and an inheritance in Him. This happened WHEN you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of salvation. We receive the inheritance of God in Christ by HEARING the Word and TRUSTING in Christ.

       7 - For the seal of His Holy Spirit.  Having believed, we are marked with a seal, sfrag-id'-zo, means to stamp with a signet or private mark for security or preservation or attest to authenticity by a mark. The Holy Spirit seals us for security and preservation and guarantees our inheritance until the redemption of God's possession.  Why? To His praise and glory.

 

        Lord God, I praise You for choosing me to be set apart and made blameless.  For making a plan and adopting me.  For paying my ransom.  For lavishing me with wisdom and understanding.  For letting me know Your purpose.  Forgiving me an inheritance.  For sealing me with the Your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2010, 2021

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.