Thurs., 3/21/13 Devotion (Eph. 1:5)

Today's encouragement comes from Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired words of Ephesians 1:5:

"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

Have we ever heartily (like Paul) thanked God for the gracious doc-trines of predestination and election? Without this sovereign work of God no one would ever be saved, and we would all be forever bound to sin, death, and hell. Those who exalt human "free will" over the powerful gospel of Christ despise God, and His grace.

Let us recognize this humbling truth: unless the Lord had first come to us, in His mercy--there is no way, ever, that we would have come to Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The church is a distinct race that originally came form God. Other men are of the earth--they are of earthly deri-vation, the posterity of men--but the church is the posterity of God."
--Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, "Christians a Chosen Generation"]