The Sovereignty of God | Ephesians 1:7-12

HI PEEPS! Guess what? It's 2021! I don't know about y'all, but I felt relief moving into a new year. So, happy new year!

Now, I know I say this every time I do a bad job of posting regularly, but this time I have a plan, my friends. (Just give me time, we'll see what happens :)).

I wanted to hop back on the Sovereignty of God series I started almost a year ago (crazy, right?). God laid it on my heart to come back to this blog, but I haven't known what to write. I read this passage this morning, and God revealed it to me to use this one for our next Sovereignty of God discussion! So, let's hop in. Here's the passage.

In Ephesians, Paul is writing to the believers at the church at Ephesus. In these verses specifically, he is talking to the Ephesian Christians about Jesus' sacrifice in His death on the cross. Paul says in verse 7 that Christians have been redeemed by Christ's blood and forgiven, removing us completely and entirely from the bondage of slavery to sin! That right there is a huge reason to rejoice in the midst of suffering, Christian.

But what's this got to do with His sovereignty? Look at verses 9-12. Paul starts using words like "predestined", "plan", "inheritance", and other words that note thought and forward-thinking. Here, Paul is showing how God has had a plan throughout history.

- God has used His Word, the Bible, to reveal mysteries, or unknown parts of God's intentions and plans, to us, such as Jesus being His plan for salvation (v. 9).

- When Jesus comes back to reign on earth, God has told us that He will rid the world of sin and unite everything under Jesus' leadership (v. 10)

- God chose His people, the Jews, to work through and become the first Christians so that they could show the Gentiles, or nonbelievers, who Jesus was and is (v. 11-12)

And that's just a bit of what God has done! Paul says that God is the one "who works all things according to" His will (v. 11). God uses everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen for HIS PURPOSE. He chose His people before the foundation of the world. He knew your name before he created the planet we live on. If he has been able to seamlessly execute history, can't he handle a pandemic, political division, and personal strife?

So, Christian, I challenge you to think of how God used 2020 for His good in your life. I'll give you an example--for me, God used the slowed pace of this year to reveal things in my heart and life that were distracting me from Him. He showed me I had an idolatry problem with things that were of little importance to His eternal plan. That's His grace and love at work. So, what has He done for you? Even if it's something small, God has still used 2020 for His good. And if you can't think of a single thing, that's okay--He may reveal what He used last year for later to you. Just ask Him!

As we go into a new year, living in a world with a deadly virus, division, and hardships at every level of society, remember He's bigger. God's had a plan, and it hasn't changed. He is the Sovereign King.

Well, happy new year friends! I hope this is a comfort to you. If you want to chat or need to pray about something, please reach out! --Elizabeth :)