What God will you be doing this year with and under? (Ephesians 1:3-6)
When it comes to this year: are you anxious, or excited? Or a mixture of both?
If this year is anything like last year then there are likely to be plenty of unknowns, hardships, difficulties, and anxieties. Of course, hopefully, that isn’t all there is to this year! But those tougher elements may still be very present.
So, especially for those of us trusting in Jesus, what do we need to remember?
I want to briefly draw your attention to the God you and I need to remember this year.
But, it is worth saying: knowing and being aware of Him will not mean our struggles will disappear. And it certainly does not mean that things will go our way. Instead, it means we can have a sure and steady confidence in him, even in the tough things. All while hopefully also giving thanks for the good he has given and shown us.
With that in mind, here are 5 points about God from Ephesians 1:3-6 that we may need to take to heart for this year.
And as we go through them I want you to think: which of these might you most need to hold on to this year?
Here are the five.
1.He is the generous God
Do you picture God as a fun-spoiler, or a harsh task master? Most people with an experience of Christianity in South Africa have that image of God. They see God as demanding; they see him as restrictive.
That is not the God of Jesus though. Verse 3 of Ephesians 1 says:
“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”
Or verse 6:
“to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved one”
Did you see that there? Verse 3, God has blessed his people with ‘every spiritual blessing’. Verse 6, he lavished his glorious grace on us.
God is not stingy. He is not cold. He is generous. He is the God who blesses and does so abundantly. But not, as some people proclaim, with cars and couches and KFC. Sure, he may give those at times, but his primary generosity is giving us things that last beyond death and rust and decay. He gives us every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. That might not be what we most want, but our heavenly Father knows what we most need.
Do you need to adjust your understanding of God? He is firstly, the generous God.
2.He is the Christ God
What do I mean? Well, plainly put: he is the God known and knowable to us in Jesus.
Verse 3 again says that the God we are talking about is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is to say, we can know God as God (and as our Father) because, and only because, of Jesus Christ.
What is more, if you want to know and experience the blessings of this God, then the location again is in Christ. Verse 3: the blessings are in Christ. Verse 4: he chooses us in Christ. Verse 5: he adopts us as sons through Christ. Verse 6: he lavishes us with his glorious grace in the Beloved One (that is, Christ).
What is your experience of God? Through an apostle or prophet or priest? Through ceremonies or rituals or sacrifices? At times, those may have a certain place. But primarily and directly we can know and experience God as our God in Christ. And if any of those other things draw you away from what is available in Jesus, then let those things go! Because the one true God makes himself available primarily through Christ alone. He is the Christ God.
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If you want the other 3 points (He is the purposeful God, the Father God, the praiseworthy God) then you can watch the short devotional talk given at the 2021 TBT Launch Party.
