Blessed Are You If … Part 2

Ephesians 1:3-14 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Thirdly, the washing of the disciple’s feet speaks to our “salvation”. If Jesus doesn’t wash us from the inside out then we are not clean before the Lord. If you have made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then you are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb of God. But, if you have not accepted Christ, then, even though you may have many things (possessions, position, power, et cetera), you do not have the wholeness of the soul, the communion of the Spirit, reconciliation with God and Jesus can have no part with you. Jesus said in John 3:3, 5,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Without Jesus, you cannot be blessed. Fourthly, His washing of the disciples feet was an example of what they were supposed to do. As the Lord does, go do likewise. Follow His teachings and examples to serve others with godly compassion and care. Teach others who are ignorant of the truth, that they may find their own forgiveness, redemption and salvation at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Love your God and love your neighbor.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Jesus loves the whole world. The Cross was how our Savior was going to depart for His disciples, dying for their sin that they may live, showing how much He loves us. English groups all types of love into one word. The types of love we experience are (1) Eros – sensual/romantic love, (2) Storge – love of family, (3) Philia, brotherly love of others and (4) Agape - God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. To love Jesus means to love the things that Jesus loves. Jesus loves His church and gave Himself for it. Jesus said in Matthew 12:49-50, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Blessed are you if you love the fellowship of the Believers. The children of God are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as our spiritual family. When we are in the fellowship of Disciples of Christ, we naturally do godly things for them out of your heart. Love shows up; doesn’t give up.  

Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Blessed are you if you consider others more important than yourself. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Follow Jesus’ example and serve others for Heaven’s sake. We cannot reach God, so God reached out of Heaven to us. All of us are separated from God by our many sins. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, God send His Son as our redeeming Savior. Remember the Cross because our power comes from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us on that Cross. Jesus overcame sin and death at the Cross and because of Him, so can we. Christ dies for our sin and reconciled our separation from God by bridging the gap with His life. That is the power of the Cross. It’s everything we can ever need. Rejoice and be grateful always.

In Christ, Brian