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“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” I was once asked the identity of “the church, which is his body”. The question came from a group of Christians I highly respect. They put a great emphasis on the importance of the local church, but believe all those who have placed their faith in Christ make up the the church described here; I heartily agree. The question comes as a result of error on two fronts. Some would almost disregard the place of the local church, in an effort to unite the entire body of Christ for practical service. Others live by a “local church only” philosophy that argues the true church is only seen in material form via local assemblies. The reality is that all believers in Christ are part of His body. Each New Testament congregation is the visible, organized agency through which God has chosen to carry out His plan. The entire church, which is His body, will only function together as a unit when God unites us in heaven. Until then, let’s focus on serving Him with full commitment in our local body every day.

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” The word predestinate means to “decide beforehand”; what an amazing thought! God himself, realizing who we would be, and what we would do, decided beforehand to adopt us into his family. He didn’t make the decision grudgingly, but rather according to His own “good pleasure”. The thought of it is simultaneously wonderful and ridiculous. How is it that a holy God could choose to redeem humanity, by the sacrifice of His only son? The second verse gives us a hint; it was in accordance with His glorious grace. God, taking action in perfect harmony with His magnificent character, “made us” accepted. It is by God’s choice and direct action that we are saved. Take a moment to thank Him for choosing to do what He did not have to do.