DRAWING NEAR

January 26

Maintaining a Clear Perspective


"I pray that . . . you may know . . . what are the riches of the
glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18).


How you perceive your spiritual resources dictates how you live.

Throughout Ephesians 1 Paul is clearly struck with the magnificence
of our inheritance in Christ. Here he prays that we will know the
riches of its glory.

Some commentators see "His inheritance" as a reference to believers,
who are God's inheritance or special possession (v. 14). That view
stresses the value God places on us as believers, as demonstrated in
Christ's death, the forgiveness of our sins, and the abundant grace
that He lavishes on us (vv. 7-8).

Others see it as referring to the believer's inheritance, which Paul
calls "His inheritance" because God is its source. Just as "His
calling" (v. 18) issued from Him and was received by believers, so
His inheritance issues from Him.

Both views are theologically sound but the second seems more
consistent with Paul's emphasis in verses 11 and 14. In either case
Paul's point is clear: redemption and its accompanying blessings are
so profound that we must have supernatural help to understand them.
That's why he prayed for our enlightenment (v. 18).

Such enlightenment is crucial because how you perceive your spiritual
resources dictates how you live. If, for example, you realize you
have every resource for godly living (Eph. 1:3), you are less likely
to succumb to temptation. Knowing God has given you His very best in
Christ (Rom. 8:31) assures you that He won't withhold lesser things,
so you'll not tend to worry about earthly needs. Understanding that
you have already received "grace upon grace" (John 1:16), abundant
life (John 10:10), and "everything pertaining to life and godliness"
(2 Pet. 1:3) gives you confidence that God's future grace and
resources will be more than sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9).

Let that motivate you to praise your rich and glorious God for His
rich and glorious inheritance!


Suggestions for Prayer:

1. Thank God for the privilege of being His child.

2. Memorize Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3 and recite them often as
anthems of praise for the Lord's abundant grace.


For Further Study:
Read 2 Corinthians 11-12

1. What kinds of trials did Paul face?

2. How did God respond to Paul's prayer to remove his "thorn in the
flesh"?

3. How might Paul's response influence you when you face
difficulties?

Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.


All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org

~~~


Ephesians 1:3
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

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be
against us?

John 1:16
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly.

2 Peter 1:3
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life
and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory
and virtue

2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being
from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength
is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather
boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 11-12
1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly; and indeed you
do bear with me.
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ.
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that
is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not
preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not
received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted; you may
well put up with it!
5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent
apostles.
6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge.
But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted,
because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to
you.
9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no
one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied.
And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so
I will keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this
boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the
opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just
as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel
of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform
themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be
according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least
receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.
17 What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were,
foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.
19 For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!
20 For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one
devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one
strikes you on the face.
21 To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that! But in
whatever anyone is bold; I speak foolishly; I am bold also.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they
the seed of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ?; I speak as a fool; I am more: in
labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more
frequently, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three
times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in
the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness;
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep
concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do
not burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my
infirmity.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed
forever, knows that I am not lying.
32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the
city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and
escaped from his hands.
12:1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to
visions and revelations of the Lord:
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago; whether in the body
I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows;
such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a man; whether in the body or out of the body I do
not know, God knows;
4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except
in my infirmities.
6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I
will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me
above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the
revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it
might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I
am weak, then I am strong.
11 I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I
ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the
most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with
all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
13 For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches,
except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this
wrong!
14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not
be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the
children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the
children.
15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though
the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being
crafty, I caught you by cunning!
17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you?
18 I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take
advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk
in the same steps?
19 Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak
before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your
edification.
20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I
wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest
there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;
21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I
shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of
the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.

In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.

If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.

You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:

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In Christ,



Peter

Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com

STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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