Ephesians 1:3-4 (NIV): Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Many people, when they think about salvation, their thoughts frequently end right there – believing that God’s goal for each of us is to have us make a profession of faith, or say a prayer, and then He is done; mission accomplished. But that is not the end of God’s plan for us. It is only the beginning.
For each of us who humbles himself and comes to Jesus for salvation, the destiny God has for us is to be holy and blameless in His sight; to be fully conformed to the image of Jesus, God’s Son (Romans 8:29). And this is not a mere “legal status” that God confers on us, calling us righteous while we are still sinners. It is the one who actually does what is right that is righteous, not the one who merely believes in the right things (1 John 3:7-10). The great news about Jesus is that, with His coming and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, God has made it possible for us to be genuinely holy and righteous, not just after we die and go to heaven, but to be able to serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all of our days (Luke 1:74-75).
This is God’s chosen destiny for ALL who choose Him. This is His plan for our lives, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God will purify our hearts, and move us from within to obey all of His commands, in ways that we could never have dreamt possible!
Father, thank You for these promises, this destiny, and all of Your power to make it come true for each of us. Amen.