Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

15 December 2024

Reading From Ephesians 1-6

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

–Ephesians 1:15-23

     From the time we are born again until the day we meet the Lord either through death or rapture, we are on a spiritual journey.  All along the way, as we read, meditate and study His Word the Bible, we unpack these profound truths and search these deep mysteries from God.  The Lord Jesus is God the Son and is therefore all-powerful.  He is the Head of His Church which is His Body. 

     He has washed us clean in His blood and when His saving and sanctifying work is complete, we will enjoy perfect unity and harmony with Him.  There is a profound reason that we are referred to as His Body and His Bride.  Marriage is the deeply symbolic picture of two becoming one.  This harmony will be celebrated at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

     We are partakers of His divine nature and will experience a unity with Him as the eternal family of God that is deeper than our minds can conceive while we live in this present reality.  One of Paul’s yearnings is for us to function in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is active in our lives.  We are able to function in that power in accordance with the level of surrender and the measure of faith and trust we have in Jesus. 

May our faith be ever increasing, “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”[1]  We have a grand eternal adventure to discover what that truly means. Keep reading, meditating, studying, absorbing, sharing and basking in the Light of the Word of God. It is living and active and its balanced interpretation brings such wisdom and warmth to our lives.

“Lord, whenever we open the pages of Your Word, every word and phrase has such depth and richness of meaning that it is tough to get through reading one line without pausing to thank You and attempt to understand and absorb Your Truth.  Thank You for making us part of Your eternal family.  Continue to purify our hearts and minds and prepare us for life in the New Heaven and the New Earth.  In the strong and mighty Name of Jesus Christ I pray.  Amen.”

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 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, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

–II Peter 1:2-4

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[1] Ephesians 3:19