Episode 3 - We Are Blessed In Christ

Welcome to Episode 3 of Live It Out! A podcast where Adam Green and Pastor Jason Lancaster talk about God's Word and encourage one another—and our listeners—to live it out—for the glory of God and for the good of others.

In this episode, we dive deep into the incredible riches we have in Christ: our inheritance as God's children, the comforting doctrine of His providence (where He sovereignly works all things according to the counsel of His will), and the overwhelming blessings upon blessings poured out on us through Jesus—redemption, adoption, forgiveness, the seal of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what's to come, and so much more!

All of this is "to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12, 14). Drawing from Ephesians 1:11-14, we explore how these truths aren't just theology—they're life-changing realities that give us security, hope, and purpose today. Whether you're facing uncertainty or simply need a fresh reminder of your identity in Christ, this conversation will point you back to the God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Him.

We pray this episode stirs your heart to worship and live boldly in light of your inheritance!

We hope you're encouraged, challenged, and equipped by what we share! If this episode blessed you:

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hey everyone, I'm Adam Green, and with me today is Pastor Jason Lancaster here at Village Bible Church in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. And we want to welcome you to Live It Out, a podcast where we talk about God's word and we encourage one another and our listeners to live it out for the glory of God and for the good of others. Now, today at Village Bible Church, our service was so powerful through the preaching of God's word, through the singing of the body of Christ together, as well as we had a special time of prayer and healing, which we're following a model from James chapter 5, where in our church context we have certain elders and pastors. They are they're kind of uh in the front and the back of the sanctuary as people come forward asking for prayer, and we're able to provide that, going to the only one who can provide answers and who could provide help and who could provide strength and comfort to meet those needs. It was just an amazing service. And we know that some of our listeners aren't able to come here on Sundays, some of our listeners are listening from afar. And so I'm gonna ask Pastor Jason to give us a little flyover for how our passage today, Ephesians chapter 1, verses 11 through 14, fit in the context of this opening chapter in Ephesians, and then we'll take a deep dive into this text.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Yeah, this whole passage is just continues that super long sentence that Paul starts in verse 3 of chapter 1. Right. All the blessings we have in Christ, from adoption to redemption, predestination, forgiveness of sins, and then he brings it over to hey, he predestined us not only to be saved, but he's predestining every single detail in our life, including, you know, the sealing of the Holy Spirit that we're his and we're gonna get his inheritance forever. But what really pumps me about this passage in Ephesians chapter 1, 7 through 11 is the idea that not only did he plan our salvation, but he is planning, ordaining every single detail of our lives for his purposes, which brings me back to my my premise that if we're believers, we don't own our lives. He owns our lives, and as the owner, he can choose to do what he wants for his glory.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Right. I love that whole idea of you know who owns you. And that there was this part about our inheritance. I know we're we're dealing with a crowd that's a little older at our church, and this idea of inheritance, we're all thinking maybe we're gonna get an inheritance, we're gonna give an inheritance. But I loved your your line. Uh, we get inheritance, but but that we are also his inheritance. Maybe you can just chime in a little bit on that for really how much hope that is.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Yeah, it's amazing that the Bible talks about we we have obtained an inheritance, and we will obtain an inheritance in the sense that everything we have in Christ, forgiveness, redemption, and we're gonna be free from sin one day when we're in glory, variety by the blessings. So we got that inheritance, we got it, and it's coming. But it also we are God's inheritance, we are his heritage, his people, he chose us, he gets us. Right, we are his. I love the combo there, not only obtaining inheritance, but we are God's like we're valuable to him, right? He loves us, yes, he wanted us, he predestined us, he chose us, and he's blessed us. We are his.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Right, right. Absolutely. I I I I can't uh help but think a few weeks back you were doing a sermon uh that was essentially, I think it was coming from Isaiah that was saying, you know, why did God even choose us? Why did God even have to save us? And I and I and I was so I was thinking of that in a lot of this passage today, and I'm like, okay, we should be blown away by the fact that God saved us. Like, as rebellious people, sinful people, right? Uh while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Like that in and of itself should be praise God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I think what you're trying to say is like he took it even a step further than even the previous verse, uh, by his blood we have forgiveness of all of our uh sins, right? Complete forgiveness. So we have a right same with the holy God, like amazing. And then he what he then he gives us everlasting life through Jesus' resurrection, defeating death itself, right? Amazing. But then even in this passage, he also like incredible, he gives us an inheritance.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yep, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

And of course, we are we are his, and I love that imagery of like you're mine, you're mine, you're mine, which which we'll get to in a little bit. But I mean, it's just like blessing upon blessing upon blessing upon blessing that we have. I mean, it's just such a hopeful passage, and I you know, I think people were definitely gathering that.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Well, you know, you just throw into the midst of all that inheritance of blessing this line, which is my favorite line, that he works out all things according to the purpose of his will. He's working out every single detail of our lives for the purpose, and that makes the rub happen, the struggle happen. It's like, yeah, but there's been bad things that have happened to me. Sure, yeah. Where was God? Did he plan that? Did he ordain that? If so, why is he a cruel God? Does he even love us? And that's that's the struggle that I think we all have, not just those who've going through horrendous things, but those who go through just the daily things of life. Like, why did God allow that to happen? Or why did he ordain that? Why did he cause that? And how does human responsibility and people sinning against me, my sin? And when you pull back, I really think you can rest in God's providence if you believe that he's working for your good. Right. Because there's one thing to say that God is a control and working out all the details, but he's not good. But you're not living that out yet. Yeah. And if he's not good, if he's not good, we're like, well, this is a cruel God. But if we believe that he's good and he's working for our good, we can take the most horrible things that have happened and trust that God is good. He loves us, he still has a plan. We haven't stalled out his plan. We're not stuck in life. We're stationed here by his sovereign providence. Right. And he's got a plan, he's working for our good.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

I mean, often in my conversations with individuals who are going through horrific trials, maybe it's something that happened in their family upbringing, you know, it's some parental things, some things that are really horrific. Um, I think they have a hard time gathering, you know, uh, you know, why would God allow that? That's a common question. And even even our own folks and those maybe who are listening who may be in a tough trial and they're kind of you know, why? You know, why is this happening to me? I can't believe a God who is right, steadfast love and mercy, mercy never ceases. Why would this happen? And so I really think um coming to grips with the fact that you know God's purpose is He's a good God. The Bible says that clearly, trustworthy, right, faithful in all he does. And I think uh I'm really at the probably like like above all of that, we just have to know we didn't create the whole universe. We're not God. We don't know the intricacies of all that he's doing. And oftentimes I know for myself, um, even in those times where I'm in a certain trial or certain circumstance, I don't quite see it clearly. And I'm still asking, Lord, show me your will, show me, you know, open a door, close a door. And it's oftentimes, um, maybe I'll see glimpses of peace in and through that, but it's oftentimes after the fact that I can look back and go, wow, wasn't that God was hand holding me through that whole situation? Yeah, he didn't allow me to get that job, or he didn't allow me to maybe buy that house or go here or there. Yeah, but he got me boom, boom, boom, and it's right here, and I'm so thankful. Amen. So I think that's maybe just I'm just trying to think about something that would be encouraging for those who may be listening who are in the thick of it and are maybe you know questioning that that Romans 8 uh 28 passage is sometimes if people kind of hear, they go, Oh yeah, I know, I know all things work together, but they really need to believe it. Yeah, all things do work together.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

And I think the misconception that people may have is that all things means we're gonna get uh an happy ending every time on this earth, which is not the case. Yeah, like everything's gonna work out. Oh, tick, tick, tick, I got it, God made it perfect, I didn't see it, bam. Well, that's not always the case, especially when you know people lose children, people go through a divorce, people's health fails them. They're not seeing the happy ending that they were anticipating, and yet they're gonna believe through that God is in control, He loves me, and He's not abandoned me. That's the message they gotta believe in their head and in their heart.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Right. Amen to that. Uh maybe you can chime in on the tail end of this where it talked about God's almost like you know, God's sealed you and he's gonna fulfill that promise of our inheritance. Maybe you can speak into that.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Yeah, you know, we're talking about the sealing of the Holy Spirit, he has almost like stamped us, like you stamp a cattle, and there's he's saying mine, and the way he says mine is he puts his Holy Spirit in us, which is the third person of the Trinity. Who is God living in us? Can you believe that? Right, and then we believe passages that say, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. How can we know that? He has put his Holy Spirit in us as a seal, which means the Holy Spirit in us to convict us, to draw us near, to say, hey, don't go that direction, to bring praise and glory to God, to have these glimpses of experiences on this earth that we will have in eternity and some glimpses of it now. The Holy Spirit of God lives in us.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Right. And and I think you you'd mentioned uh, because I know some folks are are looking for maybe mountaintop experiences, but I loved how you pointed out. No, you have the fullness of God really to live in you right now. Yeah. So you have access to the fullness of God.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

You have all of God you're ever gonna get, but does he have all of you? So that's the idea. It's like the Holy Spirit, we don't need to have more experiences to get more of the Holy Spirit. We have all the Holy Spirit, but does he have all of us? And that's part of being filled with the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, things like that. But praise God, he started the work in us. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

And I think I mean even thinking back when I was uh uh saved, you know, was really that letting, you know, yes, I believe that Jesus is my savior. I believe what he did for me on the cross, I was a sinner. I I believe that he died and paid for it all on the cross, but it's also calling him your Lord. Yeah. And maybe that's what you're saying is kind of it's kind of a chipping away at, you know, you're trying to hold the card, you're trying to work out all your things the way that you can. But it's really, it's really uh, Lord, I'm I'm submitting my life to you. Yeah, I'm gonna submit that area that I'm I'm trying to hold on to. Um, maybe it's whatever it is, habitual sin, maybe it's money, maybe it's a certain uh activity, and it's just uh being able to submit that to the order to the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Yeah, and it's it's like God hears everything. You're the owner. We're not talking about let go, let God. We're just saying, hey, Lord, we trust and obey you. We trust you, you are God, we're gonna obey you, we're yours. Whatever you want to do, here you go.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

And how freeing that is if we can live that way. Yeah, I I know even even my wife and I, we were we were praying just the other night, and I mean we're we're deep in prayer for some things that are going on in our in our own family, but ultimately it's like, am I uh willing to trust in God and whatever outcome comes my way? I think that's really, as believers, where we need to be. There's freedom in that. Because there's freedom, yeah, peace. Yeah. Uh you're not gonna go all day long stressing, being anxious about that particular thing or an ailment or a diagnosis or a family squabble, but uh we can just trust, you know what? I'm gonna be faithful, keep my eyes on Jesus, being daily in his word, giving it over to him, and just trust whatever the outcome is. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

Amen. And and believing all along, he's good. He's not gonna do me wrong. He's not gonna do me dirty, he loves me, and he's working for my good and his glory.

unknown 12:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Right. Yeah, I I even think of the uh the passage I thought you were gonna use it in your sermon today, uh, although it it was clearly there, but that but that passage in uh Romans 838, just to this idea that you know God's love, yes, he like he's saying, You're mine, and I'm gonna see that truth through, through leading you through your whole life. I'm never gonna leave you, forsake you with a love that cannot fade, will not diminish, and gonna take you into eternity so you can see me face to face. Amen. Where we all bow down. And I love what you said as a worship leader, of course I love this, to the praise of his glory. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

So the big takeaway from those who are kind of going through it right now is that God's got you. He's got you, he knows what he's doing. You're not stuck, he's got a strategy in place, he's stationed you where you're at for now. He's grown you, he's maturing you. Yeah, but he loves you and he's not against you, he's not doing you wrong. He loves you and he's got a plan and he's working it.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Amen. Thanks, Jason. That's it for this episode of Live It Out. Pastor Jason and I are thrilled that you've spent time with us today. And if you found this helpful or encouraging, we invite you to drop us a comment. Let us know how God is encouraging you today or throughout the week. And as always, we want to invite you to be with us. There's nothing better than being with God's people. You can be here Sundays at nine fifteen AM here at Village Bible Church. We hope you have a great week. Keep living it out for God's glory and God bless.