Think Again!

CHAPTER 7 The Son’s Potential

The Father has been lavish in his philanthropic generosity to all people. But without the work of Jesus Christ to redeem creation, much of the Father’s good gifts would not be experienced in this fallen world. The Father intends to restore the brokenness of creation through the Son. In Christ, the Kingdom of God has come! In Him! Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a marvelous expression of the Father’s plan to restore his creation through the Lord Jesus Christ. He has revealed “to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1. 9-10). Several other foundational themes of God’s kingdom purposes are listed in chapters 1-3, which is akin to taking an inventory of all the marvelous riches we have in Christ! Because of Jesus, we have swag (stuff we all get) including adoption, holiness, forgiveness, insight, intimacy, assurance, belonging, hope, power, meaning, creativity, individuality, community, and an inheritance. Paul reminds us that all of this is because of Jesus. Through frequent references to “in him,” we are reminded that it is only by Christ’s work that we possess

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