Rolling Out the Red Carpet for God’s Children

If you’re someone who’s battled shame, then you’ve most likely doubted God’s goodness to you. You can accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and the guarantee that brings of eternal life, but thinking about any blessings beyond that is nearly impossible for you. How could God give you any reward when you’ve committed so many sins? Shame holds you to the person you were before Christ and/or a punishment understanding of discipline, forgetting that the Lord’s forgiveness transcends your guilt and shame. Jesus, “erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.” Colossians 2:14-15 He shamed shame itself and hung your sins on the cross. You have been, are, and will continue to be free from them all. Don’t let shame hold you to any of it. Confess, repent, and rejoice in the gift of freedom Jesus Christ has given you.

Now, I realize there is a progress of healing that needs to happen between you and the Father. So, let me help you get started on that journey by looking at Ephesians 1. This chapter is mind-blowing to me as it gives a brief window into the true splendor we have in the Lord because of our Savior!

This is a letter written to the church in Ephesus by the apostle Paul when he was imprisoned for spreading the gospel of Jesus.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2

Firstly, you can experience grace and peace because of God’s abundant love and forgiveness. He offers grace to all who put their faith in Him, and He gives you His Good News/Gospel of peace – an everlasting peace that surpasses all fear and shame.

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

As His child, you already have “every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” Praise God for that! You can’t fully comprehend what that all entails, but you have everything in Christ; all of His character and giftings are available to you.

“For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.” Ephesians 1:4-6

The Lord desired relationship with you when He penned your life before the world even began. He put a perfect design together for you; one where you’d be faultless and pure before Him. He set a plan in place since sin entered the world to be your sacrifice so that you could be a part of His family, because He loves you that much.

^“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7 

The profuse ransom has been paid for you, redeeming you from the evil one. God has forgiven you of all your sins and has nailed it to the cross by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. How? By His abundant grace for you; His unmerited favor (which seems like a large understatement to express it)

^“that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:8

Once the redemption has been paid, the King really rolls out the red carpet for you, and grants you all wisdom and understanding – pure gold in His Kingdom’s currency.

“He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ” Ephesians 1:9

What was this mystery God now shares with all? That His gift of salvation is for the world, not just the Jews! Every nation is welcome to receive His redemption, forgiveness and grace. Why? Because He sees it pleasurable to do so.

^“as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.” Ephesians 1:10

This mystery revealed at the perfect time brought evidence that Jesus’s work on the cross and at the tomb somehow joined heaven and earth together in Him, in a more unified way. Oh, what a day that will be when we gain greater understanding in heaven of this beautiful unity between the two!

“In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.” Ephesians 1:11-12

Christ has given us His inheritance from the Father to partake of for eternity with Him. Can you stop and pretend to fathom for a moment what that means? He has done that for you because He wanted to. It was not out of obligation or force, but out of pure love and joy, that we might praise Him for it, which should be a natural response when someone lavishes you with overwhelming kindness!

“In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.” Ephesians 1:13 

On top of receiving every spiritual blessing, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, all wisdom and understanding, the mystery of His will, and His inheritance, He’s also given you Himself to live in you from the moment you put your faith in Him, and for all of eternity forward. God Himself is residing in you, equipping you “…so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8. “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

And if that still isn’t enough, His Holy Spirit is only “the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:14 (italics added)

So, when you doubt that you aren’t a complete treasure to God; when you feel like you don’t measure up in His eyes as His cherished, beloved child, read Ephesians 1 and meditate on all He has given you purely because of His love, grace, and kindness towards you who believe in Him. All He asks is for you to put your faith in Him, and abide with Him forever. He’ll take care of the rest.