By: Dale Weckbacher
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
and between your offspring[a] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
(ESV)
Spiritual warfare is nothing new and started in the Garden
of Eden when the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God. Fortunately for all of us, God did not
destroy Adam and Eve for their sin but instead banished them from the Garden
before they ate of the tree of life and were eternally trapped in their sin
(Genesis 3:22). Instead God made a
promise of a savior to defeat the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Unlike Adam and Eve, we have the benefit of
hindsight and now know the promised savior was Jesus Christ whose death on the
cross means we can all enjoy salvation from our sins and can have the assurance
that the spiritual war for our souls has been won. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we
still have trouble but even in these troubles we can find comfort in knowing
that our savior has overcome the world and that He will return to end our spiritual
battles once and for all (John 16:33).
The church in Ephesus knew full well the extent of spiritual
warfare. While the city was a thriving
center of travel and commerce, it was also the location of the Temple of
Artemis. The priests of Artemis
considered the introduction of Christianity to the city a threat, resulting in
a riot (Acts 19). The book of Ephesians
is a letter written to this persecuted church and as such provides instruction
for us on how to endure persecution in the spiritual warfare we find ourselves in
today.
The letter begins with a greeting telling us that the letter
was authored by Paul and addressed to the saints in Ephesus. Like those in Thessalonica, Paul appears
concerned for the welfare of the believers in Ephesus due to the riot that had
ensued with his initial visit to the city.
The greeting ends with Paul’s desire that the grace and peace of God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would be with them.
Paul then speaks about spiritual blessings in Christ and in
Ephesians 1:3-5 speaks of choosing us before the foundation of the world and
predestining us for adoption as sons of God through Jesus Christ. Some interpret this passage to mean that
everyone born is predestined to either be a believer or die in their sins
according to how God has determined their destiny. However, I find this interpretation wrong for
why would a God who loves His creation allow some to be hopelessly born into an
eternity of eternal damnation. Since we
never know our destiny, this theology also fails to provide assurance of our
salvation and relegates all of us to living lives of uncertainty as to our
eternal state.
Later in his letter to the Ephesians Paul reminds the
Ephesians that their salvation is not in accordance to their works but comes because
of the grace of God and the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:8). While this may appear
to be a contradiction in scripture, when looked in context, the apparent
contradiction disappears.
Ephesians 1:11 Paul once again mentions predestination
according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel
of his will. He reminds them that once
they heard the Gospel and believed their salvation and eternal state was sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit. In other
words, our salvation is not based upon some predestined state into which each
of us is born but instead hinges upon our choosing to believe. Predestination is not God determining everyone’s
eternal state at birth but is Gods desire to fulfill his promise to fallen man
in Genesis 3:15 which he fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is great news for all of us for it means
we can all have assurance that our eternal state will be eternity with God in
heaven for simply believing (John 3:16).
If you have already made this decision, rest assured knowing
that your eternal destiny is settled.
If, however, you have not made this decision, I encourage you to do so
now before it is too late by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned
(Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse
me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).
I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now
declare you Lord of my life.
It is the desire of God’s heart that no one die in their
sins but choose salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (2 Peter3:9). God’s predestined plan for
humanity since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden has been the provision of
a savior (Genesis 3:15). This is the
greatest Christmas gift ever given, given at the first Christmas, the gift of
predestined grace.
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