Ten Reasons to Give God Praise

Ten Reasons to Give God PraiseEphesians 1:3-14

讚美主的十個原因

以弗所書 1:3-14

1. Because He Has Blessed You with Every Spiritual Blessing
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (v. 3).
God loves to bless His people. Because His spiritual blessings are secured in heaven, they are not limited by our actions or by earthly time. They are based on His character and purpose for you.

2. Because He Has Chosen You
"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him" (v. 4).No Christian understands why God chose them, but in His grace He did. You were a part of His divine plan before time began. Doesn't that grace motivate you to love and live for Him even more?

3. Because He Has Predestined and Adopted You
"In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will" (v. 5).Predestined means "chosen beforehand." God's work in your life guarantees that He will fulfill His perfect plan for you-that you be adopted into His family. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, when you believe, you become a son or daughter of the Living God.

4. Because He Has Redeemed You
"To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood" (v. 6-7a).
God sent His Son to pay the price that would buy you back---to set you free from the prison of your sin's consequence. The price God paid was not in silver or gold, but in the precious blood of His own Son (1 Peter 1:18-19). God has set you free!

5. Because He Has Forgiven You
"[We] have the forgiveness of our trespasses" (v. 7b).
Because of Jesus' sacrifice, God no longer holds the debt of your sin against you. He has forgiven all your sins. This means that He no longer remembers any of your transgressions. You are blameless before Him! You can be certain of His continuing forgiveness today . . . and even tomorrow.

6. Because He Has Lavished His Grace on You
" . . . according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us" (vv. 7c-8a).
God's grace means "His unmerited favour." God gives you what you don't deserve. You have been blessed with life, breath, fellowship with Him, and so much more. God longs to give grace to people, and when He gives, He gives abundantly and extravagantly.

7. Because He Has Made Known the Mystery of His Will
"In all wisdom and insight, He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, . . . that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth" (vv. 8b-10).
The mystery that God revealed through Jesus is His plan of salvation. God has also made known His desire that all believers be united in a single body, the Church. There is no division between male and female, bond or free, Jew or Gentile. We are one in Christ.

8. Because He Has Provided an Eternal Inheritance
"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory" (vv. 10b-12).
In the present, God has given you all the rewards of salvation, including peace with God and co-heirship with Christ. In the future, you will inherit all the spiritual wealth of heaven. This gift is for your good and for His glory.

9. Because He Has Sealed You in Christ
"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise" (v. 13).
God "sealed," or marked, you as His own through the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. The sealing was a permanent act that gives you assurance that you are God's child, entitled to His riches and goodness.

10. Because He Has Guaranteed Your Inheritance
[The Holy Spirit] is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" (v. 14).
The Holy Spirit's presence in your life is a pledge, a first payment, of the treasures that will be yours in heaven. When you go to heaven, you will dwell with God fully.
There's more to come. What a wonderful reason to give God praise!

1. 因為他已經用各種屬靈福氣祝福你
“願頌贊歸與我們主耶穌基督的父神、他在基督裏、曾賜給我們天上各樣屬靈的福氣．”(第 3 節)
神喜歡祝福他的子民。他的屬靈福氣來自天上，沒有受我們的行為或時空所限制，而是完全因為他自己的品格和在我們身上的計畫。

2. 因為他揀選了你
“就如神從創立世界以前、在基督裏揀選了我們、使我們在他面前成為聖潔、無有瑕疵．”(第 4 節)
基督徒不瞭解為何神揀選他們，甚至他的恩典。在神創造世界之前，我們已是他計畫中的一部分。他的恩典有沒有驅動你多愛一點，並且為他而活呢？

3. 因為他預定我們成為他的兒女
“又因愛我們、就按著自己意旨所喜悅的、預定我們、藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分”(第 5 節)
為著我們可以成為他的兒女，他的工作使他在我們生命完美的計畫可以成就。因為耶穌基督在十字架為我們的罪而死，我們若信，就可以成為永生神的兒女。

4. 因為他的救贖
“使他榮耀的恩典得著稱讚．這恩典是他在愛子裏所賜給我們的。我們藉這愛子的血、得蒙救贖”(第 6-7 節)
為了使我們在罪裏得到釋放，神差派他的兒子來付上贖價。這贖價不是用金銀來付，而是用他愛子的寶血，神給我們最大的自由。

5. 因為他赦免了我們
“過犯得以赦免”(第 7 節)
因為耶穌的犧牲，神就免了我們的罪債。這包括所有的罪，他完全的塗沒了我們罪的記錄，我們在他面前可以成為無罪。你可以確認他今天給你的赦免，也同樣會是明天的赦免。


6. 因為他給我們豐富的恩典
“乃是照他豐富的恩典．這恩典是神用諸般智慧聰明、充充足足賞給我們的”(第 8 節)
恩典的意思是「不應得的照顧」，神就是這樣給我們一些我們不應得的。他以與他一齊的生命、氣息、友誼等等賜給我們。他期望給我們恩典，也願意豐富的給我們。

7. 因為他讓我們知道他旨意的奧秘
都是照他自己所預定的美意、叫我們知道他旨意的奧秘、要照所安排的、在日期滿足的時候、使天上地上一切所有的、都在基督裏面同歸於一。(第 9-10 節)
神通過耶穌表明他的奧秘。他很清楚要我們所有信徒合一成為一體，沒有男女之別，自由或不自由，猶太人或外邦人，我們在基督裏面就是一體。

8. 因為他給我們基業
我們也在他裏面得了基業、這原是那位隨己意行作萬事的、照著他旨意所預定的．叫他的榮耀、從我們這首先在基督裏有盼望的人、可以得著稱讚。(第 11-12 節)
現在，神已經給了你救贖的獎賞，包括與神和好及與基督同有神兒女的名份。將來，我們會承繼天上所有的產業。這些禮物是完美的，也是神的榮耀。

9. 因為他給我們聖靈為印記
你們既聽見真理的道、就是那叫你們得救的福音、也信了基督、既然信他、就受了所應許的聖靈為印記．(第 13 節)
神用聖靈作為他的印記。這是永遠的，使人確定自己作為神兒女的身份，而可以得到他賜下的豐盛。

10. 因為他給我們基業的憑據
這聖靈、是我們得基業的憑據、直等到神之民［民被贖、使他的榮耀得著稱讚。(第 14 節)
有聖靈在我們生命是神對我們的應許，也是將來我們在天上可以承繼的首期。當我們回到天家時，我們便可以與神同居。
神確是值得我們讚美的！