What Jesus Did for Us 耶稣为我们所做的

[Dexu Xia]

In him we have redemption through his blood. Ephesians 1:7

Today's Scripture  . Ephesians 1:3--7

Today's Insights

Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is a monument to God’s love for the church—His beloved children. The idea the apostle introduces in Ephesians 1:5-7 is unpacked more thoroughly in chapter 2. There, he not only explains the magnificent process that made our rescue possible but reminds us that we’re entrusted with great responsibility: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10). As God’s children, we’re given high purpose—to serve Him and others in His strength and grace. That grand idea is explored more fully in chapters 4-6, where Paul describes what the good works of God’s adopted children are to look like—works that impact our relationships at church, in our families, and in our work relationships. All of life is to look different because He has made us His children

Today's Devotional

Andres, the owner of an electronics company, was giving employees with outstanding sales records a day trip to a beach resort. Andres was also taking his seven-year-old son Jimmy. Before departure, he excitedly held his dad’s hand as everyone boarded the van. “You’re joining us? How many sales have you made?” one employee jokingly asked Jimmy. “None!” he replied, motioning to his dad. “He’s letting me join!”

Jimmy didn’t have to work to earn his inclusion on the trip because his dad was paying his way. As believers in Jesus, we also don’t rely on our good works as the basis of our inclusion in heaven. We’re granted access because of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and Jesus’ own blood was the “payment,” releasing us from our debt to Him. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). He opened the way for whoever believes in Him to “not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Christ’s work and our trust in that work allows us to be with Him for eternity.

When we believe in Jesus as Savior, we become God’s children. Such is His “glorious grace, which he has freely given us” (Ephesians 1:6). Like Jimmy, we can look to our heavenly Father and say with confidence, “He’s letting me join!”

Reflect & Pray

How does knowing that Jesus died for you make you feel? How does this truth impact your life?  Dear Jesus, thank You for dying for me. Because of Your grace and love, I’m forgiven. I can look forward to being with You forever. By Karen Huang

我们藉着他的血得蒙救赎。（以弗所书 1:7）

今日经文：以弗所书 1章5-7节，2章1-10节

今日洞见：保罗写给以弗所教会的信，是上帝对教会，即对祂心爱的儿女之爱的丰碑。使徒保罗在以弗所书第二章对他在一章5-7节提出的观点进行更详尽的阐述。在第二章他不仅解释了上帝使我们得救的奇妙过程，也提醒我们被赋予的重大责任：“我们原是他的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善，就是上帝所预备叫我们行的。”（第10节）作为上帝的儿女，我们被赋予崇高的使命，即靠着上帝的力量和恩典服侍祂和他人。保罗在第4-6章更详细地探讨了这个宏大的理念，他描述了上帝收养的儿女应该有怎样的善行，这些善行会影响我们在教会和家庭，以及与同事的人际关系。因为上帝使我们成为祂的儿女，我们的人生也因此而改变。

今日灵修 安德烈是一家电子公司的老板，他要带业绩出色的员工去海滨度假。安德烈还带上了他七岁的儿子吉米。出发前，大家上了车，吉米兴奋地拉着爸爸的手。一个员工开玩笑地问吉米：“吉米，你要跟我们一起去？你做了多少笔销售。“

”一笔也没有！”吉米回答，他指着爸爸说：“他让我一起去的！”

  吉米不用出色的业绩就能参加这次旅行，因为他爸爸支付了他的费用。作为耶稣的信徒，我们也不是依靠自己的善行来获得进入天堂的资格。因着耶稣为我们而死并且复活，我们得以进入永生。“罪的工价乃是死”（罗马书 6:23），耶稣的宝血就是“赎价”，使我们脱离了对祂的罪债。“我们藉着祂的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免”（以弗所书 1:7）。祂为所有信靠祂的人开辟了永生的道路，“不至灭亡，反得永生”（约翰福音 3:16）。基督的救赎以及我们对这救赎的信靠，使我们得以与祂永远同在。

   当我们信靠耶稣为救主时，我们就成了神的儿女。这就是祂“荣耀的恩典，是祂白白赐给我们的”（以弗所书 1:6）。就像吉米一样，我们可以仰望天父，满怀信心地说：“祂让我加入祂的行列！”

反思与祷告 知道耶稣为你而死，你有什么感受？这个真理如何影响你的生活？亲爱的耶稣，感谢您为我而死。因着您的恩典和慈爱，我得到赦免。我盼望与您永远同在。

——黄嘉伦