This study guide was produced by Keswick Ministries. Keswick Ministries hosts a Convention for 3 weeks each summer in the English Lake District. They also run year-round teaching and training events and produce digital and printed resources. The central vision of Keswick Ministries is to see the people of God equipped, encouraged and refreshed to love and live for Christ in his world. We hope you are blessed by this series.
‘What do you want to thank God for tonight?’ I would ask my young son
each evening as we got ready to pray together. Often it was a struggle for
him to wind down and reflect on his day, so his instinctive response would
be: ‘Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross.’ An excellent answer; one he
knew that I couldn’t object to!
Yet, as I lay my head on the pillow at night, with thoughts of the day swirling around in my mind, gratitude for my salvation is not usually my default setting. But what if it were? What if my day were punctuated by
reflections on the fact that God the Father and God the Son loved me
so much, Jesus actually died in my place on the cross? What if I paused
regularly to try to take in this lavish love, this breathtaking grace?
I imagine that I would be overwhelmed with gratitude – a gratitude
so profound, it would have an impact on my character, my priorities
and my response to the hard times in life
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – 6 to the
praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he
loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on
us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the
mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed
in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment –
to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to
the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose
of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in
Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included
in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise
of his glory.
All we deserve from God is judgment . . . Therefore, every breath we take,
every time our heart beats, every day that the sun rises, every moment
we see with our eyes or hear with our ears or speak with our mouths or
walk with our legs, is for now a free and undeserved gift to sinners who
only deserve judgment . . . For those who see the merciful hand of God . . .
Jesus Christ will be seen and savoured as the great Purchaser of every
undeserved breath. Every heartbeat will be received as a gift from his hand.(John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, pp 49-50)
Use words and phrases from Ephesians 1:3–14 to guide your prayers. Spend time thanking God specifically for the gift of salvation. Thank him for all that he has done in the past to achieve your salvation, the way he is working on your behalf today and the future blessings of full and final
redemption that he has promised.