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. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
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, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 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, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14)
Apostle Paul opens his letter to the church in Ephesus by testifying about Christ, the Anointed One—the method of God’s salvation. For thousands of years, God had been promising the coming Christ. That is the Old Testament. And He fulfilled His promise and testified to the Christ who came. That is the New Testament. Thus, the entire Bible is all about Christ (Jn 5:39).
Why did it have to be the Christ? For no one can escape from the curses that came upon humanity. Scripture states that everyone is born under the fundamental curses of Satan (Rev 12:9), original sin (Rom 3:23), and hell, completely cut off from the glory of God (Eph 2:1).
Their entire life, they are caught in the devil’s trap of self-reliance and self-centeredness (Gen 3:5), corruption and worldly pleasure (Gen 6:1-8), and pride and worldly success (Gen 11:1-9).
Not only that, but they are also caged in the devil’s frame of powers (Ac 13:4-12), economy (Ac 16:16-24), and the culture of this dark world (Ac 19:8-41).
That is why every person is destined to live as children of the devil (Jn 8:44), worshiping idols (Ex 20:4-5), suffering mentally (Mt 11:28) and physically (Ac 8:4-8), eternally condemned in hell (Lk 16:19-31), and, in the end, leaving generational curses to future generations (Mt 27:25).
Compelled by His great love for mankind living in this dark reality of Satan, God sent the True King to destroy the devil’s work (1 Jn 3:8). To set us free from the law of sin and death, He sent the True Priest to die on the cross (Mk 10:45). To rescue us from the background of hell, He sent the True Prophet to open a new and living way to Him (Jn 14:6).
Jesus of Nazareth was this Christ. He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Christ, more than 400 in all (Isa 7:14, Mt 1:21). To fulfill the ultimate prophecy about Christ, He died and rose again (1 Cor 15:3-4).
God did this unthinkable act to bring us back to Him. He didn’t have to, but he did because He dearly loved us. It was the only way to make us right before the Holy God.
When you hold onto God’s method of salvation, the Christ, the work of the True King, who crushed the head of Satan, will be displayed in your life. When you realize that you are under the law of Spirit of life, the work of the True Priest, who broke all the curses of sin, will be displayed in your life. When you believe that the Holy Spirit lives in you, the work of the True Prophet, who paved the way back to God, will be displayed in your life.
You do not have to worry about anything; you are a child of God. The kingdom of Satan has collapsed before you. The Holy Spirit works powerfully in you and through you. All disasters and calamities that sin brought to your life are no more. All the walls blocking you from the kingdom of God have come down.
The gospel of Jesus Christ began when God created the heavens and the earth. God drove out darkness, chaos, and emptiness by creating a light (Gen 1:2-3).
To rescue us from the fundamental curses (Gen 3:1-7), God gave us the promise of the “offspring of the woman” to crush the head of the ancient serpent (Gen 3:15)—the promise of the Christ who would come to shatter the power of Satan.
To save us from the age of the Nephilim, filled with corruption and evil, God gave us the promise of the Ark, the Christ, through Noah (Gen 6:1-14). This is why anyone in Christ will be saved from all disasters.
For us to escape from the disasters of the Tower of Babel, God commanded Abraham to leave the land of idols and go to the land where Christ would come (Gen 12:1-3).
To set us free from our slavery to sin and Satan, God gave Moses the blood covenant of the Christ (Ex 3:18). Without our knowledge, our thoughts and lives have been taken captive by the world.
To bring us back to Him, God promised Immanuel—the blessing of being with Him (Isa 7:14).
To liberate us from the occupation of the kingdom of Satan, God revealed the mystery of the Christ (Mt 16:13-20).
When the Early Church was under severe persecution, God gave the ultimate covenant of Christ (Ac 1:1), the kingdom of God (Ac 1:3), and the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8). This gospel has been hidden for long ages past has now been revealed and made known to us! (Rom 16:25-27)
When you hold onto only Christ, you will begin to experience and enjoy the kingdom of God. You will realize your problems are not problems but an opportunity to experience the things of heaven, and your life’s crises and conflicts are a time for renewal.
You will also realize that what you may call a curse turns out to be a blessing. You will see that it was God who allowed problems, crises, and conflicts in your life while He is with you (Gen 45:5). God did not intend harm but hope and a future (Jer 29:11). You will get to enjoy spiritual feasts with Jesus every day (Rev 3:20).
Remember, nothing happens by accident in the lives of those God has chosen. He knows about all your circumstances. He loves you more than you can imagine. He plans and allows all things to happen in your life.
So trust in the God whose ways and thoughts are higher than yours. Live by faith in the One who loved you and died for you. That is life in the kingdom of God.
The only thing left for us now is to experience the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus promised and go to the ends of the earth as Christ’s witness.
Open your eyes and see the reality of the world entirely covered by darkness. As a child of God, you have an anointing of a king. In the name of Jesus, break every stronghold of the enemy. With the anointing of a priest, bring healing to those living under the curses of sin. With the anointing of a prophet, deliver the message of reconciliation to those struggling in the background of hell.
We have one life to live, and it’s too short to do anything other than what God desires most—saving this generation by the power of the gospel and passing it on to the next.
To that end, remain in God’s complete covenant—Christ. Enter deeply into prayer, enjoying Christ until no one, no circumstances, and no conditions can become a problem.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for sending Your Son as the Christ. He is the answer to my life. Help me fully experience Jesus Life, Jesus Power in my life today. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may proclaim Your ultimate method for salvation, the Christ, to all nations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.