保罗在写给以弗所的书信中，首先为我们在耶稣里领受的一切祝福发出对神极大的赞美。早在神创造世界以前，祂就在永恒中用“诸般智慧聪明”定了祂“旨意的奥秘”。圣父、圣子和圣灵——三位一体的神一起作工——设定了一个将我们人类纳入祂家中的方式。尽管我们不完全，软弱甚至罪恶，基督却来到世界，献上了祂完全的生命，为我们的罪付上代价。当我们接受耶稣作为救主，我们就会领受神自己的灵，祂在我们里面作工，作为我们永远承受神产业的中保。
一个能读懂“祂旨意的奥秘”这样话的人，一定会困惑：“我们真的能开始理解神的旨意吗？”人们写了不少书，试图明白神的旨意。当涉及到像“预定”和“被纳入神的家”这样的说法时，我们必须承认，这是个奥秘，我们无法理解。
然而，我们能确信，我们听见了真理的道，就是叫我们得救的福音，在基督里，我们已经被纳入神的家了！我们受了圣灵为得救的印记。我们欢喜快乐地看到，圣灵的工作在我们身上结出了果实——“赞美祂的荣耀！”
全能的神啊，我们对你旨意的奥秘充满敬畏。求赐给我们确信，让我们活在喜乐的顺服中，在你完全的旨意中欢欣。阿们。
以弗所书 1:3-14
3愿颂赞归于我们主耶稣基督的父神！他在基督里曾赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气，
4就如神从创立世界以前在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在他面前成为圣洁，无有瑕疵；
5又因爱我们，就按着自己意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，
6使他荣耀的恩典得著称赞。这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。
7我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。
8这恩典是神用诸般智慧聪明，充充足足赏给我们的，
9都是照他自己所预定的美意，叫我们知道他旨意的奥秘，
10要照所安排的，在日期满足的时候，使天上、地上一切所有的，都在基督里面同归于一。
11我们也在他里面得了基业，这原是那位随己意行做万事的，照着他旨意所预定的，
12叫他的荣耀从我们这首先在基督里有盼望的人，可以得著称赞。
13你们既听见真理的道，就是那叫你们得救的福音，也信了基督，既然信他，就受了所应许的圣灵为印记。
14这圣灵是我们得基业的凭据，直等到神之民被赎，使他的荣耀得著称赞。
“You also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation... You were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit... ” — Ephesians 1:13
Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians with great praise to God for all the blessings we receive in Jesus. Back in eternity before he created the world, God worked out “the mystery of his will” with “all wisdom and understanding.” Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three persons in one God working together—designed a way to include us humans in their family. Though we are imperfect and weak and even sinful, Christ came to give up his perfect life to pay the debt of our sin. And when we believe in him as Savior, we receive the Spirit of God himself to work in us as the guarantee of our inheritance with God forever.
One cannot read words like “the mystery of his will” without wondering, “Can we even begin to understand God’s will?” Books have been written in attempts to understand the will of God. And when it comes to ideas like “predestined” and “adoption” into God’s family, we have to admit this is a mystery. We cannot comprehend it.
Still, we have the assurance of knowing we’re included—in Christ—having heard the message of truth, the gospel of salvation! We have received the Holy Spirit as a seal of our salvation. And with joy and delight we can see the work of the Spirit bearing fruit in us—“to the praise of his glory”!
Almighty God, we live in awe of the mystery of your will. Grant us the assurance of living in joyful obedience and delighting in your perfect purpose. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
