#1367. To the Praise of His grace (17/10/25)
- Matt Beaney
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.
Yesterday, we looked at the astonishing truth that, according to God’s love and pleasure, we have been adopted into His family - He is our Father, and we have an eternal inheritance! Today, in this final reflection on these verses, we return to the theme of praise.
You can listen to this devotional below
‘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.’ (Ephesians 1:3-6)
1. To the praise of His glorious grace
In verse 3, Paul begins with praise, and now in verse 6, he returns to it. This theme continues throughout the chapter:
‘…in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.’ (Ephesians 1:12)
‘[The Holy Spirit] is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.’ (Ephesians 1:14)
Praise is not an optional extra or a nice “add-on” to the Christian life. It is the very purpose for which we were saved. Spirit-filled worship is not a luxury, but central to the life of every believer and every church.
2. Glorious grace
Our praise flows from our understanding of God’s holiness and His grace. The deeper our awareness of our sin and His mercy, the more heartfelt our worship will be. John Newton captured this beautifully in Amazing Grace:
“Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind, but now I see…When we’ve been there ten thousand years,Bright shining as the sun,We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,Than when we first begun.”
Response
How is your praise and worship? The Holy Spirit longs to deepen your understanding of God’s holiness and grace so that worship becomes the natural overflow of your heart. Jesus’ words to the woman at the well still hold true:
‘”Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”’ (John 4:23)
Community Group Notes
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be a good idea to start with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Important - please ensure you are aware of the plans regarding New Ground Sunday this coming Sunday.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we continued our series entitled: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.
Please read Ephesians 1:4-6 and discuss:
Personal Reflection – What did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?
What do these verses say about God’s involvement in our becoming Christians?
What are we chosen for, and how are we to actively pursue these things?
SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)
From Ephesians 1:4-6, How does knowing that salvation is according to God’s call meant to inspire confidence to witness?
Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.
Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation?
Let’s pray together:
Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.
Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.
Pray specifically for the “people of peace” in our lives—asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.
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