What Is In It for Me?

One of my favorite T.V. shows is Yard Crashers, where the host goes to a local Lowes or Menards and finds an un-expecting person to redo their yard for free.  The question that is always asked is what is in it for me, and what do I have do?  When they are told it’s free that all they have to do is find some friends to help, they then ask what the catch is?  I believe many wonder the same about Christianity and the church.  They wonder what’s in it for me and what do I have to have do?  This is the same question that Peter asked Christ in Matthew 19:27 “Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” Christ answered Peter with words “, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ^But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  Paul also answers these questions in his letter to the Ephesians as well.  As we study it throughout the entire letter Paul is explaining what it looks like to be a follower of Christ, what it takes and how we receive God’s grace.  In the first 14 verses Paul tells us what we receive from following God, He lays it all out for us.

Paul’s answer is basically the same as  Christ’s but goes a little more in-depth, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ^having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ^to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”(Eph 1:3-6) Take note here that the answer of what is in it for us is not here on earth, both Christ and Paul tell us it is in heaven, it is not found in riches or marital things here on earth.  Also how do we receive this? We receive it through the Grace of God. It is not because of anything we have done, it is because we have chosen to follow Christ accept Christ as our master.  But because we have chosen this Paul tells us that we then are adopted as the children of God.  But why has God chosen to adopt us. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ^having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ^to the praise of the glory of His grace.”  Because we are bring praise to His name through His Grace.

But Paul doesn’t end it there listen to what else Paul has to tell us.  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace^ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ^having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ^ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ^In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ^that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ^who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”(Eph 1:7-14)

Did you notice all that we receive if we come and give our lives to Christ, we receive redemption of our sins, we are adopted into the family of God, we are given the Holy Sprite who comes and lives in us guiding and directing us.  What was the cost for all this, the blood of Christ our God and savior who hung on a cross.  What does it cost me though, you ask? The cost is believing and giving your life to God.  Then, we praise God for the grace He has shown us, I underlined every time Paul talks about praising God because we need to do the same.  We need to praise God all the time for the grace that He has shown us.