Doug Van Pelt: Steelers Will Win If...

January 30, 2006

Steelers Will Win If...

Polamalu gets two turnovers (a pick and a fumble?)...

There have been times when I have had special access to a show or an artist. I hate walking past a long line of people waiting to get into a show, having the door held open for me at a "special entrance." It feels weird. I guess I feel guilty. Those often imaginary stares stab my back, hehe. At other times I've had the privilege of being backstage or in a waiting area with an artist that's popular. It's like being in an "inner circle" or something. One thing I've always done in situations like that is just acted like I'd been there before. The wide-eyed and bunny-eared look is not preferable here.

In Ephesians 2, it talks about an "inner circle" that is exclusive and coveted. It's the "inner circle" with God. It's not so exclusive (all it takes is believing in His Son and you're "in"), and it's not so small (there are millions if not billions there).

"But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

We are "seated" with God. It is like a positional thing, where we are represented by Someone on our behalf; and it is mystical, too. We can probably take this to be a mysterious but literal thing. It doesn't say "we will be seated there, when the great kingdom comes to earth." It says we were "seated."

Nobody likes a spoiled rich kid, fat on entitlement; but we are the recipients of a great and overwhelming inheritance. We have been given special entrance into royalty. We have been "ushered in" to a very special, honored and privileged place. We should show some class and act like we've been there awhile, but we can also dance around with child-like joy. This is a place where exuberance is welcomed; it's just not a place to lord it over others and get puffed up. We didn't earn a spot there, it was given to us.

We can and should be bold, however.

"In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."

We have access to the Ruler of the Universe. Paul ends chapter 3 with a great prayer:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from Whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Chirst, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."