Skip to main content

Ephesians 1:4: He Chose Us


Ephesians 1:4

[4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (ESV)

There is something special about being chosen.  A bride finds joy in the fact that she has been chosen above all other women to be with her husband.  An adopted child has a lifetime of wonder that their parents chose them.  Some dog owners think that their fluffy puppy rejoices over being chosen.  I'm not sure about that, but maybe!

I remember my childhood encounters with being chosen.  There was the dreaded neighborhood football game.  Two team captains kind of declared themselves in charge.  Then the choosing began. I dreaded that time.  I always wanted to be one of the first ones picked to be on a team.  It never happened.  I was scrawny, small, and had thick glasses.  If the neighbor's dog was playing football, they would have chosen the dog before me.

Now, while you get a chuckle at my expense, I want you to consider something. God looks at the players to be on his team.  There are none worthy to play. They are all weak, without skill, and blind. And what does he do?  He chooses us!  Paul says that the creator of the universe chose us before the world was even formed. That is wild.  Now, some Christians hold to an old universe view, and some hold to a young universe view.  If you are an old universe Creationist, consider that more than 14 billion years ago, you were chosen!  That is amazing stuff. If you are a young earth creationist, Jesus loves you anyway.  Go ahead and smile, it was meant to be funny.

Remember, that Paul is speaking to the church at Ephesus, and to the church throughout the centuries.  If you belong to Him, it is because he took the first step in the relationship by choosing you. Thousands or billions of years before he formed the Earth you were already chosen by him.  Yes, he knew your weakness, your sin, your rejection of him. That's why he sent his son to pay the price for your forgiveness.  In Jesus, we find that while we are not worthy, Christ within us makes us worthy.  He chose us, IN HIM (that is, Christ).

Do you feel weak, unworthy, undesirable?  If you belong to Jesus Christ you need to take delight in the fact that the Creator of the Universe chose you and made you worthy through Christ. You are on the greatest team of all.  Go and score a touchdown for the Creator.  He loves you.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their