According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: --Ephesians 1:4
The word according points back to verse 3. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings because we have been chosen in Him. These blessings would not be ours apart from our position, by His grace, in Him. We, as believers, are a holy people set apart unto the Lord our God. He has chosen us to be His and has set His love upon us.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,--John 15:16
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. --2nd Thessalonians 2:13-14
God chooses us, we do not choose Him and He has chosen us from before the foundation of the world. I love that I have been chosen and that He has set His love upon me. Meditating on that one thought can get me through much.
Let's look at what it means to be "chosen".
The word chosen in Greek means to choose out, make a choice, to pick out or choose out for one's self. God in His wonderful grace did not leave us to perish in our sin and misery but instead according to the good pleasure of His will chose some to everlasting life and entered into a covenant of grace to deliver us and bring us into His kingdom of light. This is the doctrine of election.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ--Romans 5:18-21
In Him before the foundation of the world: Salvation begins with God and His sovereign will.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,--John 15:16
We love Him because He first loved us.--1 John 4:19
This is such a comforting thought for me. God did not choose me after I decided to be a better person...or after I decided to choose Him...He chose me before the foundation of the world. Left to ourselves the bible says that none of us would ever seek God. We would all go our own way....the way that might seem right to man but its end is death. My God chose me, my God reached down to me and saved me not because of anything about me but for His good pleasure and purpose from all eternity. The fact that he chose me before the foundation of the world assures me of His love and purpose for me. It assures me that He will be faithful to complete the good work He began in me on the day of my salvation.
Now did God choose us who are believers because in His foreknowledge He knew we would choose Him? That is how I like to look at it but God's ways are not man's ways and His thoughts are higher than man's thoughts. Much greater minds than mine have tried to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's free will and human responsibility. On this side of heaven why God chose us and how he did it without violating our free will is beyond finding out. The bible teaches both. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility do not conflict. Jesus himself said this in John 6:37:
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
When we don't understand it is good to fall back on what we know about God. He is all good and all loving...My God is not capricious or whimsical. His will is that none should perish but that all should come to eternal life in His Son. His free gift came to all men...His light of life stepped into the darkness of this world for all of us. I really like what Chuck Smith has to say on the subject.
"You may say, "Well, that isn't fair that God can choose, because if He chooses who is going to be saved, then He has also chosen who is going to be lost." It doesn't say that, does it? You are adding to the scripture. Well, that is a natural assumption. Not necessarily.
The fact that God foreknows those that are going to be saved and chooses them does not preclude any man from coming, because the scripture says, "Whosoever will, may come and drink of the water of life freely" . And not one person has ever come to God and been turned back by God. God says, "Well, let Me see. I'm sorry, your name is not on the list. Too bad, you seem like a very nice fellow. I would like to save you, but there was a slip up in the records someplace. I guess you just can't make it." Predestination, divine election never precludes any man.
You say, "But I don't think that I like that God can make these choices. Because, what if He didn't choose me?" Well, how do you know He didn't choose you? "Well, I am not a Christian." Well, why aren't you a Christian? "Well, I don't want to be." Well then, maybe He didn't choose you and it's sort of sad. But you can find out whether or not He chose you by just accepting Jesus Christ. And you will discover He chose you before the foundation of the world. You see, if there is any question in it, you can answer the question tonight. You can just say, "Lord, come into my life. I am going to be a Christian. I am going to follow Jesus Christ." And you will discover the minute that you do, that God chose you from the foundation of the world. He says, "I've been waiting for this. Great to have you on board; come on in." And then He'll show you, "I chose you, here you are. I knew exactly the time, and the whole situation. Here it is, you were chosen before the foundation of the world.
"Yea, but what if I don't want to come?" Well then again I say, it's tough, but you can't blame God. Because God has opened the door to you. And God has given you the opportunity, and God has called you to come. So though God has chosen those, still He has left the door open so that it becomes your choice also. Though God already knows the choice you are going to make. But you are the one that makes the choice, but God in all of His wisdom knows the choices each person is going to make. But He doesn't make the choice for you. He only knows in advance that which you are going to choose."
I am so glad for God's grace...I am so glad for His unmerited favor in choosing me...even my accepting his free gift was because His grace made me willing. I love Him because He first loved me...I love Him because He sought me out when I was lost and a stranger. Left to myself, He knew I would never seek Him...never find my way into His arms. I love Him because before there was an earth...way before I was conceived...God set His eye on me! He put over me His banner of love...He set His affection on me!! This is why I was willing and accepted His offer and did not reject His love and grace toward me in the free gift of His Son. God's goodness led me to repentance.
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: The purpose of my election is that I should be holy and without blame before Him in love. I am to live a godly, separated life. empowered by His Spirit in my heart. My life is to look different from the lives of those who do not know Him...the ones who are still living without His l hope in their hearts. I am to shine as a light for Him, blameless and faultless, holding fast to His word so that many will see and place their trust in Him. The lost of this world are to see the glory of the knowledge of God shining in my heart. My motivation for all should be my love for my God. Anything else profits me nothing...but His love which is shed abroad in my hearts never fails. My labor in Him is never in vain. Doing it without love...is doing it without Jesus who is love...and without Him we can do nothing.
That is a pretty tall order..none of us can do that in and of ourselves. I am so grateful that it is God who works in us...His grace is sufficient for it all. Jude 24 says this:
"Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy"
When I stand before my God, Jesus, my Advocate, will come before the throne with me...cause I am one of His. I am in Him. The Father will see His Son. Jesus will declare me innocent...holy and without blame before Him in love. That is the way my Jesus is going to represent me to His Father. My Jesus has taken all of my sin, and He has paid the price and the penalty, and He is going to present me in His righteousness. For God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God through Him.
For next study in Ephesians go here
For next study in Ephesians go here
