Chosen in Christ
Chosen in Christ. These verses begin some of the most remarkable teachings in the entire Word of God. Paul summarizes these teachings by saying that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
3 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, 4 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, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6, NKJV
Chosen in Christ
These verses begin some of the most remarkable teachings in the entire Word of God. Paul summarizes these teachings by saying that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. What an amazing statement! The spiritual blessings which we receive from God through Christ are unimaginable! We, who are steeped in sin, are viewed by God as being perfect because Christ paid the real and actual debt of our sins. In all eternity, we will never plumb the depths of that statement!
Then, Paul continues in these verses to explain why he made this statement. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Does that really mean what it says? Yes! Even before the creation of this world, God chose a people for Himself. Why? Was He somehow able to determine who would be worthy of being saved? No! No one is worthy of being saved. Instead, He saved us, and then He made us worthy to be chosen in Christ.
His goal: that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Again, we are not holy and without blame in and of ourselves. We are holy and without blame because Christ paid the debt of our sins. It is all about Christ and has nothing to do with us!
Why would God do such a thing? When mankind literally turned against God, why would He even care to save any of us? Paul gives us two reasons. 1) According to the good pleasure of His will, and 2) To the praise of the glory of His grace.
We cannot understand such a perfect and holy God, but we certainly can see the results of that holiness and grace. It pleased God to look upon mankind and choose a people for Himself. He then sent His only Son, the perfect man, and perfect God, to die in our place--taking upon Himself the punishment for our sins.
All of this brings praise and glory to God. His most marvelous grace--giving to us what we do not deserve by taking away what we do deserve--leaves us utterly without words.
Let us bow before our Almighty God every single day and thank Him for what He has done for us. Undeserving though we may be, our response is to seek to love and obey Him all of the days of our lives upon this earth. Then, we look forward to walking with Him forever in eternity. Gone will be the sin which so easily besets us, to be replaced by a perfect heart--in union with God.
Let us, then, not be too easily discouraged by the circumstances of this life. Let us, instead, look to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Let us turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for our full and complete salvation and not look to ourselves.
Chosen in Christ! What an amazing God we serve!
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