DAY 339 - Chosen

Ephesians 1:4-10 (NIV) ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Ephesians 1:4b-5 (Good News Translation) Because of his love ⁵ God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.

Romans 9:14-16, 21 (NIV) ¹⁴ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. ²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Before the world was made God had already chosen us to be His in Christ. Because of His love, God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would bring us to Himself. This was His pleasure and purpose. God chooses whom He pleases to be His, to live eternally as His son or daughter. The Scriptures show that from the day of creation it is God who does the choosing. God chose humans over all creation to be in a special relationship with Him. God chose Noah and Abraham out of all the peoples of the earth. God chose Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and the entire people of Israel. When Jesus began His ministry He chose twelve men and reminded them that they did not choose Him, but that He chose them.

“What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!”  The main issue underlying this doctrine of election is who will be God – the potter or the clay. It all depends on God. If that is true, we are left with a feeling of being helpless, which, in fact, we are. When we become aware of this, and that even the good work of faith cannot save us, then we are ready to decide how we will respond. We can reject the doctrine as untrue, we can rebel against it as unjust. Or we can rejoice at the good news it brings. God is pleased to choose you. Think of the implications of this doctrine for your life. Salvation does not depend on you at all. God removes that sense of burden many people carry when they believe “it all depends on me.” It opposes the kind of preaching and teaching which says we always have to do just one more thing to be a Christian.  The doctrine of election presents God as God, the Almighty on whom our life and salvation depend from beginning to end, who as our Father before the world was made chose us to be His in Christ.

From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope September 14, 1975

© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell (Broyles)