Last week we discussed, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
Today we will discuss the next portion of this great passage:
"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world...
I am quite aware that most Christians would probably like to skip this, but we cannot pick and choose what we want to believe. Either we believe the entire Bible or none at all.
You see if you pick and choose what you want to believe in the Bible, you set yourself up as the ultimate standard of truth, which makes you nothing more than a moral relativist.
I love this passage because it strips me of all credit. Paul forces us to deal with the fact that we cannot take credit for the salvation give us.
Our culture seems to promote an individualistic "me, me, me "system. When something great happens to us, even if we did not have a hand in it, we want to feel a sense of self accomplishment. If there is one thing the Gospel teaches us, it's that we can't offer God anything.
There was nothing you could ever do to change the fact that you were chosen by God before the creation of the world to be his son or daughter. There's also nothing in the Bible that teaches you were chosen because of some outstanding quality or amazing attribute you possess. We don't know why God chose some and not others, we simply rest in the truth of God's Word.
God has a very definite plan for every person in the universe. Ps. 139:16 states, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Here King David acknowledges that every single day of his life was already planned out by God before one of them took place.
Even Jesus tells us that in order to receive salvation, you must be chosen. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus says, "For many are called, but few are chosen." This verse is understood in the context of a parable that Jesus told concerning a wedding feast. This parable is a great example of how salvation plays out between the general call to all to come to Christ and the choice of God. The preceding verses talk about a guest who was invited, but not clothed in the wedding garment. The passage singles out this man, and doesn't tell you how the rest received their wedding garment. All we know is that this man was bound hand and foot and cast "into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I believe Christ makes it very clear that while we are to invite ALL to come, not ALL have been CHOSEN, and only the CHOSEN will be given wedding garments.
Jesus again makes this truth clear in John 6:44 when he says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Many pastors might have you believe that this "drawing" is a subtle wooing by the Holy Spirit. If that's what you think, your understanding of this passage is incomplete. The Greek word for "draws" in this verse is helkyse. It actually means to pull in or lead by force. A "subtle push" is not in view here. In fact, if you continue on in the book of John you find the disciples casting their nets in chapter 22 and hauling the fish in. John uses the word helkyse for hauling in the nets.
In Acts 16:19 and Acts 21:30 helkyse is translated dragged, when Paul is dragged into the marketplace or out of the temple.
James also uses this word when he says, "...one who drags you into court...in James 2:6
Jesus is saying that no one comes to salvation unless the Father pulls them in and makes them one of his own. Salvation is something that the Father chooses.
So the Father chose us...IN HIM...
We were chosen to be identified in Christ. Romans 8:29 says, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be CONFORMED to the IMAGE of his SON...
Do you see the way these two verses parallel each other?
If you are a Christian, you were destined to become more like Christ! I know what you're thinking,...some days I just don't feel like I am really being "conformed to the image of Christ."
Because of these great verses, we can rest in the fact that everything happens for a reason and for our good.
Rom. 8:29 can't be fully understood without Rom. 8:28 and 8:30, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Because we are in Christ we will be completely conformed to the image of Christ in the end. Scripture promises that the consummation of salvation is glorification.
Our awesome Father chose all of this for us before the world was created.
2Timothy 1:8-9 says, "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of OUR WORKS but because of HIS OWN PURPOSE and GRACE, which he gave us IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN..."
So how does the Bible say we should respond to all of this amazing GRACE?
2Thes. 2:13 says, "Be we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth."
BE THANKFUL. God's grace is so amazing! We need to give Him thanks for what he has done. We don't have to understand all of it, but we need to accept it, find rest in Him, and give Him thanks for saving us when we didn't deserve it. Soli Deo Gloria.
Be edified!
God has a very definite plan for every person in the universe. Ps. 139:16 states, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Here King David acknowledges that every single day of his life was already planned out by God before one of them took place.
Even Jesus tells us that in order to receive salvation, you must be chosen. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus says, "For many are called, but few are chosen." This verse is understood in the context of a parable that Jesus told concerning a wedding feast. This parable is a great example of how salvation plays out between the general call to all to come to Christ and the choice of God. The preceding verses talk about a guest who was invited, but not clothed in the wedding garment. The passage singles out this man, and doesn't tell you how the rest received their wedding garment. All we know is that this man was bound hand and foot and cast "into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I believe Christ makes it very clear that while we are to invite ALL to come, not ALL have been CHOSEN, and only the CHOSEN will be given wedding garments.
Jesus again makes this truth clear in John 6:44 when he says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Many pastors might have you believe that this "drawing" is a subtle wooing by the Holy Spirit. If that's what you think, your understanding of this passage is incomplete. The Greek word for "draws" in this verse is helkyse. It actually means to pull in or lead by force. A "subtle push" is not in view here. In fact, if you continue on in the book of John you find the disciples casting their nets in chapter 22 and hauling the fish in. John uses the word helkyse for hauling in the nets.
In Acts 16:19 and Acts 21:30 helkyse is translated dragged, when Paul is dragged into the marketplace or out of the temple.
James also uses this word when he says, "...one who drags you into court...in James 2:6
Jesus is saying that no one comes to salvation unless the Father pulls them in and makes them one of his own. Salvation is something that the Father chooses.
So the Father chose us...IN HIM...
We were chosen to be identified in Christ. Romans 8:29 says, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be CONFORMED to the IMAGE of his SON...
Do you see the way these two verses parallel each other?
If you are a Christian, you were destined to become more like Christ! I know what you're thinking,...some days I just don't feel like I am really being "conformed to the image of Christ."
Because of these great verses, we can rest in the fact that everything happens for a reason and for our good.
Rom. 8:29 can't be fully understood without Rom. 8:28 and 8:30, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Because we are in Christ we will be completely conformed to the image of Christ in the end. Scripture promises that the consummation of salvation is glorification.
Our awesome Father chose all of this for us before the world was created.
2Timothy 1:8-9 says, "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of OUR WORKS but because of HIS OWN PURPOSE and GRACE, which he gave us IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN..."
So how does the Bible say we should respond to all of this amazing GRACE?
2Thes. 2:13 says, "Be we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth."
BE THANKFUL. God's grace is so amazing! We need to give Him thanks for what he has done. We don't have to understand all of it, but we need to accept it, find rest in Him, and give Him thanks for saving us when we didn't deserve it. Soli Deo Gloria.
Be edified!
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