God Chose You – July 20, 2021

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6

God Chose You

“I can’t believe it. I was chosen!” Have you ever been in a situation where you said that to yourself? Maybe you were the one who got the desirable promotion or the academic scholarship, even though the competition was stiff. Or maybe you were asked unexpectedly to attend the prom with that guy you had your eye on, even though you figured there were better candidates. When it’s something you desire, it feels good to be chosen.

That’s the wonderful news the apostle Paul shared with the Christians in Ephesians chapter 1 when he wrote that God “chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

Sometimes it may not feel to Christians like they are God’s special, chosen children. They may be going through a difficult time. Or, the guilt of their sins may be weighing on their hearts, and they wonder, “Why would God choose me?”

That’s why today’s Bible reading is so comforting for Christians. God’s choice is not based on who they are or what they have accomplished. His eternal choice to save them for eternity had everything to do with their perfect Savior, Jesus, and “his pleasure and will.” In other words, God desperately wanted to save them and takes great pleasure in freely doing so through the person and work of his perfect Son Jesus.

What a wonderful and merciful God! He chooses the undeserving and undesirable to be his!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, today I praise you for your love and mercy in saving those who did not deserve your salvation. Amen.