Random Ramblings #34: He Has Chosen Us …

Every Friday we’ll take a break from topical posts and will post some random personal thoughts. 

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A Cuppa Joe – Random Ramblings from a Fellow Struggler

I don’t really believe in “favorite scriptures”, since all of the Word is inspired and profitable (II Timothy 3:16.) Still, there are some that inevitably come to our minds more often than others. One of those, for me, is Ephesians 1:4, a verse that swells me with godly attitude, gratitude and confidence:

According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

Let’s break this down a bit.

According as He has chosen us in Him —

Chosen. There’s a word some of us are anything but familiar with. Granted, many of you may be accustomed to being chosen, provided you’re good looking, or talented, or blessed with a charismatic personality. And that’s great. You know what it’s like to be seen, evaluated and wanted.

But many of us know more what it’s like to be tolerated than chosen. Chosen means the captain of the basketball team called your name out and beckoned you to join him. Tolerated is when the two team captains have chosen everyone they want, so now they’re tossing a coin to see who gets stuck with Dallas. That’s not, to my thinking, a state of being chosen.

But Jesus said “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” (John 15:16)

Incredible. Me choosing Him? No brainer. Him choosing me? Amazing grace. He has chosen us in Him, a single thought that can change and make your day; your life.

Before the foundation of the world —

So you were seen, named, loved and chosen before anything that is, was. God being omniscient – all knowing – can and did glance across the vistas of countless centuries and saw you, as you were, and are, and will be. And with full knowledge of every up and down your life would take, He said “Yes” to you. I am especially staggered when I realized the divine Yes came eons before I arrived, guiding, in many ways, the events of my life, the protections I didn’t deserve, and the events leading to the moment I would in turn say Yes to Him.

There’s a confidence building thought to linger on as well.

— that we should be Holy and without blame before Him in love.

You and I were, of course, set apart before creation. But then came the time/space moment of setting apart when we passed from death to life, having received His promise through faith and become believers, born again and made alive. Then, throughout this life, there’s the ongoing setting apart – the fruit bearing, the correction, the sanctification that’s the lot of His daughters and sons. So every new level of holiness you’re brought into, every unclean habit discarded, every carnal immature tendency corrected, is you fulfilling your destiny. “Holy and without blame, in love” is the goal post never moved, though never fully arrived at in this life, but always striven for. By us, and, more importantly, by Him.

I’ll think about that this weekend. I hope you’ll join me. Have a great one, and thanks for being here.

Love,
Joe