CHOSEN IN CHRIST

Recap

The Book of Ephesian is full of revelation of who we believers are in Christ Jesus. In Eph.1:1-3 we see that we have been separated and blessed in Christ Jesus. The story of a woman called Hetty Green can be used to illustrate the attitude of believers to the riches that we believers have in Christ Jesus. She was a very rich American woman who lived in the 20^th century (1834-1916). At the time of her death she was worth more than $100 million. However, she lived her life like a pauper, she was a typical miser. History has it that her son had his leg amputated due to gangrene, because Hetty refused to pay for his treatment. She wore just one black dress and underwear, which she only replaced when the dress and underwear are totally worn-out. She ordered her laundress to only wash the dirtiest parts of a dress in order to conserve soap. History also has it that she spent a night searching her carriage for a lost stamp worth 2cents. Despite the riches that she possessed, she lived a live of a pauper.

It is rather unfortunate that most believers too struggle through life simply because we are ignorant of the abundant riches and privileges that we have in Christ Jesus. Even those who are quite aware of how blessed believers are in Christ do not care to explore it. A good understanding of who believers are, what we have and the riches and privileges that have been given to us in Christ Jesus will make us walk tall and live above any limitation. A good view of this our immeasurable riches in Christ Jesus really humbles us, when we realise that all these things are freely given to us by Grace.

Ephesian 1:4 

The teaching that believers are chosen or elected in Christ is not common. However, we find it very prominent in scripture the idea of God choosing believers unto Himself. In the history of the Church many people do not agree that God chose believers individually. They believe that God chose the church collectively as a whole, but not individual believers. However, the reference in Eph.1:4 is to individual Christians chosen in Christ Jesus, and Paul includes himself. When we look closely in scripture we find out that it is a pattern by which God related with people.

Scriptural pattern of God choosing people

In the Old Testament, God chose specific people and called them out (Hagg 2:23). In Neh. 9:7, the Israelites recounted how God chose Abram. God’s choice of Abram was not because he was better than his contemporaries. In fact, Abram was also an idol worshipper just like the people of his time, yet God chose him. In Gen 21:12, God communicated with Abraham about His choice of Isaac to be the heir in preference to Ishmael. Moreover, in Rom.9:11-13, we find an account of God choosing Jacob over Esau, even though Jacob was a supplanter.

Likewise in the New Testament, we see the idea of God choosing us (Act 13:46-48, Eph.1:4, 1Pet.1; 2-3). Most of the

time we try to analyse and rationalise the Sovereignty of God, in relation to human responsibility, with our limited human minds. The fact that God is sovereign and chooses according to His will does not remove human responsibility. God has created us with an ability to exercise our choice, such that we have to believe in other to bring about the purpose of God in our lives.

Scriptural evidence of God choosing believers

In Gal.1:15 Paul described himself as being chosen by God to do something in particular, and that is to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. One would have thought that Paul should be an apostle to the Jews because he was raisedin Judaism, he understood the law, he understood their thought pattern, and their customs and all that had to do with Jews. One would have thought Peter was good enough to be an apostle to the Gentiles because he wasnot as versed as Paul in Judaism, but God chose otherwise. Again we see in 2 Thess. 2:13Paul wrote in His letter to the Thessalonian church, stating that God had chosen them and called them to salvation before the foundation of the world.Another term that is used to describe the concept that we are chosen in Christ is the word “Elect” (1Pet1:1-2). Some people have used the foregoing scripture to explain that God looked through the corridor of time and knew that we would believe, and that was why He chose us. However, the Greek word translated as “foreknowledge” does not simply mean God looking into the future. The same word is used in 1Pet.1:20 and it means that God from time immemorial predetermining and planning a relationship with us. Even the death of Jesus Christ did not just happen, it was pre-planned by God that Jesus would die to redeem man (Rev.13:8). So more than God simply knowing,He predetermined and ordained some things to happen.

The practicability of God choosing believers

On the issue of God’s choice, one may wonder that since we are already chosen, why do we still need to believe, or what is the essence of preaching the Gospel since there are the elects that have been pre-ordained for salvation? There may not be an analytical answer to these kinds of reasoning; but what we see in scripture is that God chooses but we still need to believe. In fact, it is when we believe that we get to realise that we had been chosen. Preachers have to preach because that is the only way those that are chosen get to believe. Many times we feel that our being saved was because we were smart enough to have accepted the Gospel. But fromJhn6:60-65,we see that there is a divine act of God where He personally draws the believer. Even though it is a man that makes the choice to accept the Gospel, yet there is an inner working of God that lifts the veil for the man to see the need to believe the Gospel and be saved (Jn.15:16, Act 9:1-8). In 1Thess.1:2-5, scripture shows clearly that God has chosen individual believers but we only realise this choice when we believe and come into the faith. This implies that we cannot predetermine who is elected for salvation and who is not. Scripture does not give us that kind of leeway. We just have to preach the Gospel and hope that the listener would believe and be saved. In Act 13: 46-48 Paul and Barnabas just preached and those who have been appointed for eternal life received the Gospel.

This tells us that the choice of God and human responsibility always go side by side. And we can to understand that in the finalanalysis, it is not so much about our desires or how good or wise we are, but the fact that we were chosen by God. So rather thanpride, the knowledge that we have been chosen in Christ fillsus with awe and humility.Rather than fear, it fills us with a lot of joy. We are filled with joy because one of the purpose for which we were chosen is so that we will be saved forever. When we realise that God has chosen us and He has effected a plan that keeps us saved, then we are no longer scared but filled with joy. God chose us and decided to work things out that way for His praise and glory (Eph.1:11-12,1Pet.2:9) so that nobody will boast before Him. Without the mercy of God, without the choice of God, without the Grace of God we would still be as sinful and wretched as the worst of men (Ps115:1. Ps65:1-4). More than the praise the psalmist could ever give, so should the praise of a believer be because God has brought us near to a Temple not made with hands.

Conclusion

It is such a wonderful thing to realise that God had us in mind before the foundation of the world. God chose us and predestined us to be blessed in Christ. Meditating on these truth should gladden our heart and encourage us to live for Him alone.