Chosen Before Creation

  Chosen Before Creation

  

 God predestined you.

He chose you.

He doesn’t want you on the bench.  

 

 

 I remember recess in grade school. 

 Everybody ran out to the ball diamond; 

the baseball bat was thrown in the air

and one of the boys would catch it.

Another boy would grab the bat just above the first boy’s 

hand and they would put one hand over the other

until the last hand reached the top of the bat and 

the last hand got to choose the first person on his team.

As the boys would take turns picking players,

the names were called off very fast,

then the choices became harder.

The harder the choice,

the less desirable the players.

I grew up as a skinny little kid

and I was always the last kid picked.

The few times I was second to the last

did not make me feel any better.

It was no fun not being chosen or 

feeling like the leftover.

I also remember my two grandmothers;

they loved all their grandchildren, and I 

felt like they chose to love me before I was born.

They made me feel like they wanted me to be around.

They were always willing to set aside

what they were doing when I was around.

The Bible says we are chosen by God.  

So, if we are chosen when did it happen?

To understand this question

we have to take a few things into consideration.

The apostle Paul tells us that we were chosen or 

predestined by God before the creation of the world.

It is wonderful that you and I were chosen

  before our grandparents,

Adam and Eve chose to have children.

God chose you and I first.

He got first pick.

But there was a condition…

His choice was for you and I to be holy

 and blameless in His sight.

So you and I were not only chosen, 

but chosen with a purpose.

God not only chose you before 

the creation of the world,

He wanted the best for you.

Just like grandma, 

God loved me before I was born!

  We will look further into 

God’s choosing you this week.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 1:3-23 NIV

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

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 to be adopted as his sons 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 And 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 will have reached their fulfillment

— to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen,

having been predestined according to the plan of him

who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,

might be for the praise of his glory.

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation.

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus

and your love for all the saints,

16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,

may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, 

not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him 

to be head over everything for the church,

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.