The Chosen One 18 July 2013
Ephesians 1:3-8
He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him.
So, what does it mean to be chosen? I've been kickin' this around lately. If we really knew how much He loves us...would our hearts go chasing other pursuits? What does it mean that He views us as holy and without blame before Him in love? WHY do we give Him pleasure? How difficult is it for Him to accept us?.......mere mortals. Why is it so easy to stray? Do we not realize we have been given the riches of His grace which He makes to ABOUND toward us in all wisdom and prudence......do we realize He has made known to us the mystery of His WILL......and that this gives Him GOOD PLEASURE....and that He longs to gather us together in Christ??
Folks, if this doesn't sound like ULTIMATE SECURITY....I don't know what security is.
Our focus while here on this earth is so tunnel vision. We see only what we can with our limited amount of knowledge. We try and try to please men when we really should be trying to please God. Our hearts long for something more. Something permanent.....eternal. Yet everything we have can be taken from us in a flash...in an instant. It is only the strong arms of God that will hold us until the end. When we are chosen last on the kickball team, God cries out but I chose you before the foundation of the world!!! When we are passed over for that raise or promotion or earthly recognition, God cries out to us, You are MINE...you are the apple of my eye....your worth is not found in what you DO, but who you ARE. YOU. ARE. MINE.
You belong to Me, with Me, for Me. The fullness of who I am can be found inside of you as you allow Me to fill every crevice of your mind and heart and being.
Then you will know full and true security. This security will overflow on to all you meet and you will in turn fill them up to the brink of Me.....they will see Me and not you!!
What a loving Savior we have. What a treasure we have been given, friends.
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
