HE HATH CHOSEN US…
Ephesians 1:4; “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
The choice is not ours! We have the capacity to accept or reject, but we do not have the privilege of choosing! Nor do we have the privilege of when to be saved!
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44).
“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27).
“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16).
He hath chosen… This statement presents to us what has come to be called the “Doctrine of Election.” We are among the ELECT of God who have heeded the call to salvation. We are among that elect group who are IN the world but not OF the world, (John 17:11, 14).
THEOCRATIC ELECTION
God alone is Sovereign and may choose whom He will. We are all His creation. He is the Potter; we are merely the clay in the Potter’s hand.
God chose Israel to be His peculiar treasure before all the world. Note Deuteronomy 7:6; “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
This is not to say nor imply that just being a descendent of Abraham assures one of election or salvation. Paul informs us in Romans 9:6,7; “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.”
The Church is made up today of both Jew and Gentile. It matters not what one’s nationality may be; he may be saved. But this does not mean that everybody is saved!
VOCATIONAL ELECTION
God not only called the nation of Israel to be His own special treasure, He also chose, from among Israel a tribe; a family from that tribe; a man from that family (Aaron) to be His priests. God not only chose a Church to carry forth His message of salvation to His world, but He also chose certain men from that Church to be His anointed messengers.
This is not to imply that God is partial, or has respect of persons, but, rather, that God is Sovereign and chooses whom He will.
This verse, along with others, has prompted some to teach “personal predestination.” One Commentator put it this way: “Therefore completely apart from any merit or deserving that any person could have, God chose us in Him. By God’s sovereign election, those who are saved were placed in eternal union with Christ before creation even took place… God’s election will irresistibly draws to Himself those whom He has predetermined to love and forgive, while having no effect on those whom He has not.”
Closely connected with this dogma of predestination is also the doctrine of “Once in Grace, always in Grace.” Having been predestinated to salvation by God from before the foundation of the world, and hence being drawn by an irresistible force to God, one can never be lost.
This dogma falls on two fronts:
1. How can it be said that God so loved the world if only a few in that world can be saved? How do we determine who to witness to and who to not witness to?
If predestination means that God only chooses those who can be saved, and can’t help but be saved, then why did God take the time to call a Saul? A Judas?
2. If once one is saved he will never be lost again, how can this be reconciled with such verses as Revelation 21:8; “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
The word CHOSEN is from “eklegomai,” (ek-leg’-om-ahee). It is so presented in the Greek, we are told, as to indicate that it is God’s totally independent choice. It implies that God not only chooses by Himself, but also for Himself. The Church is for the glory of Jesus Christ. He will, “present it unto Himself, a glorious Church…” (Ephesians 5:27).
HE HATH CHOSEN US IN HIM…
Paul’s use of the term “us” has reference to the Church. While we could say Paul’s use of this term has reference to those to whom he is addressing his epistle, his epistles are also directed to ALL who are part of the body of Christ.
In this we see that God chose the Church BEFORE the foundation of the world! The Church was not an “afterthought” of God!
The choice to have a redeemed creation; to have a blood-washed Church, was not made AFTER man had fallen into transgression and brought the curse of sin upon all creation. It was made BEFORE this ever happened!
Before the world was ever hung in space on nothing; before the stars were hung in their sockets; before the sons of God shouted for joy at the acts of creation, God in His own divine will, worked out the plan of salvation for us living today. All the details, which included Calvary, were worked out BEFORE the foundation of the world was ever laid!
We are part of a plan whose roots run all the way back into eternity past. The plan for the church is not as old as the world — it dates back farther than that!
Do you think that anything which has such detailed planning; such devoted study; such serious and costly consideration, could ever fail? The success of this Church is not predicated on our whimsical decisions and opinions. The success of the Church is not predicated on whether we make it or not!
THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY
This term frightens us! Just what is this term “HOLY” anyway? Holiness is not a position — it is a condition!
Holiness is not what we put on the outside — it is what we possess on the inside!
The word “holy” is the same word which is translated “saints” in verse one of Ephesians one. It means “separated to God.” And this separation is brought about, not by what we do, but what He does to us!
Knowing that He has chosen us from a world of sin fills our heart with sincere thanksgiving. Knowing that we are privileged to be part of such a glorious Body and the Church, overwhelms us!
