June 19

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” — EPHESIANS 1:4

Many Christians have wrestled with the questions, “Did we choose God or did God choose us? Were we predestined before the foundation of the earth to be the sons and daughters of God?” 

 Paul tells us, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world.” In Verse 5, he says, “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ...”  Verse 7, “In him, we have redemption through his blood…” Verse 9, “And he made known to us the mystery of his will in accordance with his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ,” and in verse 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.” It is all ‘in Christ’, which is to be united with Him, that we are chosen by God. 

The word ‘chosen’ is one that appears in four main contexts throughout the Old and New Testaments. The first is the nation of Israel, which is spoken of many times as being chosen by God. The second is Christ being the chosen One of God. The third is the disciples of Jesus. “You did not choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16). The Apostle Paul was later added to the disciples. “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles…” (Acts 9:15). The fourth is the Church of Jesus Christ, the community of believers, which includes every Christian. “He chose us in Him.”  

Throughout the Bible, it is clear that Israel was chosen, Christ was chosen, His disciples were chosen and we, as the body of Christ, are chosen. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that we are chosen ‘to be put into Christ’, but it is that we become chosen by virtue of being “in Christ”. We cannot read Ephesians 1:4 as, “God chose us before the creation of the world.” What it says is, “God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world.” That is, God determined before the creation of the world that Christ would be the means by which He would choose His people, and the emphasis of being chosen in Christ is that we are now the means by which the Lord Jesus is going to do His work on earth. 

We are not born ‘predestined’ as sons and daughters of God, but come into being ‘predestined’ when we willingly receive the gift of the indwelling Spirit of Christ and become Christians.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who is the only means by which we are chosen as your sons and daughters. That is a privilege and blessing I carry with me every day. 

TO REFLECT UPON: In my witness for Christ, how would I explain what “being chosen in Christ” means?