Chosen II

Chosen II

Aug. 26

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”

Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV

Let’s be honest for a moment, if you read this passage closely it brings up a very difficult concept. The idea that God has chosen us then must mean that some people are not chosen. So if we break it down we come to two basic camps. Those in the Calvinism camp are on one side and Arminianism on the other. I’m not going to get deep into the two camps but I will point out some things.

On the one side we can clearly see in scripture that God chose those who would be saved, He did this before the creation in Gen. 1:1. See also John 15:6, Jer. 1:5, 2 Thes. 2:13, John 6:44, 1 Peter 1:1-2. God has chosen us and even beyond that God must draw us to Him or we cannot be saved. (John 6:44). The Bible is clear that we are dead in our sins and that there is nothing good in us. (2 Cor. 2:13, Eph. 2:1, Romans 7:18, Psalms 53:3). Thus, the work of salvation is totally dependent on God. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable. (For what can a dead man do to make himself alive?)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

Our salvation then is totally from the work that Christ did on the cross. If you are depending on any other thing ie. Going to church, being a good person, coming from a Christian home, taking some class at church or doing certain religious acts(like baptism) you are not saved. I will repeat that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to God.

“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

Isaiah 64:6 NLT

Salvation is a gift given to the elect.  To some this may seem unfair, they may say what about those who are not chosen.  I will address that more in the future but for now let me leave it with this verse. 

“Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.””

Romans 9:14-15 NLT

God is just, merciful and fair in all that He does. Yet at the same time His ways are beyond our ways.  As humans there are some things about God that we cannot understand. For to be able to do so would mean we where equal to God.  Part of faith means that we take God at His word even when we don’t understand all the details.  Here is what I know God loves all people in the world and gave His only Son to die for us. (John 3:16)