Chosen to be Perfect

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him... Ephesians 1:4

I often hyperventilate on this verse and its proposition of God’s choice of his own, before creation. It is a mindboggeling concept and one very worthy of much study. Whatever your understanding about God’s choice, that choice is for one purpose. Look at it again, Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight... We were chosen to be “holy and blameless”.

For a fallen people, this choosing of holy and perfect people is an impossible task. You can’t find what doesn’t exist. Paul stated this fact in his letter to the Roman believers when he said, “as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God..." (Romans 3:10-11). Where was it “written”? In Psalm 14 and 53 of course. Paul’s quote is taken from these two Davidic psalms. The “none perfect” theme is as old as man. It began in the Garden of Eden and has continued unabated until today.

When we see some good news about a good neighbor or citizen in some place in the world, we admire that person and thank God for such kind hearted people. However, deep down we know that said person is by no means perfect. They can’t be because perfect people don't exist.

So, back to the initial verse of this article, who were these perfect aliens from a holy habitat? Well, God had to do all of the work in this sense. He had to choose, he had to make alive and he had to send his son as the perfect substitute to pay a price he didn't owe to make it all happen. His perfection became the perfection that we needed. He chose us to be perfect and he did all of the work to make that perfection happen.

The next verses make the point even clearer. Paul continues, “he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 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, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:5-12).

Study these words. They talk of your perfection and salvation.

Daughter and dog...

About six months ago we discovered that Ann was pregnant and were very excited for she and Jackson. We will have babies on this side and that of the Atlantic. We weren't prepared for that news and we we were even less prepared for the news that our little dog is pregnant. To date we have spent more on the dog than on Annie (don't tell her... Ann that is). Ann has yet to discover whether her baby is a boy or girl. Both ultrasound images were inconclusive. Though I did some further investigation of my own and was startled with what I found. to me it looks as if the baby is definitely a boy and has some resemblance from both sides of the family. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think.

Urgent Prayer (part 2)

Does God ever give you a gut punch? He did that just a few days ago when I watched a missionary story from the other side of the world. It was short but poignant, and it punched me in the belly button and brought a few tears too. One thing that shook me was the final statement that the missionary made. He was questioning himself and said, I wonder if what I have done will make a difference. This question comes to a missionary's mind now and again as they ponder how vast God's world is and how tiny one’s work is. As I thought, and identified, with his sentiment, the Lord brought a verse to mind that I had used recently in a youth talk. It was this one in John 12:24, “ Very truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ” When, in Matthew, the sower sowed his seed, it was the Word of God. Here in John, Jesus indicates that the seed is the life of the servant. Jesus talked of his comi...

Church Isn't a Place

Many times we say, I'm going to church on Sunday. What some fail to understand is that "church" isn't a building. I remember our pastor saying, "the church is an organism, not an organization." He was teaching us the Bible truth about the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body, and the church is his body on earth. Another pastor once said, "God's hands have human fingers." This is a difficult concept for some to grasp, pun intended. However, it is important to understand that God accomplishes his work through human beings. He uses us, the church, to do his will and work. It's not that if we don't do his will that he is stymied. But he does use willing servants. To be in the church, one must be a part of the family. You cannot be in the church if you don't have the Savior. The church is not for the lost; it is for the edification of the saved. The lost can come and hear the message of salvation. But the church is made up of t...

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