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Reflections on Ephesians 1 &2 CHOOSING
Reflections on Ephesians 1 &2
Choosing-
"even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Ephesians 1:4 ESV
Sometime we misunderstand the idea of CHOOSING
First, we think that it is something special that WE have chosen GOD. That somehow GOD should feel honored that we have chosen HIM.
If someone were to set a mountain of cash or a pile of bills in front of you and instructed you to choose one, would it be irrational to choose the cash? I think we would recognize the thing which is of greater worth. I've used this as an illustration so don't think that I am saying people choose God because they get money, but it is a similar motivation. A rational person will choose the option which shows the greater promise of blessing to him.
Now what is mind blowing is that GOD chose US!
If we look at the example that I used earlier it would be as if GOD chose the pile of bills. He chose the people who were bankrupt and penniless, we were insolvent because we were irresponsible, greedy and self-indulgent. We deserve the life of poverty and privation that we have because we are worthless and filthy (spiritually speaking). We have broken every promise, defaulted on every commitment and violated every rule. He chose the pile of bills and paid them off for us, (but that's a discussion for another time).
A final thing about choosing is that knowing our own motives for choosing, which can be selfish, we make God suspect for choosing us. We project our motives upon God, not understanding that our thoughts are not His thoughts nor are our reasons His reasons. It's not enough for us to receive His gracious gift thankfully, we try to figure out what's in this for God. The shadow of our fallen nature is projected upon God's great goodness and grace and imagines that He has some ulterior motive for choosing us. That He is selfishly and secretly enslaving us or that we are actually in some intrinsic way valuable to Him and He is taking advantage of us! That God would chose us when we were dead spiritually proves that He is choosing us purely out of His glorious, lavish, grace, the unsearchable riches of His grace. Because God is who He is, I trust Him to save my soul. That's faith.
"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
All I can do is give thanks that He chose me and praise Him.
Michael Franklin
