Who are you?
That is an interesting question and will have all sorts of answers depending on the individual and context. But if I was to ask the more precise question, who are you in the sight of God, this reduces the variety of answers. Ephesians 1:3-14 tells us who the Christian is in the sight of God. Consider what these verses say.
The purpose of this post isn’t to provide a thorough exegetical treatment of this profound passage (though that would be valuable!), but to simply observe three blessings every believer enjoys. These three blessings reveal who the Christian is in the sight of God. The blessings are: chosen, redeemed, and sealed. let us consider the first one.
Chosen
In verse 4 Paul tells his readers that they are chosen. This act of selection is by God the Father and is the actual choosing of certain individuals to be saved. What a high and humbling thought, that God would choose from among fallen men some to be saved. Unlike the belief that says that God’s looks into the future and chooses those who choose Him, the Scripture teaches that took place “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). God’s act of choosing us was not influenced by our works, but was based on His love, mercy and purpose (cf. Rom. 9:11).
The act of God in choosing some individuals to be His children is a high and humbling doctrine. Paul reminded the Ephesians that they are chosen. This is who you are. God in His eternal counsel chose you to be saved before you were even around (cf. 2 Thess. 2:13).
I recognise that some feel that this is unfair, but we must know that it is God’s sovereign right, because He is God (Rom. 9:15, 20). It is important to remember that the doctrine of election is not something that is limited to the early chapters of a systematic theology or to be the topic of a good debate. It is a doctrine that is for all of God’s people because it leads to holiness. In Ephesians 1:4 Paul goes on to say, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” The purpose of sovereign election in the life of the believer is holiness. Display your gratitude, thanksgiving and devotion to the Lord by pursuing holiness for His glory. He chose us so that we would be holy – SDG!
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