He Chose Us In Him
“…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him…” (Ephesians 1:4, ESV)
1. He chose us – who is He? The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The Greek word for chose is eklego and it means to pick out, to chose for oneself.
3. We see in scripture that there are elect people and angels.
“And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. ” (Mark 13:20, ESV)
“And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ” (Matthew 24:31, ESV)
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ” (Luke 18:7, ESV)
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ”
(Romans 8:33, ESV)
“So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, ” (Romans 11:5–7, ESV)
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. ” (1 Timothy 5:21, ESV)
We may define the doctrine of election as follows:
“Election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.”
4. When the Scriptures say “He chose us in Him” it is saying that God picked out, He chose for Himself a people for Himself for His own glory.
“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ” (Ephesians 1:4–6, ESV)
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ”
(Ephesians 1:11–12, ESV)
5. The Father picked out and chose for Himself a people and He gave that people to Jesus to redeem.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. ” (John 17:1–4, ESV)
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ” (John 6:37, ESV)
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. ” (John 6:44, ESV)
“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” ” (John 6:65, ESV)
6. The Father elected before the Foundation of the World.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ”
(Matthew 25:34, ESV)
“and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. ” (Revelation 13:8, ESV)
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. ” (Revelation 17:8, ESV)
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ” (Acts 13:48, ESV)
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV)
“though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ” (Romans 9:11–13, ESV)
7. We know when people have been elected because when the Word of God is preached – they believe.
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4–5, ESV)
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13–14, ESV)
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. ” (Acts 13:48, ESV)
8. When Paul talks about the reason why God saved us – he denies it was because of anything in us or done by us.
“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, ” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV)
8. When Paul talks about the reason why God saved us – he denies it was because of anything in us or done by us.
“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, ” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV)
“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5–7, ESV)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ” (Ephesians 2:8–10, ESV)
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ” (1 Peter 2:9–10, ESV)
9. Election is a doctrine of comfort for the believer.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ” (Romans 8:28–30, ESV)
10. Election is a reason to Praise God for so great a salvation as He did.
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers…For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2,4 ESV)
11. Election is an encouragement to evangelism.
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ” (2 Timothy 2:10, ESV)
It is as if someone invited us to come fishing and said, “I guarantee that you will catch some fish—they are hungry and waiting.”
12. “He chose us in Him” is personal and is all of His love and grace towards us who believe.
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