Chosen

           ​I’ll always remember in elementary school when teams were chosen for baseball. After the two captains were declared, everyone stood around, staring at the ground, hopping from foot to foot, praying not to be chosen last. Being chosen last always felt like you were the least valuable player.

         Ephesians 1:4-5 (TLB) contains some amazing verses. “Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault – we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!”

        God chose us, as believers in His Son, Jesus, before the foundation of the world. When we were orphaned from God because of our rebellion against Him, through Jesus, He adopted us back.

         Adoption is the act of legally taking a child to care for as one’s own. Because of the New Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus, God has legally bound Himself to adopt those of us who accept His Son as our Savior, back into His family and to care for us.
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         “...you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, ‘Abba! Father!’ as we would address a loving daddy” (Romans 8:15 VOICE).

        ‘Abba’ is a term of endearment, and the use of it is based on love rather than performance. Isn’t that freeing?

          The apostle Paul writes about himself in Galatians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle (chosen) not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” It wasn’t after he cleaned himself up and stopped persecuting Christians that Paul was chosen. He was chosen before he even knew the Messiah.

         “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (1 Peter 2:9 MSG).
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         Jesus extends His invitation to all, but only those who respond and accept the invitation to join His team are considered chosen by God. And when we accept His invitation, we are chosen for eternity.

         In the last book of the Bible (Revelation), we read, “They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14 AMPC).

         So, dear one, when satan tries to harangue you and tells you you’re no good and that God is angry with you, remind him that because of your acceptance of Jesus as your Saviour, you were chosen and accepted by God before the world began.