The Total Makeover Package
Ephesians 2:1 – 10
Introduction:
Nowadays, the “in-thing” when it comes to TV is what we call as Reality TV where the person starring in the show is not portraying any other character but himself or herself. It can be a show about the everyday life of people with all the ups and downs they face. It can also be a contest where people try to outwit their fellow contestants with speed, cunning and deception. It could also be a show that you only get to watch on Discovery Channel like Mythbusters. However, there are also shows that do what we call as a “makeover”, where a person's house or his life go through a transformation of sorts.
One particular show really took the idea of the word “makeover” to its fullest extent. The show was entitled “The Swan”. The title of the show is actually a reference to the children's story, “The Ugly Duckling” where a baby swan was mistaken by his mother as being a duck and an ugly one at that, but it turns out later that he was a majestic looking swan when he grew up. Well, in the show, women who by physical standards have been judged as being “ugly” are given a total makeover. They are given plastic surgery on virtually every part of their outer body, their teeth are fixed to look very white and straight, they are made to go through a regimen of physical exercises, and they undergo counseling and life coaching. To the viewers, we see the hardships the contestants go through just to become beautiful. The contestants however have no idea as to what is going on because there are no mirrors in the house where they're staying. In the end, each contestant is made to face a full-length mirror where they see for the very first time the transformation that has taken place. All the contestants, whether they win the elimination or not, are amazed at the changes that have taken place in order to make them physically attractive. Now, the goal of the show's producers is to let the televiewers see that the contestants were not pretty at all prior to the makeover; however, after the makeover, the women become attractive.
Now, I am not in any way endorsing this show because personally, I don't think that beauty should be judged solely on what one sees on the outside, but it should be more about the inner personality – one's character and values. There are many people who look attractive on the outside but their character is shady. However, I find the show to be a good illustration of what it means when we say a “total makeover”.
Our passage this morning is also about a total makeover. You see, a great transformation has already happened to us, to all who are saved by God's grace. I'm not talking about our physical appearances. We may wish for changes in our physical appearances but that wouldn't be classified as being a great transformation. In fact, a physical transformation is temporary in nature. Botox injections don't last for more than 8 months and your wrinkles will come out again. Instead, the total makeover I am talking about is spiritual, which is eternal in nature, and it has implications for how we are supposed to live life here on earth.
In chapter 1 of Ephesians, we've learned that, as believers, we are tremendously blessed with every spiritual blessing that comes from God and that we have been chosen by God to be the recipients of his great favor. In the latter part of chapter 1, we read of Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church, where he prayed that the believers may receive wisdom and enlightenment with regards to the hope that they have in Christ, as well as the great power he is showing to us. This morning, we look at the first part of chapter 2, where we have a glimpse of what we were like before the Lord saved us, what happened to us when God saved us, and we are given an idea as to what God's purpose is for our lives now as well in the future. God has performed a total or complete makeover and we're going to examine carefully what that makeover is all about and how it all came about.
OUR OLD SELF
Verses 1 – 3 is a description of what we were like prior to being saved by God through Christ. The image depicted is anything but nice. In fact, it is downright ugly. There are three things that correctly describes what we used to be.
(1) We Were Spiritually Dead (1)
The apostle Paul first described our old self by stating quite frankly that we were dead in our trespasses and sins; in other words, we were spiritually dead. Now, what exactly is the meaning of being 'spiritually dead'? Spiritual death is defined as being the separation of man from God, which was brought on by sin. If you remember the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis, you would recall that God gave explicit warning to Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, or else they would die. When they disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit, they sinned against God and this broke the intimate relationship God had with man. This breaking of the relationship is what we call as spiritual death. I believe that when God created Adam, his life-giving spirit was in Him; however, when Adam sinned, the spirit may have departed, thus rendering him spiritually dead or separated.
A person who is spiritually dead does not have the presence of God's spirit in him, thus he is unable to think, will, or do that which is holy (JFB). Left on his own, he will not seek the one true God nor will he do the things that God approves.
This was what we were at one time, prior to becoming God's children. We were dead in our sins and trespasses. We were separated from God because of our sins. There was nothing good in us at all that would merit God's favor and mercy.
(2) We Followed The Wrong Path (2)
Because we were spiritually dead, without the life of God in us, it was but natural for us to move along the wrong path. In verse 2 we find that we followed the course of this world and we followed the prince of the power of the air (or Satan).
When Paul said that we followed the course of this world, what he meant was that we followed what the world was doing, we accept the philosophies and values of this world, we believe the lies that the world taught us. For example, the world tells us, “if it feels good, do it”, a person without Jesus Christ in his life would readily say, “Yes, I agree”, and he sets out to do just that, by engaging in forbidden and sinful pleasures. Some philosophies tell us that there is no god and many believe the lie. The result? They follow a course where they do anything they want because they think there is no god who would judge them and throw them in hell.
We also followed the prince of the power of the air or Satan. Although many people will deny that they are following the devil, but the fact is, what you do and think and believe reflects who your master is. For the person who is spiritually lost, who does not have Jesus Christ in his heart and have not experienced the transforming grace of the Lord, he is not just a sinner, he is actually a follower of the devil himself! It is no wonder that we were, at one time, known as sons of disobedience. It is because we have the propensity to disobey God and his commands, choosing instead to follow in the path of God's enemy.
(3) We Were by Nature Children of Wrath (3)
The third description of our past life was that we were by nature children of wrath. What this phrase means is that we are all objects of God's wrath due to our sins. Because of our inclination to sin and disobey God, it is but natural that the consequence of such rebellion is God's displeasure as well as that his righteous judgment will be upon us. The Bible makes clear what his punishment will be. All sinners are destined for eternity in hell where the fire will never be quenched and the pain never eased.
Now, we need to be careful not to read too much into the phrase. Some theologians have used the phrase to refer to our inheriting the sinful nature from our ancestors. While I believe that it is true that we have inherited the sinful nature, I do not think that Paul is using this phrase in Ephesians 2 to talk about this. The word “children” simply characterizes people of a certain type without reference to parentage or to what they have inherited from their parents.
The picture is very grim. Everyone of us is spiritually dead. We are followers of the ways of this world as well as followers of Satan. Finally, we are by nature the children of wrath, meaning, God is displeased with us and he will surely judge against us. Thankfully, what Paul has been talking about in the first three verses of Ephesians 2 is about our sinful past. What follows from verses 4 to 7 is the reversal, the total makeover that takes place, changing us from what we were to what we are right now.
THE NEW YOU
In verses 4 to 7, we find three changes that happened when God entered the picture and changed us. These three changes were caused by God as a result of his great love for us such that he showed mercy to us (4). These changes in our lives are what I would call as the total makeover that we've experienced in Christ.
(1) He Made Us Alive (5)
The first thing God did was to make us alive together with Jesus Christ. Previously, we were spiritually dead; there was no relationship whatsoever between God and us. But God, in his love, made us alive. Through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the broken relationship has been mended. We are no longer spiritually dead. The Holy Spirit now dwells inside us and gives us spiritual life. Because we are spiritually alive, we are now able to respond favorably to God's command rather than disobey Him. We are now awakened to loving God and his Son, the Lord Jesus. We are now able to think, will or do that which is holy because we are now alive.
(2) Raised Us Up and Seated Us With Christ (6)
The second thing God did was that he raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places. What this means is that we have been given places of privilege and honor in God's kingdom. In simpler terms, from being wretched sinners, we are now blessed children of God who are bestowed with all the privileges of being God's children. Our citizenship is now in heaven; we now belong to God. We no longer belong to the world nor to Satan. We now belong in heaven and to God.
Because our citizenship is in heaven and we are given seats of privileges by God, what it should mean for us is that we should no longer follow the wrongful ways of the world. As citizens of heaven and as God's children, we must behave as such. No longer should we allow the world to mold our thinking and our actions but we must let God and his Kingdom dictate and guide how we think and do things.
(3) He Gives Us Purposeful Lives (7, 10)
The third thing God did was to give us purposeful lives. We find this idea in verses 7 and 10. If we think about our past life, when we under the bondage of sin, what exactly did we live for? Well, we lived only for ourselves. We live in order to please our sinful nature. But when God entered the picture and saved us, what he did was to give us a purpose for our existence here on earth. The purpose is this: He saved us so that we may show the immeasurable riches of his grace. What this means is that we are to be the exhibition to the whole of creation the wisdom and love and grace of God in Christ. Everyone who has been saved by the Lord is no longer to live a life of sin but he is now to live a life where God is glorified, a life that will point others to the grace of God.
Now, how will this come to be? The answer lies in verse 10. In verse 10, we are told that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We show the grace of God by no longer doing evil but by doing good works. When people see the transformation that has taken place in our lives by what we do, they will see that indeed God has changed us and they will know that God can also change them. We were not saved just to wait for the time that we will go to heaven, and for us to do what we want; we were saved in order to productively do the things that will attract people to the Savior, to let the world see the glory of God through us.
As a believer, are you productive for the Lord? Are you displaying through your life God's glory, his love, wisdom and grace? These are God's purposes for all whom he has saved.
EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF GRACE!
While I could simply end my message now since I have already presented what our lives were like before God saved us and what happened when God saved us, I would be doing a great injustice to our Scripture text because the text rightfully points out something of great importance – everything that has happened to us, everything that God had done to transform us is all because of his grace. If you look at our passage, the phrase, “it is by grace you have been saved” appears twice – in verses 5 and 8. We have often heard the definition of the word “grace” and it doesn't hurt that we be reminded again of what it means. The word “grace” in the New Testament means “unmerited favor”, in particular, the favor God bestows upon undeserving people. You see, none of us have anything good in us to merit God's salvation. In fact, we deserve God's judgment because of our sins. Yet, God chose to show grace to us by giving us a salvation we don't deserve and by removing the judgment and wrath that we so rightfully deserve. In verse 8, it records that even the ability to have faith in Jesus Christ is all a gift from God, a grace that he has bestowed. You see, left on our own, we would never believe in Jesus Christ. We would never repent of our sins. God had to give us the ability to do those things, that is why faith is even a gift from God.
CONCLUSION:
For all who are already followers of Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you with the following truths. Since we have already been saved and transformed, please live up to your new identity. Don't behave any longer like the world, like we belong to the devil. Instead, live with great confidence because God loves you very much such that he saved you, lavished you with his riches, and that you now belong to Him. Also, strive to live the holy life by doing good works that would honor God and show God's rich grace to others by proclaiming the Gospel and living the transformed life.
For those who have not yet believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, let me tell you right now, God is in the business of doing total makeovers in the broken lives of people. Maybe you're tired and you're feeling the unwanted burden of the sin-filled life; you want a new start where God is in control of your life. Would you like for God to come and change you? Would you like God to give you a new direction to aim and live for? God's amazing grace is available for you right now. I urge you, come to Him; repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Him to save you now and to be your master. When you do so, you will experience new life, God's peace, a bright future ahead and a meaningful, purposeful life. If anyone is interested in doing that, you can come up to me after the service or look for any of our pastors and church leaders to tell you more about how you can be saved.
In closing, I would like for us to watch a music video produced by a church in the United States that beautifully depicts how God's grace can change people, even the worse of sinners. The song is Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). Let's watch the video.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
CHOSEN - Preached June 05, 2011
CHOSEN!
Ephesians 1:3 – 6, 11
Introduction:
As kids, we often participate in team games or sports. Sometimes we invite ourselves to join in an ongoing game, at other times we have to be chosen to play for a team. I'm sure many of us can relate to the idea or concept of being chosen to play for a team or side. In fact, as kids, we would feel tense during the selection process because we want our names to be mentioned early on, as a sign that the one responsible for forming the team thinks that we are good players. If your name is mentioned near the end of the process of forming the team, you probably would feel inferior because you seemed like an afterthought, or just someone who would complete the roster of players. What is worse is if your name was never mentioned at all, meaning, the person in charge doesn't think you have it in you to be a player for his team, or he judges you to be a terrible player not worthy of a spot in your team. This is also true in professional basketball, especially during the time called the draft where teams are picking players. Some players just don't get chosen even though they may have excelled in college basketball.
I believe most, if not all, of us would like to be chosen to be part of something that we feel to be important or big. In fact, a sense of pride wells up when we have been chosen to be part of a sports team, or when we have been chosen by a premiere educational institution here in the Philippines or abroad, or when we are chosen to work for a prestigious multinational company. However, notice one thing from all these examples – you actually have to work on improving yourself if you want to strengthen your chances of being chosen. You see, you are in competition with many other people who wants the same spot on the team, or who wants to enter that great school, or to work for that big company. Your being chosen depends on whether or not you deserve the spot. This is how the world operates – if you want to be chosen, you have to prove beforehand that you are worthy to be part of the group or the team.
This morning, we launch our study on Paul's epistle to the Ephesian church. This morning, I will be looking into a section of Chapter 1, where Paul talks about God choosing us. Last April 17, Pastor Jay Banzuelo spoke already from verses 3 to 14, listing down the different blessings we have received from God. I want to narrow my focus to the subject about God choosing us. The idea of God choosing people to be saved is viewed as a blessing by some, and a controversial theme by others. I am not here to stir a hornet's nest regarding the thoughts of people like Calvin and Arminius, but to simply point out that, according to the Scriptures, God does choose people, and that it is a truth that needs to be accepted because it is in the Bible. I want for all of us to understand how God chose us, what he chose us for, and how we should live in light of the truth of his choosing us.
In our passage this morning, we find two words that talks of God choosing. The first word is the verb in the past tense – chose (v. 4). The second word is also in the past tense, the verb “predestined” (v. 5). Both words occur together in verse 11. In all instances where these two words occur, people are the objects of God's choice. God is the one who does the choosing. I would like for us to look at this first truth – it is God who chose.
God Chose Us First
The first truth about predestination or choosing or election is that it is God who chose first. It is never the other way around. What I mean is that it is God who initiated the process of salvation by choosing us to be saved. This is evident in how God, in the Old Testament, chose Abraham out of all the people in the world, to become the recipient of his grace and to become the channel of that grace to others. We also see this when God chose Israel to be the nation that he loves and protects. In the New Testament, we find the Lord Jesus telling his disciples right after some followers abandoned Him that no one can come to him unless it has been granted him by the Father (John 6:65). In 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul wrote that God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace. It is clear from these verses that salvation is very much God's work. He is the one who calls us to salvation. In 1 Peter 1:2, we are called the Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, for obedience to Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that the Scriptures talk about the election and predestination of people by God unto salvation. The emphasis I am driving at is this: God is the one who chooses us unto salvation. We cannot deny this truth. Now, how this truth really works out is actually something that we can never fully grasp, nor do we have the time to talk about it in detail this morning. I will leave it at that for now, but I would recommend that you read on the subject matter from good theology and Bible doctrine books.
Now, when God chose us to be saved, it was not something that he does as time goes on, as the situation unfolds. It is something that he has already done even before the world was created. In other words, God already had us in mind prior to his creating the earth. Our salvation was not an afterthought. He already planned for us to be saved.
One more thing about God choosing us, and that is, he chose us in spite of who we are and what we've done. When God chose Israel to be his people, it was not because they were the most populous nation (Deuteronomy 7:7 - 8). In fact Israel, compared to her neighboring countries, had a small population. Obviously, God was not choosing Israel because it was a strong and prosperous nation, because they were enslaved by Egypt. Instead, God chose Israel because he finds pleasure in her; he loved Israel. Likewise, when God chose us to be his people, it had nothing to do with the kind of person we are. He didn't go around choosing only the talented and gifted, the physically well-endowed, the financially capable, and the highly educated. In fact, if you look at the people whom God saves, it could be anyone, regardless of what their status in life may be. In 1 Corinthians 1:26 – 28, Paul described the people in the church this way: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. He then described them as being weak, foolish and lowly. Now, this doesn't mean that God doesn't save people who are rich, influential and noble, but what it shows us is that God does not play favorites. He can save someone who's rich and someone who's poor. He can save someone who comes from a good family and he can save someone who is sitting behind prison bars. He can save someone who has a degree from a prestigious school as well as someone who never finished elementary education.
God chose us, and its not the other way around. This is the first great truth that we learn about election and predestination.
God's Purposes for Choosing Us
We now look into the purposes as to why God chose us. Today's passage gives us some answers as to why God chose us. The most obvious purpose that I see in this passage is so that we might be holy and blameless before him. Let us look at the meaning of these two words. The word “holy” in the Greek is the word “Hagios”. Hagios in the New Testament carries the idea of being different. It means Christians, as God's chosen people, are to live differently than the rest of the world. The word also carries the idea of being separate, of belonging to no one else but to the Lord.
What are the implications of the two definitions of “holy” for us? It means God wants us to live each day with a perspective or worldview that is different from that of the world's because we belong to Him already. Because I belong to God through the salvation given by Christ, I should live a life that reflects that new ownership. I should no longer be following the ways of the world, I should no longer be doing that which my sinful nature dictates; what it means is that my behavior and thought must reflect my new nature. My mouth should no longer use words that are insulting and crude. My mind should not dwell on lustful and evil thoughts, but on God's Word and on things that are beautiful in God's eyes. My hands should no longer be quick to commit sin but should be used for serving God. What the sinful world teaches to be the norm, I must be the exception. If my classmate cheats in school, I will study hard and not cheat. If my colleagues in the office steal office property, I will not allow myself to do such a thing. If a motorist bribes a traffic enforcer, I will receive the ticket and pay the fine in the right government office. If my friends are all looking at websites that are impure, I will keep my eyes from looking at such things. Those are the implications of holiness. I will be different from the world because I don't belong to the world, I belong to God, to Jesus Christ.
The other word mentioned by Paul is the word “blameless.” The Greek word is “Amomos”. The word gives us the picture of the sacrificial system wherein an unblemished or perfect animal is brought before the altar to be sacrificed. If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you would know that every Israelites who wants to make a sacrifice must bring the very best to God. The best animal, the one that had no injury or defect whatsoever, was the only one acceptable as a sacrifice. Here, Paul is using the word to say we are to behave in such a way that no one can say anything wrong about us; no one will be able to find any reason to accuse us of being ungodly. While the word holy is about living a life dedicated to the Lord such that we are different from the world, blameless is all about living in such a way that people cannot validly criticize you regarding your faith in Jesus Christ. No one can ever accuse you of being a hypocrite or that you are disobedient to the Lord.
Now, it isn't easy to live a holy and blameless life. We can never perfectly live that kind of a life; however, I believe when we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, what happened was that we were made holy and blameless in the sight of God. The fact that the believers were already called saints (v. 1) meant that they were already holy and blameless. So, what God wants for us to do is to actually live out our identity, to be who we really are in Christ. A dog barks, not meows. A duck quacks, not honks. A saint must live out a holy and blameless life, not a sin-filled life.
Aside from choosing us in order that we may be holy and blameless, we were also predestined for adoption (v. 5). This means we have been chosen to become part of God's family. Along with this comes the inheritance (v. 11) that is now rightfully ours as heirs. Our adoption into his family is for one particular reason – it is for the praise of his glory. It is to elicit and praise and worship from our lips and our lives. When you think about it – that God would choose someone like you and I to become his children and to lavish them with his riches, wouldn't that move you to worship? It should! That is why we should constantly remind ourselves of how blessed we are as God's children! When we do so, I guarantee that we can stop complaining about the problems we face and the things we don't have and start worshiping and praising God.
God has chosen us so that we may live a holy and blameless life, and that we may bring glory to God. Are you living the kind of life that God wants for you to live out?
God's Choosing Includes His Blessing
Finally, when God chose us to be his children, it includes the lavishing of his blessings upon us. Check out what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3. Here Paul declared that God the Father has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (ESV). Take note of the word “every”. This word is used before a singular noun and it refers to all the individual members of a set. God's spiritual blessings are numerous and they are all ours in Christ Jesus. Look at all the blessings listed in Ephesians 1: adoption, redemption, forgiveness, the revelation of His will, union with God in Christ, a glorious inheritance, the Holy Spirit. These are all ours because we are God's chosen people. In 2 Peter 1:3, we read also that God's divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Wow. God's blessings upon his people encompasses everything – our salvation and our sanctification. He has given us everything we need to save us and to help us live a holy life.
In light of this truth – that when God chose us to be his people, he also blessed us with everything we need – we do not need to feel inadequate. That is why Paul could boldly say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” He knew that God, through Christ, has already given him everything he needed to live the Christian life victoriously and to serve God faithfully. It's time that we who have already been chosen and saved by the grace of God to stop saying, “I can't do it” or “I don't know how” when God is calling us to serve Him; it's time to stop compromising your faith and give in to sin. God has already given us every spiritual blessing that is needed by us to live a victorious life; remember that.
An important thing to note is that the blessings are spiritual. It is called spiritual blessings because God bestows his blessings to us through the blessed Holy Spirit who comes and resides in us. What you receive here on earth, namely the material blessings, are just the bonuses that God showers upon you. While we all need material things to survive here on earth, remember that what is most important is that the spiritual resources we need is freely available and is ours already in Christ. Therefore, don't focus too much of your life pursuing the things of this world but make the Kingdom of God your highest priority in life. Live in obedience to him, love him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
Conclusion:
This morning we've examined what it means when God chose us. We learned that God chose us first, and he chose us even before the world was created. We also learned that he chose us in order for us to become holy and blameless in Him, as well as for us to bring glory and honor to Him. Finally, when God chose us, he blessed us with everything we needed for salvation and godliness.
The point in talking about the subject of God choosing us is not meant to be fuel for theological debate. Instead, as we reflect on the subject, let it drive us to worship God. Jesus Christ has already secured our salvation since ages past, let us give glory to Him by how we will spend the rest of our lives here on earth.
Ephesians 1:3 – 6, 11
Introduction:
As kids, we often participate in team games or sports. Sometimes we invite ourselves to join in an ongoing game, at other times we have to be chosen to play for a team. I'm sure many of us can relate to the idea or concept of being chosen to play for a team or side. In fact, as kids, we would feel tense during the selection process because we want our names to be mentioned early on, as a sign that the one responsible for forming the team thinks that we are good players. If your name is mentioned near the end of the process of forming the team, you probably would feel inferior because you seemed like an afterthought, or just someone who would complete the roster of players. What is worse is if your name was never mentioned at all, meaning, the person in charge doesn't think you have it in you to be a player for his team, or he judges you to be a terrible player not worthy of a spot in your team. This is also true in professional basketball, especially during the time called the draft where teams are picking players. Some players just don't get chosen even though they may have excelled in college basketball.
I believe most, if not all, of us would like to be chosen to be part of something that we feel to be important or big. In fact, a sense of pride wells up when we have been chosen to be part of a sports team, or when we have been chosen by a premiere educational institution here in the Philippines or abroad, or when we are chosen to work for a prestigious multinational company. However, notice one thing from all these examples – you actually have to work on improving yourself if you want to strengthen your chances of being chosen. You see, you are in competition with many other people who wants the same spot on the team, or who wants to enter that great school, or to work for that big company. Your being chosen depends on whether or not you deserve the spot. This is how the world operates – if you want to be chosen, you have to prove beforehand that you are worthy to be part of the group or the team.
This morning, we launch our study on Paul's epistle to the Ephesian church. This morning, I will be looking into a section of Chapter 1, where Paul talks about God choosing us. Last April 17, Pastor Jay Banzuelo spoke already from verses 3 to 14, listing down the different blessings we have received from God. I want to narrow my focus to the subject about God choosing us. The idea of God choosing people to be saved is viewed as a blessing by some, and a controversial theme by others. I am not here to stir a hornet's nest regarding the thoughts of people like Calvin and Arminius, but to simply point out that, according to the Scriptures, God does choose people, and that it is a truth that needs to be accepted because it is in the Bible. I want for all of us to understand how God chose us, what he chose us for, and how we should live in light of the truth of his choosing us.
In our passage this morning, we find two words that talks of God choosing. The first word is the verb in the past tense – chose (v. 4). The second word is also in the past tense, the verb “predestined” (v. 5). Both words occur together in verse 11. In all instances where these two words occur, people are the objects of God's choice. God is the one who does the choosing. I would like for us to look at this first truth – it is God who chose.
God Chose Us First
The first truth about predestination or choosing or election is that it is God who chose first. It is never the other way around. What I mean is that it is God who initiated the process of salvation by choosing us to be saved. This is evident in how God, in the Old Testament, chose Abraham out of all the people in the world, to become the recipient of his grace and to become the channel of that grace to others. We also see this when God chose Israel to be the nation that he loves and protects. In the New Testament, we find the Lord Jesus telling his disciples right after some followers abandoned Him that no one can come to him unless it has been granted him by the Father (John 6:65). In 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul wrote that God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace. It is clear from these verses that salvation is very much God's work. He is the one who calls us to salvation. In 1 Peter 1:2, we are called the Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, for obedience to Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that the Scriptures talk about the election and predestination of people by God unto salvation. The emphasis I am driving at is this: God is the one who chooses us unto salvation. We cannot deny this truth. Now, how this truth really works out is actually something that we can never fully grasp, nor do we have the time to talk about it in detail this morning. I will leave it at that for now, but I would recommend that you read on the subject matter from good theology and Bible doctrine books.
Now, when God chose us to be saved, it was not something that he does as time goes on, as the situation unfolds. It is something that he has already done even before the world was created. In other words, God already had us in mind prior to his creating the earth. Our salvation was not an afterthought. He already planned for us to be saved.
One more thing about God choosing us, and that is, he chose us in spite of who we are and what we've done. When God chose Israel to be his people, it was not because they were the most populous nation (Deuteronomy 7:7 - 8). In fact Israel, compared to her neighboring countries, had a small population. Obviously, God was not choosing Israel because it was a strong and prosperous nation, because they were enslaved by Egypt. Instead, God chose Israel because he finds pleasure in her; he loved Israel. Likewise, when God chose us to be his people, it had nothing to do with the kind of person we are. He didn't go around choosing only the talented and gifted, the physically well-endowed, the financially capable, and the highly educated. In fact, if you look at the people whom God saves, it could be anyone, regardless of what their status in life may be. In 1 Corinthians 1:26 – 28, Paul described the people in the church this way: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. He then described them as being weak, foolish and lowly. Now, this doesn't mean that God doesn't save people who are rich, influential and noble, but what it shows us is that God does not play favorites. He can save someone who's rich and someone who's poor. He can save someone who comes from a good family and he can save someone who is sitting behind prison bars. He can save someone who has a degree from a prestigious school as well as someone who never finished elementary education.
God chose us, and its not the other way around. This is the first great truth that we learn about election and predestination.
God's Purposes for Choosing Us
We now look into the purposes as to why God chose us. Today's passage gives us some answers as to why God chose us. The most obvious purpose that I see in this passage is so that we might be holy and blameless before him. Let us look at the meaning of these two words. The word “holy” in the Greek is the word “Hagios”. Hagios in the New Testament carries the idea of being different. It means Christians, as God's chosen people, are to live differently than the rest of the world. The word also carries the idea of being separate, of belonging to no one else but to the Lord.
What are the implications of the two definitions of “holy” for us? It means God wants us to live each day with a perspective or worldview that is different from that of the world's because we belong to Him already. Because I belong to God through the salvation given by Christ, I should live a life that reflects that new ownership. I should no longer be following the ways of the world, I should no longer be doing that which my sinful nature dictates; what it means is that my behavior and thought must reflect my new nature. My mouth should no longer use words that are insulting and crude. My mind should not dwell on lustful and evil thoughts, but on God's Word and on things that are beautiful in God's eyes. My hands should no longer be quick to commit sin but should be used for serving God. What the sinful world teaches to be the norm, I must be the exception. If my classmate cheats in school, I will study hard and not cheat. If my colleagues in the office steal office property, I will not allow myself to do such a thing. If a motorist bribes a traffic enforcer, I will receive the ticket and pay the fine in the right government office. If my friends are all looking at websites that are impure, I will keep my eyes from looking at such things. Those are the implications of holiness. I will be different from the world because I don't belong to the world, I belong to God, to Jesus Christ.
The other word mentioned by Paul is the word “blameless.” The Greek word is “Amomos”. The word gives us the picture of the sacrificial system wherein an unblemished or perfect animal is brought before the altar to be sacrificed. If you are familiar with the Old Testament, you would know that every Israelites who wants to make a sacrifice must bring the very best to God. The best animal, the one that had no injury or defect whatsoever, was the only one acceptable as a sacrifice. Here, Paul is using the word to say we are to behave in such a way that no one can say anything wrong about us; no one will be able to find any reason to accuse us of being ungodly. While the word holy is about living a life dedicated to the Lord such that we are different from the world, blameless is all about living in such a way that people cannot validly criticize you regarding your faith in Jesus Christ. No one can ever accuse you of being a hypocrite or that you are disobedient to the Lord.
Now, it isn't easy to live a holy and blameless life. We can never perfectly live that kind of a life; however, I believe when we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, what happened was that we were made holy and blameless in the sight of God. The fact that the believers were already called saints (v. 1) meant that they were already holy and blameless. So, what God wants for us to do is to actually live out our identity, to be who we really are in Christ. A dog barks, not meows. A duck quacks, not honks. A saint must live out a holy and blameless life, not a sin-filled life.
Aside from choosing us in order that we may be holy and blameless, we were also predestined for adoption (v. 5). This means we have been chosen to become part of God's family. Along with this comes the inheritance (v. 11) that is now rightfully ours as heirs. Our adoption into his family is for one particular reason – it is for the praise of his glory. It is to elicit and praise and worship from our lips and our lives. When you think about it – that God would choose someone like you and I to become his children and to lavish them with his riches, wouldn't that move you to worship? It should! That is why we should constantly remind ourselves of how blessed we are as God's children! When we do so, I guarantee that we can stop complaining about the problems we face and the things we don't have and start worshiping and praising God.
God has chosen us so that we may live a holy and blameless life, and that we may bring glory to God. Are you living the kind of life that God wants for you to live out?
God's Choosing Includes His Blessing
Finally, when God chose us to be his children, it includes the lavishing of his blessings upon us. Check out what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3. Here Paul declared that God the Father has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (ESV). Take note of the word “every”. This word is used before a singular noun and it refers to all the individual members of a set. God's spiritual blessings are numerous and they are all ours in Christ Jesus. Look at all the blessings listed in Ephesians 1: adoption, redemption, forgiveness, the revelation of His will, union with God in Christ, a glorious inheritance, the Holy Spirit. These are all ours because we are God's chosen people. In 2 Peter 1:3, we read also that God's divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Wow. God's blessings upon his people encompasses everything – our salvation and our sanctification. He has given us everything we need to save us and to help us live a holy life.
In light of this truth – that when God chose us to be his people, he also blessed us with everything we need – we do not need to feel inadequate. That is why Paul could boldly say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” He knew that God, through Christ, has already given him everything he needed to live the Christian life victoriously and to serve God faithfully. It's time that we who have already been chosen and saved by the grace of God to stop saying, “I can't do it” or “I don't know how” when God is calling us to serve Him; it's time to stop compromising your faith and give in to sin. God has already given us every spiritual blessing that is needed by us to live a victorious life; remember that.
An important thing to note is that the blessings are spiritual. It is called spiritual blessings because God bestows his blessings to us through the blessed Holy Spirit who comes and resides in us. What you receive here on earth, namely the material blessings, are just the bonuses that God showers upon you. While we all need material things to survive here on earth, remember that what is most important is that the spiritual resources we need is freely available and is ours already in Christ. Therefore, don't focus too much of your life pursuing the things of this world but make the Kingdom of God your highest priority in life. Live in obedience to him, love him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
Conclusion:
This morning we've examined what it means when God chose us. We learned that God chose us first, and he chose us even before the world was created. We also learned that he chose us in order for us to become holy and blameless in Him, as well as for us to bring glory and honor to Him. Finally, when God chose us, he blessed us with everything we needed for salvation and godliness.
The point in talking about the subject of God choosing us is not meant to be fuel for theological debate. Instead, as we reflect on the subject, let it drive us to worship God. Jesus Christ has already secured our salvation since ages past, let us give glory to Him by how we will spend the rest of our lives here on earth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)