EPHESIANS 1: 3-14 PENTECOST 8
REV. CHARLES DEGNER JULY 14, 1991
Today, our text teaches us the doctrine of election, namely, that God chose us to be his own even before the world was created. Election is one of the most misunderstood doctrines of the Bible. God revealed this teaching to us to make us even more sure of salvation, so that we could trust in his grace to save us from beginning to end. Yet, I’ve found that when I teach the doctrine of election, people sometimes are LESS sure of their salvation. With a worried look on their faces, they will often ask, "But how can I be sure that God chose ME?"
Why are people confused by the doctrine of election? Because we tend to look at how we go about "choosing" and think that God chose us in the same way. This week, Linda and I celebrated our anniversary. Why did I marry her? I can tell you it had nothing to do with grace. I married her because I selected her out of all the girls I dated to be by my side for a lifetime. I selected her because I liked the way she looked, the way she talked, the way she felt about life. I liked what was in her heart towards God. So I said to myself, "Charlie, this is a real catch. Don’t let this one get away." In other words, in my mind I selected her because she had all the qualifications of being a good wife for me. Isn’t that the way people "choose?" Kirby Pucket was chosen to be an all-star because he’s a good ball player. You pick a puppy out of a litter of puppies because this one little mutt was just so cute. In other words, we choose those whom we feel deserve to be chosen.
Friends, if you try to understand God’s election by the standards of human selection, you will to run into all kinds of problems and miss out on the real comfort and hope this doctrine gives us. God didn’t choose us because we were the pick of the litter. He didn’t choose us because he knew we could do a better job than others on his heavenly evangelism team. He didn’t choose us because we were a real "catch" for his kingdom. God chose us to be his own because ... well, just because! There was no reason. And that’s what grace is all about. God chose to love us even though we never deserved to be chosen! Our text shows us what this comforting doctrine of the Bible is all about. We are...
ELECTED, NOT SELECTED
I. GOD CHOSE US BY HIS GRACE
When did God choose us? "PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED US IN THE HEAVENLY REALM WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST. FOR HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS IN HIS SIGHT." Before the creation of the world, God chose us. That’s important. God chose us before there could be any reason for his choosing. There could be no merit involved in his election. It was not a selection process, where God chose the best and the brightest to be his people. It was an election. God simply chose us, as Paul says, "IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS PLEASURE AND WILL, TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE" and again later, "IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE."
Do you understand the comfort that gives us? All our lives, we are subject to the painful process of human selection. We are constantly being measured and chosen to be worthy or unworthy according to fickle, human standards. The coach chooses only the top players to make the team. Little Sally Somebody chooses who gets to be her friend for the week. Some are chosen to make the honor role. Others are not, even though they may be just 1/10 of a grade point less than the person who did. Young girls wait to be selected by some awkward young man and asked out on a date - only to find out he decided Sally Somebody was prettier. The human selection process can be cruel and painful.
Can you imagine if God had used this "selection-by-merit" process that people use? What if he lined us all up against the wall and compared us against each other, trying to decided which one of us should get the nod to be children of his kingdom? Which of us would ever imagine that we could be fit for the kingdom of God? Who could be confident that God had indeed chosen him or her, when we can always find someone who has lived the Christian life just a little better than we have?
Friends, God chose you before the world was created, not by merit, but by grace. He chose to love you just because you are. Not because of what you would someday accomplish. Not because your potential was greater than another’s. Not because you were among the brightest and best of all the world had to offer. God chose to love you and adopt you into his family because of his grace and for no other reason than that. Only please note one little phrase that is so important in understanding God’s election - the words, "IN CHRIST."
II. GOD ACCEPTED US IN CHRIST
After my last year in college, I worked in Glacier Park for two summers. I had a friend from California named Pete who was just a slight improvement on being an agnostic. One day we were hiking and looking at one of those beautiful snow-capped mountains, with a turquoise blue lake nestled at its feet. He turned to me and said, "You know, when I see this, I can’t help believing that there must be a god!" I said, "That’s great, Pete, but how do you stand with the God who created all this?" He said, "Well, I figure that anyone who made such a beautiful world must be a good God and will accept me just the way I am."
Pete was close - but not close enough. Should God accept me just the way I am? Should God accept me with my dirty mind that is constantly imagining all sorts of evil? Should God want me in his family when I have defiled hands and unclean lips? You and I have sinned against God in so many ways we can’t even begin to count them! Why should God choose someone like us to spend eternity with him in heaven?
Because, dear friends, we are acceptable to God "in Christ." Listen to Paul’s words again. "FOR HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS IN HIS SIGHT. IN LOVE HE PREDESTINED US TO BE HIS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST... IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.." Pete was wrong. God doesn’t just accept us the way we are. God accepts us in Christ. We are acceptable to him because Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins. We are acceptable because we have Jesus’ blood and righteousness, which makes us holy and blameless in his sight.
Perhaps that explains why people sometimes have a problem with the doctrine of election. In our minds, we can easily separate the doctrine of election from the doctrine of salvation. But God didn’t choose us because of who we are or what we would be. He chose us in view of what Christ did for us. So if you want to be sure of your election, if we want to know how God could have chosen you, go back to the cross. Because if you understand how God could accept you in Christ, then God’s choosing you from eternity isn’t going to be hard to believe.
That brings us to the final point Paul makes in our text about our election. Not only is the doctrine of election connected with the cross and our salvation, it is also connected with the work of the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
III. HE CALLED US BY THE GOSPEL
Perhaps it’s best to look at the doctrine of election as part of God’s comprehensive - and I mean COMPREHENSIVE - plan to save us. Because the better we understand that our salvation depends on God’s planning and his ability to carry out his plan, the more sure we will be of getting to heaven. First, God CHOSE me from eternity and PREDESTINED me to be one of his children. In order to fulfill that plan, God had to make salvation possible. So 2000 years ago, in the most detailed and carefully worked out plan that has ever been devised, God sent his Son into the world to become our Savior, to suffer and to die for our sins. But in order to save ME, God’s plan had to include a personalized plan of salvation that would bring me to faith in Jesus. That’s what Paul is talking about in our text to the Ephesians (and to us!) in vv 11-13: "IN HIM WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN, HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF HIM WHO WORKS OUT EVERYTHING IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, IN ORDER THAT WE, WHO WERE THE FIRST TO HOPE IN CHRIST, MIGHT BE FOR THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY. AND YOU ALSO WERE INCLUDED IN CHRIST WHEN YOU HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION."
And how can you be sure that God has also called you? Paul writes, "HAVING BELIEVED, YOU WERE MARKED IN HIM WITH A SEAL, THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS A DEPOSIT GUARANTEEING OUR INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THOSE WHO ARE GOD’S POSSESSION." There is a beautiful picture here. If you believe Jesus died for your sins, you’ve been marked with a seal because the Holy Spirit is in your hearts. In ancient times, people would use a special ring or cylinder which contained their official stamp or seal to mark something as their possession. If I put my seal on something, that was like saying "hands off!" and telling people to leave my property alone. Friends, God called you by the gospel. The Holy Spirit has entered your hearts. And God has marked you with his seal. You’ve been stamped as being one of God’s special people.
God has put his Spirit into our hearts and put his seal on us, too. That seal marks us as God’s possession. It says, "Hands off!" to the devil, who would love to claim us for his kingdom. It says "Hands off!" to the world which is ever trying to destroy our faith. We can be sure of heaven someday because we know that God will also carry out his plan for you and me in order to save us for heaven.
Look at it this way. Let’s say that I am a master watch-maker and that I want to honor someone by making them an exquisite watch. First, I decide WHO I want to honor with this gift. Then I painstakingly make the watch, making sure that every detail is perfect. Finally, I decide on exactly how and when I am going to present this gift to that person. That’s what God has done for us. First he chose us from before the creation of the world. Next, he made salvation possible by working out the details of the plan through Christ. Finally, he presented this gift of salvation to us personally when we heard the gospel and the Holy Spirit worked faith in our hearts.
Friends, if we understand the doctrine of election as embracing the entire process from the moment God chose us to the moment we will be with him in heaven - and not just a selection process, can there be any doubt about our salvation? NO! And that’s why God has revealed his election to us. He wanted us to be sure of our salvation. Amen.
