Ephesians 1:1‭-‬6 Chosen

...Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

The word of Lord came to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you.” [Jeremiah 1:5 NASB]

Like Jeremiah, we have been chosen before the foundation of the world. Before you were formed in your mother's womb, God knew you. And He chose you to be holy and blameless before Him.

God not only chooses us to be holy, He makes us holy. When you confess Jesus as your Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, God forgives all of your sins and gives you His Holy Spirit to live within you. You become the temple of God, filled with His Spirit. That makes you holy.

You have been predestined. Please don't stumble over the word "predestined". Theological debates have raged for centuries over the question of predestination vs. free will, and have splintered the church.

We are told, "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." [Titus 3:9 NASB]

I think of it this way. God has chosen (predestined) us to walk a certain path. We may choose to follow that path, or we may choose not to follow that path in defiance of God.

However you look at it, let's get past the theological stumbling blocks, and see the important part of the verse; that God has chosen us to be adopted as His children.

You may ask, "How do I know that I have been chosen?" Jesus said, "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 NASB] If God wasn't drawing you to Himself you would have no desire to know Him, nor would you seek Him. The fact that you want to seek God means that He has drawn you, and has chosen you.

Why would God choose you to be his child? Out of the kindness of His heart, because He loves you. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

If you are feeling drawn to God, and have never before committed your life to Him, then please make this your prayer.

Father, I confess that I am a sinner, and ask your forgiveness. I confess that Jesus is my Lord, and I believe that You have raised Him from the dead, and that He is with you now in Heaven.

We are told, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." [Romans 10:9-10 NASB]

If you sincerely prayed along with that prayer, then you have been saved. You are a child of God. And you are a temple of His Holy Spirit.