“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 to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace.” Ephesians 1:4-6
The fulness of the blessing of the Spirit is threefold: the Father chose, foreordained, and graced us. He chose us for holiness, foreordained us for sonship, and graced us for glory. This foundational truth points us to the depths of God’s sovereign work.
The choice of God is rooted in His initiative and not our merit. It is not we who chose Him, but He who chose us. John 15:16 reminds us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.” Tracing our origin, we find that His eternal purpose preceded the creation of the world. What God does for us in time originates in a plan cherished in eternity past. This truth gives us boldness to affirm with joy, as Paul does, “He chose us.”
God’s purpose in choosing us is not merely for our own benefit but to make us a blessing. To those He chooses, He says, “Be thou a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). We are called to be leaders in the regeneration of the world, the firstfruits of salvation, and the beginning of His strength (James 1:18). God has chosen us as elder-born children among many sons and daughters destined for glory, for He is bringing many to share in His splendour (Hebrews 2:10). As recipients of His grace, we are also His instruments for the renewal of all things.
God’s choice of us is intimately connected to Christ. We were chosen in Him, for in Him all things were created (Colossians 1:16). Christ is the “Image of the invisible God” and the “Firstborn of all creation.” Humanity, created in God’s image, belongs to Christ in the deepest sense. Our destiny is to attain conformity to the image of His Son, as Romans 8:29 reveals: “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.”
The Incarnation of Christ was no afterthought or mere remedy for sin. It was part of God’s eternal plan. Before the foundation of the world, the Father beheld us in Christ and Christ in us. As 2 Timothy 1:9-10 states, “He 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, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus.” This eternal purpose, revealed through Christ, is the foundation of man’s glory in Him.
Man’s creation in the image of God is a visible expression of an invisible reality too glorious for human comprehension. It points to Christ, in whom we will one day see the fullness of this glory. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
In Christ, the Father chose us to be holy and blameless before Him in love. This holiness, as Hebrews 12:10 teaches, makes us partakers of His nature: “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” Holiness in Scripture is inseparable from love. God’s sanctifying work in His people draws others to Him, for His love is made manifest through holiness. The burning bush, where God revealed His presence, was called “holy ground” because it was the site of redeeming love (Exodus 3:5). This intertwining of love and holiness reaches its pinnacle in Christ, who said, “For their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:19). Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her to make her holy (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Holiness and love cannot exist apart from one another. A person who considers themselves holy but lacks love is deceived, as holiness is the very atmosphere of love. Likewise, one who claims to be loving but lacks holiness does not truly love, for love is perfected in purity. As 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches, love without holiness is empty, and holiness without love is incomplete.
When God chose us in Christ, He foreordained us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. This adoption introduces us into the eternal home of love, where we are made members of His family. Galatians 4:6-7 captures this profound truth: “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Through this calling, God reveals His nature as love. He calls us to reflect that love in holiness, fulfilling His eternal purpose in us. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). This truth is indeed worthy of bold proclamation and joyful reflection.
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk