God Has Chosen You!

Mea e 'ai e tatau ma le aso
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"  (Ephesians 1:4)

Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us, to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us.  How wonderful to know, you have been chosen.   Whether it is sand lot football or the academy awards, we all want to be chosen.   In life when one is chosen, others are excluded.

But with God, all are chosen, none are excluded.  The Lord … is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). "...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

There is no doubt that God wants us even though we are unworthy.  You were chosen before God made the world.  Before God made the world means that He was thinking about us—planning for us.  He created the world for us to have dominion over all things.

Knowing what we would do, He planned ahead for our redemption.  God paid a big price to let us be free to think and choose of our own free will.  Most of us would probably have created robots that we could control and do as we say.  God controls the universe but gives man his freedom to choose.

Psalm 139.  "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex." It is amazing to think about (verse 13).  "You saw me before I was born (v16).  "How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly (v17).

God made man to have fellowship with Him, but man focused on what is in it for himself and broke the fellowship.  Think of what God had in mind before He created us and His world. Compare that with what we have in mind for the world and ourselves. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

We are His chosen ones.  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

“So dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then you will never stumble or fall away”
(2 Peter 1:10).

Ia manuia,

failauga p. anoa'i