“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 for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:4-6, NIV).
The above passage, written by the Apostle Paul, was meant to provide comfort and a strong sense of spiritual security to the young Church in Ephesus. It is meant to do the same for us today. Paul states that we were chosen, even before the world began, to be righteous in the sight of God. This is certainly a righteousness not of own making but rather a gift of God’s grace expressed through the cross of Jesus. Paul further states that we are adopted as sons and daughters, members of God’s holy family.
In Part 1 of my look at predestination, I examined the doctrine of double predestination, the idea that God has chosen some individuals to be saved and others to be condemned. I argued that this is a false doctrine and damaging to the faith of salvation-concerned Christians. Still, I don’t want to dismiss one view of predestination without providing an alternative way of thinking about this topic. So, following is my attempt at providing an analogy that will hopefully help us think about this difficult doctrine.
Picture a younger version of yourself on a school playground. One of the older kids is choosing participants for his team. You hear the names of your friends being called and you wonder if you will be chosen to play. Soon, your anxiety is relieved as you hear your name announced. You have been chosen, and to your surprise, so has everyone else. Now it’s up to you. Will you participate?
In my next post, we’ll break down this simple analogy. In the meantime, know that you are in fact chosen by God. Until next time, live in God’s grace and peace as a true child of the King.
Chuck Kralik, Author 