05-26-2019 – Chosen in Christ

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5.26.19 ~ Ephesians 1:3-6,

Chosen in Christ...

Read Ephesians 1:3-6... Two major camps in reference
to God's sovereignty vs. man's free will [predestination].
Those who reject Christ will not be saved; those who receive Him will be saved, as God has determined (see John 3:16, 18, 36; 6:44, 65; 14:6; 15:16).
God is sovereign, and He rewards those who seek Him (cf Hebrews 11:6), i.e., those who repent and believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
God determined, before creation, to have a people of His very own (see 1Peter 2:9-12), and that they would become His adopted children, by faith, in Christ, through whom we have (Ephesians 1:3) been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenliness (see John 1:12-13; 3:6-8; 1John 3:1-2).
God “chose us,” (Ephesians 1:4) from all the people in the world, as One selecting a small number out of a larger number, for a specific purpose.
God predestined (Ephesians 1:5) Old Testament saints, New Testament Christians, those who live during the Tribulation period, and those born in the Millennial Kingdom, all who believe in Him, to be His children.
To "predestine" is "to mark out ahead of time," “to predetermine or foreknow,” those belonging to God.
Notice (Ephesians 1:4-6), it God’s sovereign will (He, Him and His are used), to enact His plan, intent, purpose.
Romans 8:30, “These whom He [God] predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
God saves us, so we can bring honor and glory to Him.
Before Adam and Eve were created, before of sin, God determined to choose, a people He would call His very own, who would be recipients of God's eternal love, through Christ (see John 1:12-13; 1Peter 2:9-10).
Has God also predestined a people to remain lost and separated from the love of God through Jesus Christ? No!
The Scriptures declare (1Timothy 2:3-4), that "God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"; also (2Peter 3:9) that, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
Scripture never implies that God has predetermined a people to go to Hell without cause; but it does teach that (Ephesians 1:5), “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,” so we will (Ephesians 1:6) by His grace, bring praise and glory to Him, through His Beloved Son.”
God is a loving, merciful, gracious God; but He is also a just, holy and righteous God who must judge sin.
God predetermined that we would receive adoption into His family because we believe and received Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again.
John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
God is sovereign in salvation. Every person will be judged for eternity according to what they did or didn't do with Jesus Christ -- either receiving or rejecting Him.
1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Pastor Mike °°° >’(((>’(((><