He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Ephesians 1.4
This incredible verse ‘means that the Father chose Christians in the Son (Christ), and this took place in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. This indicates that for all eternity the Father has had the role of leading and directing among the persons of the Trinity, even though Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equal in deity and attributes. God’s initiative in redeeming the believer from sin and death was not an arbitrary or whimsical decision but something that God had planned all along “in Christ” ‘(ESV Study Bible Notes)
Here we are reminded of the absolute sovereignty of God in all things in heaven and on earth and such a truth should encourage and nerve us to face all that the world throws at us seeing that it is in the hands of the holy, perfect and all righteous God.
However, at the same time, this truth will also confront us with hard questions such as ‘If God has all those attributes and more, why does he allow………?’ Here we simply have to rest in the truth, acknowledging that God knows the end from the beginning – which is something which we cannot know except as he reveals it to us. So there will be many times when our faith is tested.
But when this happens we need to focus on the other strand of truth in this verse, namely that as believers he has chosen us to be holy and blameless before him. And it is more amazing still in that that choosing took place way back in eternity past, before the foundation of the world.
Believer you are very, very special! You are not a believer by chance. You were sovereignly chosen in the courts of heaven before time began. So pray the words from an old and great hymn:
‘When doubts and fears arise, teach me thy way.’
By coming to the Word of God in which he has revealed his way the questions will not vanish but we may know that ‘God is Sovereign’ and that ‘We are chosen’.
Alleluia! What a Saviour!