Ephesians: The Doctrine of Divine Choice - Are You Offended at God's Choice?

Ephesians 1:1-5 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

Ephesians is a letter of blessings, the blessings are for the steadfast and faithful, they are spiritual or heavenly blessings, they are from God the Father through Jesus Christ.  Now we come to the question, why do the blessings come to us?  Why?   V4 tells us why.. this is a study on the first half of V4, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world"   This verse teaches a doctrine that is taught in many other verses of the bible, but this verses teaches a doctrine that many people do not like.  The doctrine of divine choice, or God's choice.  Humans fear those words, they feel uncomfortable and uneasy.. if the subject was the doctrine of human choice, people would be at ease and comfortable, but that God should have a choice, humans don't like that.  It makes us feel uncomfortable, that we are not in control.  There is no other doctrine that is more offensive to human choice than this doctrine that this verse teaches.

We are all born with a nature that automatically believes in free will.. we all automatically believe in human choice.  If we can't decide our choices, than that is not fair.  We are born thinking that we as humans have the right to control our destiny.  Well, no we don't.  God has the right.  He is the creator and we are his creation.  It was God's choice that the sky would look blue, it was God's choice that grass and leaves would look green. He did not ask for our opinion.  Because he made it, he has the choice to decide, not us.  Because he is the Creator, he has divine choice.  Unconditional election, predestination.  God chooses people to be saved according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.

Why are Christians Still on this Earth?

Believer, do you ever wonder why you are still in this world of woe?  Do you have a strong desire to be "absent from the body and present with the Lord"?   Here is the answer from Spurgeon.
 

We live unto the Lord.

Romans 14:8 "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a man to be taken to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light, though he has but just believed in Jesus. It is true that our sanctification is a long and continued process, and we shall not be perfected till we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil; but nevertheless, had the Lord so willed it, He might have changed us from imperfection to perfection, and have taken us to heaven at once. Why then are we here? Would God keep His children out of paradise a single moment longer than was necessary? Why is the army of the living God still on the battle-field when one charge might give them the victory? Why are His children still wandering hither and thither through a maze, when a solitary word from His lips would bring them into the centre of their hopes in heaven? The answer is-they are here that they may "live unto the Lord," and may bring others to know His love. We remain on earth as sowers to scatter good seed; as ploughmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds publishing salvation. We are here as the "salt of the earth," to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are here as workers for Him, and as "workers together with Him." Let us see that our life answereth its end. Let us live earnest, useful, holy lives, to "the praise of the glory of His grace

What is the Gospel?

Yesterday came another reminder of the brevity of life, I heard of two deaths.  Therefore I am compelled to post this very important topic called What is the Gospel? and I pray that you will read it in its entirety

What is the Gospel - 15 points

Romans 1:14-18 “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise.  So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”

All your knowledge is divided into 3 categories:  1, things that are not important, 2 things that are important, 3 things that are absolutely essential.  You can live a happy life without knowing certain things.  Some things are interesting, some are useful, but they are not important that they are something  you must know.  Other things are very important that we may understanding, example: how to drive a car according to the rules of the road, how to use a chain saw's safety rules, electrical safety.. if you live a life without knowing important things, you might live a short life.

The gospel is absolutely essential not only for well being, but essential for your everlasting welfare.  If you are ignorant of the gospel for your whole life, you will be suffering the consequences one million years from now.  But if you understand the gospel but accept it and receive it and believe it, you will be receiving the benefits of the knowledge of the gospel in a million years time.

The gospel is the most important subject.  This is the knowledge that we most need..  this knowledge of the gospel is very lacking.  Not all of the gospel is preached, just the part about believing and you are forgiven.  What is the real gospel?  the biblical gospel.  You must know this because if we do not know the real gospel, how are we going to witness it to others?

Looking Unto Jesus

Looking Unto Jesus

Do you ever have this thought come into your mind - "You are not REALLY saved" or do you ever do something that you know you should not do, but you give in to the flesh and speak a word, or do an action that you know grieves the Spirit within?  Do you ever, at that time, feel very away from our heavenly Father?

Brother or sister, those are attacks of the evil one..the one who tempts you where he knows you are weakest.. the one who urges you to not be an overcomer, but to give in to his temptation.

  Looking Unto Jesus - from Morning Devotions by C.H. Spurgeon

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within.

But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that "Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by "looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.

(added)

Hebrews 1-2 "........let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

C.H. Spurgeon: Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats

The devotion below by C.H. Spurgeon was written many years ago.  In this day of more and more compromising in the churches it is more important than ever.

FEEDING SHEEP OR AMUSING GOATS?

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence that even the most short-sighted can hardly fail to notice it.  During the past few years it has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil.  It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments.  The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with the view to winning them.  From speaking out as the Puritans did, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day.  Then she tolerated them in her borders; and now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church.  If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it?  "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature".  That is clear enough!  So it would have been if He had added "...and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel."  No such words, however, are to be found.  It did not occur to Him?  Then again "He gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, for the work of the ministry."  Where do the entertainers come in?  The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them.  Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people, or because they refused? The 'concert' has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles.  What was the attitude of the Church to the world? "Ye are the salt"...not sugar candy, something the world will spit out, not swallow.  Short and sharp was the utterance "Let the dead bury their dead" ...He was in awful earnestness!

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His mission, would He have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching?  I do not hear Him say "Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching.  We will have a pleasant evening for the people.  Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it...Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!"

Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.  In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of the gospel amusement.  Their message is "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!"  Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence.

They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.  After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray ..."Lord, grant unto Thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are".  If they ceased not for preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments.  Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel.  They "turned the world upside down."  That is the only difference!  Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed upon her and brinig us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired.  It works havoc among young converts.  Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the Church met them halfway, speak and testify.  Let the heavy laden, who found peace through the 'concert', not keep silent!  Let the drunkard, to whom the dramatic entertainment had been God's link in the chain of their conversion, stand up!  There are none to answer.

The mission of amusement produces no converts.  The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other, a fruit from the root.  The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt that it sets men on fire.