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CHOSEN CHILDREN?

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DOES GOD CHOOSE HIS CHILDREN?

There is much scripture that says that God not only chose you to be his child but did so long before you were born as He did with Jesus Christ. We learn God chose us BEFORE the Foundation of the world.

When Jesus was praying here in John 17:
[18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
[20] Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
[21] That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
[24] Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

He spoke to God about keeping his apostles safe from evil and that they along with others that will follow after them (us) will be able to have the closeness he enjoyed - being one with God as He was. He also said that God loved him before the foundation of the world.

Here in Ephesians 1:
[4] According as he(God) hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Says that we - those of us that are Christians - were chosen before the foundation of the world by God.

Pet.1:
[2] Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Speaking about us, we see here that we were chosen or elected by the foreknowledge of God - we didn't exist before the foundation of the world except by God's foreknowledge. He chose us and loved us before the foundation of the world.

The bible makes reference again to us being chosen before the foundation of the world here In 1 Peter 1:
[18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
[19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
[20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,

Foreordained by webster dictionary means: to appoint in advance.

Jesus was not only loved by God before the foundation of the world, but He was appointed before the foundation of the world to be the lamb without spot or blemish for a sacrifice for us.

Here also in Romans we read -

Rom.8:
[28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
[29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
[30] Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
[31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

We are the 'called' predestined or as the dictionary says - : destined, fated, or determined beforehand - to be HIS by God's own will.

Here are some other verses that speak of us being chosen ...

2 Thes.2:
[13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

2 Tim.2:
[4] No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Jas.2
[5] Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

I Pet.2
[4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

And finally from the TruthorTradition web site we have this:

Ephesians 1:5
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

This says that God has predestined us to be "adopted" as His sons through Jesus Christ. What adoption means must be determined by the cultural norms of the First Century. Adoption was a very binding legal contract in the Roman Empire, more binding even than natural birth. An adopted son was a full heir, and could never be disinherited after adoption. A natural-born son, however, could be disinherited. The difference is choice. A father could have a son by accident as the by- product of sexual intercourse with a woman, but a child could be adopted only by deliberate action on the part of the adopting parent.

Thus, the metaphor of "adoption" emphasizes the deliberate choice exercised by God in choosing us to be His sons. This is also borne out by the language of the immediate context of Ephesians 1:5: "in accordance with His pleasure and will," "to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us," "in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding," and "He made known unto us the mystery [secret] of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Christ."

Clearly this was a decision entered into by God with complete understanding and commitment.

Isn't God our Father good?

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.

May you, and all those you love,
be so blessed and fortunate
as to stand approved before God,
unashamed of your workmanship.

May God Always Bless You and Yours As
You Stand Steadfast on His Word Of Truth!

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