Chosen in Christ
To have an abundant life now and eternally, we must receive the gift of life provided
by the all-powerful God who created the universe.
Here's Dr. Gene Getz:
Look at Genesis chapter 1, verse 1:
In the beginning. That's what the word “Genesis” means--the beginning.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the beginning didn't begin with the creation of the heavens and the earth
because God always existed.
You know, in John chapter 1 when it says that Jesus Christ, the Word, became flesh [Jn 1:14],
that "when the Word created all things," it doesn't mean that Jesus Christ had a beginning [Jn 1:14].
What it means, that in the beginning Jesus Christ was, and that's the same here with
Genesis chapter 1, verse 1.
But there was a beginning when God created the heavens and the earth--the beginning of
all of that. And so in the rest of Genesis chapter 1 we have God creating a number of
things when He created the heavens and the earth.
He created light.
He created the dry land.
He created vegetation.
He created the sun, the moon, the stars, the living creatures that occupy the earth and
then He created Adam and Eve.
Six days are mentioned there in relationship to what God created.
Now we're not going to go into a lengthy discussion.
In fact, we're not going to talk about it at all as to whether these were seven literal
days or whether they represent periods of time.
There's a lot of discussion about that. But what I would like to refer you to is that
there is another Bible that came out.
It's the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
This is another edition that has been done.
It's called The Apologetics Study Bible. And there are just excellent articles in here
in relationship to the verification of Scripture.
"Apologetics" means the defense of the faith. And they defend the Bible. They talk about
some of these questionable areas. They talk about areas of disagreement.
So if you really want to get into the Holman Christian Standard Bible, here's another edition
that's very, very helpful.
It's called The Apologetics Study Bible.
I'm finding this very helpful as now I'm reviewing the material that I've done
in relationship to this Principles to Live By Study Bible, which will be a totally different
Bible using the same biblical text.
So, God created.
It said on the seventh day He rested.
Well, we know that God created all these things.
We're not sure of all the time frames that are involved there. But what I want you to
think about in relationship to this statement about God creating in the beginning the heavens
and the earth.
And here's the thought.
In the mind of God, before He created the world and the universe, He knew you. He had
chosen you. You were in His heart before He ever created all these things.
Now, what's the basis of that?
Well, if you go to Ephesians for our New Testament
verification of that principle. We read these words:
Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
in Christ; for He... What?
Now notice. Notice this.
He chose us in Him, that is in Christ,
before the foundation of the world.
Before He created the world and the universe,
He chose us in Christ.
See, God is omniscient. God is in control. He is sovereign.
He chose us in Christ, before the foundation
of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.
Think about that. Think about that.
Now, if you'll go to that passage in Ephesians. Paul elaborates with these basic points.
Let me just summarize them for you.
He says we've been chosen in Christ.
Secondly, we are redeemed by the blood of Christ as God unfolded His plan of redemption.
Number three, we are adopted into the family of God.
We become His children.
See, God has not always been our Father.
He becomes our Father when we accept Jesus Christ.
He is our Creator.
He is our Creator in that sense. But we are adopted into the family of God. And we've become
brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ at a moment in time when we enter that family through the new birth.
Then number four,
we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Once we receive Christ, Paul says
in Ephesians 1:13, we are actually sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit.
He is the down payment.
When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He is the down payment for the fulfillment
of our eternal destiny, when someday we will be with Christ.
So, with that in mind, there's a principle actually, that grows out of our study of the
New Testament. And this is the principle:
Because of our eternal hope and secure relationship
with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit,
we should never cease to praise and worship Him.
That's a fantastic principle that should grow out of our understanding of this verse right here in
Genesis chapter 1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
But remember, the New Testament says, before He ever did that, we were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world.
We were sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Now, only God can understand that.
That's very difficult for us to understand because, the fact of the matter is, that we
must receive Christ in order to enter into His family at a point in time.
But we should never cease to praise Him.
This should be a part of our lifestyle. To thank Him. To praise Him for the
wonderful privilege of being in His family. And when we worship Him, worship means presenting ourselves.
This is the ultimate in worship--presenting our bodies to Him. And being conformed to the
image of Christ, not to the world. Being transformed in order to walk in His will.
And this is our reasonable worship.
This should be a part of our life because we are children of God.
We belong to Him.
So it's a wonderful, wonderful related principle that relates back to this principle.
And so, let me restate the principle from Genesis:
In order to have an abundant life
now and eternally, we must receive the gift of life provided by the all-powerful God who
created the universe.
Now here's a Reflection and Response question:
Do you...? Do you have a personal and intimate
relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ?
You see, in Ephesians, Paul goes on to explain how we become a part of His family.
If you go to Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, he says:
For by grace you are saved through faith.
There's a moment when we enter the family of God.
Even though we've been in the mind of God in eternity past, we have the freedom--
believe it or not--to accept or reject.
Now, it's difficult to put that together in our minds because we have freedom to reject
or accept. And that's trying to put together the free will of man and the sovereignty of God.
And you can never bring the two together in our minds.
Only God can explain that.
And both are true.
It's called an antinomy.
Both are true but they sound contradictory.
But in God's plan they harmonize.
So, for by grace you are saved through faith, this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift.
That's where a lot of people really get fouled up.
They think they have to try to work their way into heaven.
I was talking with someone the other day, and this person says: Well, I hope I'll be there.
And I said: Well, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you will be there.
It's not because of your works. Because if it was works, none of us would make it.
It's not by works.
It is God's gift so that no one can boast.
And so basically, there is a point in time where we come to know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.
Just recently, I was sitting, listening to a sermon in a church. And I'd heard this pastor
preach on this once before in this particular church that I was visiting.
And basically, I heard the same basic message. A wonderful presentation in some respects.
A lot of basic biblical truth in the presentation.
But it didn't take long to figure out, as you listened
very carefully. If you really understood the biblical message. That he is a universalist.
Now by universalist, I simply mean he was teaching that all of us are saved by grace.
All you've got to do is recognize that and receive it because it's already done.
In other words, no one will ever be separated from God. Because God is a God of love,
and therefore, everyone will go to heaven.
The Bible doesn't teach that. And as I was listening very carefully, he really bypassed
this great truth here: that we're saved by grace through faith.
There is a moment when we receive the gift and we receive eternal life.
And a lot of people get confused about that.
Now, we are to do good works because we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works [Eph 2:10]. But that's a result of our salvation, not FOR our salvation.
And so, as I was listening to this pastor. And as I was seeing all of these people listening,
he did not spell out for those people that they needed to receive Jesus Christ as personal
Savior in order to inherit eternal life.
They felt like they were part of the family of God because God really created them to
be a part of His family. And Jesus simply helps us to enter in to what God has already planned
for everybody. And that's just not biblical.
And that's really what this principle is all about:
In order to have an abundant life now
and eternally, we must receive the gift of life provided by the all-powerful God who
created the universe.
And the question is:
Do you have a personal [and] intimate relationship with God through
the Lord Jesus Christ?
You can because John wrote in John 1:11 and 12:
He came to His own, [the Jews, the Jewish nation],
but His own did not receive Him. But all those who...What?
Received Him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God.
We must respond. To move from darkness to light. From eternal death to eternal life.
And so right there, right at the very beginning, if you take Genesis 1:1, correlate that with
the New Testament, you see that we have an
incredible principle that relates to our relationship with Jesus Christ.