CHOSEN, CREATED, COMPLETE*

CHOSEN, CREATED, COMPLETE*
*By John D. LaVier*
*
These three words tell us of what is ours in Christ, and they should be
unspeakably precious to every child of God. If we would meditate upon
them, and gain some insight of the wonders wrapped up in them, surely
our lives would become much more fragrant and fruitful.

CHOSEN The first is found in Ephesians 1:4: "According as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world." Not only was this
true of those to whom Paul wrote, but it is equally true of every member
of the Body of Christ. "But we are bound to give thanks always 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 Thess. 2:13). How thankful we should be that
it is God who has done the choosing. Men change their minds, and often,
because of imperfect knowledge, they later regret some choice that they
have made, but the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Precious thought! Chosen by God in the ageless past; long, long before
we were born. He who knows the end from the beginning, and to whom the
future is as clear as the present, saw us then and chose us in Christ
and ordained us to eternal life. Not because of any goodness in
ourselves, for we had none. It was all "according to the good pleasure
of His will" (Eph. 1:5), and "according to the riches of His grace"
(Eph. 1:7). "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. 1:9).
When an athlete prepares to high jump, he takes a long start, and we can
imagine something of the great purpose that God has for us when we see
how He began to choose us for it so long ago.

CREATED Next, in Ephesians 2:10 we see that "we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained
that we should walk in them." Notice how in these passages the practical
side is kept in view. "Chosen ... that we should be holy and without
blame." "Created ... unto good works," or as we have in Ephesians 4:24,
"Created in righteousness and true holiness." Surely our calling and
conduct should closely correspond.
We have not only been chosen in Christ, but we have been created in
Christ. "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor.
5:17). We are out of Adam, the old creation, and into Christ, the new
creation. What a mighty change! What a glorious transformation!
Creation is the work of God. It is He who, by His word, brought the
universe into being; and He who, having chosen us, one day spake the
same life giving words and light broke upon our darkened souls. "For
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6). We could not create ourselves.
God is the Great Creator; salvation is of the Lord.

COMPLETE Finally, in Colossians 2:10, it is written, "And ye are
complete in Him." Note the "ye are." It is not "ye can be complete in
Him," nor even "ye shall be complete in Him," but "ye are complete in
Him, who is the head of all principality and power." We are perfect and
entire, wanting nothing. We are filled full. Nothing can be added that
can make our standing before God any more perfect or acceptable than it
already is, for we stand before God in all the perfections of His own
Blessed and Beloved and Perfect Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.
*
*Complete in Thee! No work of mine*
*May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;*
*Thy blood hath pardon, bought for me,*
*And I am now complete in Thee.*
*Dear Savior, when before Thy bar*
*All tribes and tongues assembled are,*
*Among Thy chosen will I be,*
*At thy right hand--complete in Thee.*
*
Chosen, Created, Complete; but all in Christ. We are forever linked to
Him, and every blessing that we have and enjoy flows from Him. We have
nothing in ourselves, but we have everything in Him, so let us magnify
the Lord and exalt His Name together; not by lip alone, but by life; by
works as well as words.
* ** *
*THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2010*
*
Jesus is the end product of evangelism-- -His Life indwelling you is
exactly what God had in mind when He sent His Son to redeem you and to
reconcile you to a holy God. He sent us His Son not just to get you and
me out of hell and into heaven, but to get the God of heaven into you
and me, so that Christ living in our hearts might be our hope of
bringing God again out into the open where He can be seen, to His glory!
Galatians 2:20

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