Chosen in Love

God is a choosey God.

Nothing less than you, created in Love’s image and likeness, was good enough. He left nothing up to chance. In creating you, He picked you out before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians 1:4 (AMPC), Paul brings out you being chosen, but not only chosen – chosen before Him in love.

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

The Living Bible brings out this position in love.

Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love.

Baby, you are not just loved, you are COVERED with His love.

The Message Version says that you were not only on His mind, but you were picked out as the FOCUS of His love.

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.

He chose you out of the entire world and its system. John 15:19 (NIV).

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) brings out you not only as His choice, but what that frees you up to be and do.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light

You are a really big deal: chosen, set aside for His own, a special possession, holy, sanctified, above reproach in love.

So what should our response be? We can sing His praises, because we have been called out of the darkness and into His glorious light. Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV) exhorts us, that, because we have been chosen in love, we are free to love one another.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

We can love Him and others because we have been chosen. We are free to love because we are so extravagantly and irrepressibly loved (1 John 4:19).

We can fulfill our commission to be known for our love for one another (John 13:34-35).

So don’t apologize or shrink back, enjoy your chosen status in Love.

You are His delight!

To read more about how you have been chosen and created in love, check out my book, Marked by Love.