We who follow Jesus Christ, who are citizens of his Kingdom, who have died and now live through him, are a very blessed people. We need to be reminded of that fact. The reason we need to be reminded is because we forget.
We forget that we are blessed because living in this place, where we do not belong, can cause us to forget. We get busy, distracted, overwhelmed and we forget. We forget who we belong to. We forget we are here with purpose. We forget that this is a temporary thing and the permanent is on the way. We forget to look up.
Over the next few days I want to remind you of the greatest blessings we have received. I want to remind you, in all your busyness of living, to look up. And I am starting with this reminder:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
First blessing: He chose us! Yes, so often we think it is us who have chosen him and perhaps that is a reason we get things so wrong all the time. Jesus said:
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. (John 15:16)
Remember those words today as you hurry around in the insignificant busyness of your little life. Jesus chose you, knows you, loves you and has appointed you to something bigger than your life. So grow into it.
He didn't just choose you though. Jesus chose you before the creation of the world. Before God called light into being he knew you intimately and he made provision for each day of your life. He knew you and still he decided to go ahead with it. He went ahead with it because he enjoyed the thought of having even the possibility of being with you.
Don't miss out on the important bits here. He chose us for something. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Not that we could do this but he has blessed us by declaring us holy and blameless. It is what Jesus has done for us. We forget this. We forget that it has already been done for us and we try to do it ourselves. Instead of just letting the Spirit work this blessing out in our life we struggle and fill our life with guilt and shame when we fail.
We can be really stupid sometimes.
Look up!
Realize who you belong to and why. Realize what our King has done for us and why. Realize you have been chosen and blessed beyond measure and you walk around today holy and blameless in his sight. Realize you are more than what you see in the mirror. You are more than all your failings combined. Your failings do not define you. Jesus defines you.
My friend, you are blessed.
Look up!
Be defined today.
You have been chosen and you are holy and blameless.
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