“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him. Ephesians 1:3-4 (CSB)
The setting is my middle school gym. I’m dressed in the required uniform, among those chosen last by my popular and athletic team captain for kickball…noticeably agitated I ended up on his team. Chosen regrettably.
My team is waiting for their next kicker, but no one steps forward. Our team captain knows it’s me but doesn’t even know my name. He explodes, “It’s the quiet fat one, she’s next!” I (must) step forward and fulfill my kicking duty while feeling incredibly awkward in front of everyone. Chosen for rejection.
No one knew two things that were going on at this time in my life: the first was bullying by a boy who would slap my art box out of my hands as we passed in the hallway, waiting until out of eye sight from the Principal. I would frantically pick up oodles of supplies as hundreds of junior high kids marched on by. The second happened down the same hallway as a male teacher sexually harassed me as a daily occurrence. I would tense up as I approached him, willing myself through the unwanted advances. Chosen for hurt.
I’m thankful for a dear friend, one grade older, who had instantly welcomed me when our family moved into this school district and her neighborhood. She was in the same grade as the first bully and once she found out what he was doing, she gave him a talking to, after which he never slammed my art box down again. Chosen for friendship.
My heavenly Father has cared deeply for me over the years since junior high. I’m married to a gracious, gentle, and godly man who has been instrumental in my healing, but also I relish in the truth that God chose me before the foundation of the world. Willingly. Lovingly. Forever. The best ‘team captain’, 100% trustworthy and true. Chosen by HIM.
My mom and I used to play a make-believe game when I was a young and carefree girl. She let me wear her pretty patchwork dress whenever I wiped the table or swept the floor after meals. I called it my cinderella-dress feeling like chosen royalty every time I wore it.
Our spiritual blessings in Christ are forever better than fairy-tales: first we are chosen, then fitted ‘to be’ holy and blameless while being filled to the brim ‘in’ God’s love.
Let’s look at what it means to be chosen to be ‘holy.’
HOLY- adjective- most holy thing, a saint (Blue letter Bible app)
II Timothy 1:9, “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
Hebrews 3:1, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.”
I Peter 1:15-16, “But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct. For it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” I Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,”
I John 2:20, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
Jude 1:20, “But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”
Revelation 4:8, “Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.’”
Blessed with every spiritual blessing + chosen to be holy means that my heavenly Father showers me with an abundant life full of (a) holy:
- Calling
- Alongside-ness with Brothers & Sisters
- One, who is Himself holy
- One, who anoints me with love and truth
- Faith
- Spirit
- Knowing the four living creatures never cease declaring the Lord God is (perfectly & fully) Holy, holy, holy!
Dressed as Cinderella, I felt beautiful and helpful to my mom– pretty and purposeful. Paul writes that we are chosen to be holy and blameless– both practical and positional!
Lest we dash away from the ball with only one shoe, remember the God who chose us tasks Himself with presenting us as both “holy and blameless.”
BLAMELESS- adjective- without blemish: as a sacrifice without spot or blemish; morally: without blemish, faultless, unblameable (BLB)
Ephesians 5:27, “He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that but holy and blameless.”
Philippians 2:15, “so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.”
Colossians 1:22, “But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him.”
Jude 1:24, “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, without blemish and with great joy.”
Our spiritual blessings abound seeing ‘blameless’ paired in Scripture with the words: holy; pure; faultless; without blemish; great joy!
What good is a dress if you can’t twirl in it!? My cinderella-dress was long but not too long that I couldn’t twirl and watch the colorful edges spin out. Living holy & blameless plus rooted in love puts a twirl in who we are in Christ.
In love- agape love: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love (BLB) John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.” Romans 5:5, “This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I Cor. 13:13, “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love–but the greatest of these is love.”
Eph 3:17-19, “…and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Phil. 1:9, “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment.”
We are chosen to be IN God’s love that is:
- How others will know we’re His disciples
- Full of hope
- The greatest in the trio of faith, hope, and love
- How we stay rooted + firmly established + comprehend the length x width x height x depth of God’s love
- That by which we keep growing in knowledge and discernment
Be encouraged dear sisters as you live and serve in your unique ministries – knowing that you are chosen to be filled to the brim in love by a loving heavenly Father who fits you to be both holy and blameless.
Taking it further:
What is the best thing you have been chosen for? The worst?
How do these experiences impact you as you think on Ephesians 1:4a that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…”?
We all struggle to live holy and blameless lives, but what is one way you can see that God has anointed you with love and truth and helped you to live unblameable?
On a scale of 1-10, how hope-filled are you when you think on God’s love? What is one way you can grow in your understanding of His love for you? How does that affect how you live love out?