GOD CHOSE YOU BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OCTOBER 12, 2022

TOPIC: GOD CHOSE YOU BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

BY T. O. BANSO

“Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence” (Ephesians 1:4 GOD’S WORD Translation).

Some people allow what is happening to them to define them. Others allow the opinions of people to define them. When these are negative, they tend to have a low estimation of themselves. Some become depressed because of this. They feel that they are a failure because they accept negative feedback from people. Thus, some conclude that life is not worth living and, consequently, take their lives.

Those who fall into this category are getting it wrong. They have forgotten that they are human beings like the people they are allowing their opinions to make them come to wrong conclusions about themselves. They are not inferior creatures of God compared to these people. Nobody has any right to make another person feel useless because of his condition in life.

Never make the mistake of allowing other people to determine your value in life. Neither must you allow your valuables to determine your value. Your net worth is not your real worth. You must not base your value in life on material possessions. People’s opinions about you can change. Sometimes you can win; another time you can lose. You must never allow either to determine your value.

Your value must be rooted in God. Your self-esteem must be founded on God. You must know who you are in God who made you. This is more important than people’s opinions or whether you win or lose. You must be established in God.

No matter where you are in life, what you have achieved or not achieved, or whether people like you or not, know that you are not here on earth by mistake. Nobody has more right to be on earth than you. God created you intentionally. He created you for a purpose. Don’t feel inferior to anyone because of his colour, tribe, language, or life accomplishment.

Ephesians 1:4 says, “Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence” (GOD’S WORD Translation). The words “he” and “his”, in this scripture, refer to God. God chose you before the creation of the world. The New Century Version puts it this way: “That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people — people without blame before him.” According to the New King James Version, “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”

Verse 3 of Ephesians 4 says God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. And verse 5 says He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

You must always see yourself the way God sees you. Don’t let anyone give you a wrong picture of yourself. God chose you before the foundation of the world. If you will become useless, God wouldn’t have chosen you! Also, God choosing you confers divine value on you. You belong to Him. He chose you for a purpose, which is clearly stated in that scripture, Ephesians 1:4.

It says God chose us from the foundation of the world to be holy and perfect. God’s purpose for choosing you is for you to be holy and without blame before Him in love. This is not possible by your power but through Christ. The natural man cannot be holy and blameless before God. But salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ makes this possible. “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:21-22 New King James Version).

Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, you can become holy and live blameless before God. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 New King James Version). The Bible says there is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

In Christ Jesus, you have the power to live a new life – the life God created you to live originally. 2 Timothy 1:9 says God 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.

In Christ, you can live holy and blameless before God because of the blood of His Son shed for the remission of your sins (Hebrews 9:22). By grace, you’ve been saved through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But grace doesn’t me to continue in sin (Romans 6:1). “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12 New King James Version).

Before the creation of the world, God chose you through Christ to be holy and perfect in His presence. Referring to the believers, the Apostle Peter says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 New King James Version). Take note of the phrase “chosen generation.” You are chosen. You belong to a chosen generation.

God chose you before the foundation of the world to be holy and perfect. Ephesians 2;10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (New King James Version). Please take note of the phrase “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You are God’s making, creation, or masterpiece. God prepared or created you in Christ Jesus beforehand for good works. His purpose is that you will live a life of holiness, not uncleanliness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17 New King James Version).

God chose you before the world was made to be holy and without blame before him. Live for the purpose God chose you. 2 Thessalonians 2:13b says God, from the beginning, chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. Therefore, you should purify yourself from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Live a holy life. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Be holy for God is holy (1 Peter 1:16; Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7).  

You are of great value, for God chose you before the foundation of the world. And He chose you to be holy and perfect in His presence. “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” (Ephesians 1:4 Amplified Bible).

Live for the purpose God chose you. Be holy and perfect (blameless) in His presence. “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless’” (Genesis 17:1 New King James Version).

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You for loving me and choosing me before the foundation of the world. Holy Spirit, help me to live for God’s purpose for choosing me; help me to be holy and perfect in the presence of God. I pray for sinners to come to Jesus and purify themselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org