God Chooses You

A few weeks ago, our pastor was teaching from the book of Ephesians.  He mentioned that at the time Paul wrote this letter (around 60 A.D) that the city of Ephesus was considered the Slave Capital of the world.
 

He went on to explain that Ephesus was a city built on attaining physical perfection and status.  In Ephesus, they would actually discard babies who they viewed as “less than” outside the city gate.  Babies were discarded and tossed away because they did not measure up to someone’s idea of perfection. 

 

Consequently, if someone in the city of Ephesus desired to own a slave, they would simply go outside the city gate to buy one. 

 

From c.100 B.C. to c. A.D. 100 Ephesus was the world capital of the slave trade.

 

Paul is writing to a city that communicated to its people that if you didn’t measure up to “the standard” then you were unworthy.  You were unacceptable and unlovable.  

 

But Paul writes to remind them that since they now belong to Christ, they must start living their lives accordingly. They need to hold fast to the ways of God rather than the ways of the world. 

 

Ephesians 1:11 tells us that In Him we are chosen! 

 

When the world tells us that we don’t matter, we can take comfort in knowing that God chooses us!  In Him, we are adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven.  He calls us His own and places us in His family.

 
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (Eph 1:5 NLT)
 

One of the saddest interactions I’ve ever had with someone who was in The Life was a 25 year-old young woman.  After letting her know that there were people who wanted to support her and point her to resources she said,

 

“I’m too old to be helped.  Why don’t you help the younger girls?”

 

At just 25 years old, this young woman had convinced herself that this was all her life was ever going to be.  She had deemed her life unworthy of anything more. 

 

To her, and to all the other women just like her, I want to say that the message you are being told is a lie.  You do matter.  And you are loved.  GOD chooses you.  He pursues you.  In love, he adopted you.  In His eyes you are perfect, holy and blameless. 

 

Around Christmas, my daughter got a shirt that says, “I woke up flawless.”  And that’s the beauty of the cross.  Because of Jesus’ death on the cross we are deemed flawless.  We are given a new identity.  The old is gone and the new has begun.  We are given a new beginning.  That new beginning is available to anyone who chooses it.  It doesn’t matter your age, your background, or your occupation.  God chooses you.

xx