GOD AND THE CHOICE

The Bible is God's Self-Revelation. He revealed Himself to the authors of the Bible so they would pass along the revelation to the world. "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21)

When we study the Bible we are reading the message God has for us. No one made it up. God said it. "All Scripture is God-breathed." (2 Tim. 3:16)

The word theopneustos is made up of theos (God) and pneustos (from pnein ), "to breathe." God was involved in every part of the writing of the Bible. "...the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David..." (Acts 1:16)

Theologian Henry Thiessen wrote, "The Holy Spirit so guided and superintended the writers of the sacred text, making use of their own unique personalities, that they wrote all that he wanted them to write, without excess or error." (Lectures in Systematic Theology, William B. Eerdman's)

God reveals Himself through the names used for Him in the Bible. The English word "God" comes from the Hebrew words elohim, elyon, el, shadday, yahweh , and the Greek word theos . The Bible student will find the name of God listed almost four-thousand times in the Scriptures. The most used name is elohim . It's first usage is Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God..." The next most used name is yahweh . It is often translated "Lord." The Bible student will find God as Lord listed more than 65-hundred times in the Scriptures. It is almost always the word yahweh (Jehovah).

Elohim implies strength. God is strong! The Bible says God is "Almighty" (Gen. 17:1; Rev. 4:8). All things are possible for Him (Matt. 19:26). Nothing is too difficult for Him (Jer. 32:17). The word is also plural in number.

Jehovah was the holiest of God's names. Jews in ancient Israel would not pronounce it. They would substitute other words for it--including Adonai . They would write Yawh , but read Adonai . Some renderings of the meaning of Yahweh are "He causes to be" and "O He!" The name is unique to Israel.

Other names from Jehovah are: Jehovah-Jireh (Jehovah will provide), Jehovah-Nisi (Jehovah my banner), Jehovah-Shalom (Jehovah-peace), and Jehovah-Shammah (Jehovah is there).

Jehovah expresses the eternality and immutability of God's nature. It also speaks to the faithfulness of God to all His purposes and promises.

"God is infinite in relation to time. He is without beginning or end, he is free from all succession of time, and he is the cause of time."

(Thiessen, Lectures)

God was "In the beginning," but He had no beginning. He always was. Here are some examples of how God revealed this truth to the world: "...and there he [Abraham] called upon the name of the Lord, the Eternal God." (Gen. 21:33) "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (Psalm 90:2) "...God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal." (1 Tim. 6:15-16)

In addition to being infinite in relation to time, God is also infinite in relation to space. "He is not limited or circumscribed by space; on the contrary, all finite space is dependent upon him." (Thiessen, Lectures) "The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you." (1 Kings 8:27) "The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens." (Psalm 113:4 ... also read Psalm 139:7-12) "Do not I fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. (Jer. 23:24 ... also read Acts 17:24-28)

We learn more about God from the Greek names for Him. The word theos is the Greek translation of the Hebrew words Elohim and Jehovah . The primary Greek word for "Lord" is kurios . It signifies one who has power or authority. It can also be translated "master" or "owner." Writers of the New Testament use the name kurios for God and Jesus Christ. The reason for that is simple: Jesus Christ is God!

In addition to the names "God" and "Lord," He reveals Himself to us as "Lord God," "God Most High," "The Sovereign Lord," "God Almighty," "The Eternal God," "The God of Bethel," "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," "I AM Who I Am," "The God of Israel," "God, the Rock," "The Lord, the God of heaven," "The Mighty One, God the Lord," "God the King," "The Holy One of Israel," and "The Mighty One of Israel."

The study of the meanings in each of these names would take a student months to complete. The study would reveal that God is holy, eternal, infinite, immortal, invisible, all-knowing, everywhere present, all-powerful, unchanging, incomparable, righteous, perfect, awesome and majestic, and gracious. You will also learn that God is spirit.

The nature of God (Who He is) has a direct bearing on the works of God (What He does). God is true to His character because He is Self-existent. He depends on no one. Because God is immense He cannot be contained. Because God is eternal He is not limited by time. Because God is all-powerful, He cannot lose. Because God is all-knowing He knows Himself and all other things perfectly from all eternity. Because God is present everywhere at once He sees everything and is involved in everything. Because God does not change He is reliable. We can believe in Him and trust Him without question, concern or fear.

We know from this that what God does will always be holy, righteous, just, good, true, loving, kind, merciful, and gracious. What a comfort it is to know these truths!

The Choice

This statement follows one that says Christians are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Imagine that! Every spiritual blessing! There is not one spiritual blessing that is not ours in the heavenly realms. What a future awaits us! What a time we can have now!

It all began for us when God "chose" us. The Greek word is exelexato. It is the first aorist middle of eklego , "to pick out." The middle voice means the subject of the verb (He--God) acts in His own interest--"to pick or choose out for one's self."

This word is also used when presenting God's choice of Israel from all nations for the purpose of bringing salvation to the world. The object of such choice is for a certain object or goal.

The stated purpose for this choice is that Christians would be "holy and blameless in His sight." More about that later when we study the relationship of Christians and Christ.

God chose us for Himself in a past time. The aorist tense in the Greek is like a snapshot. We can pick it up, look at it and enjoy the memory.

Paul gives us a reference time for God's action of choosing us. It was "before the creation of the world" -- pro kataboles kosmon . Katabolhs , "creation," is a compound word: kata, "down," and bolhs , "to throw." It describes the act of the Almighty God throwing down the world. The world did not exist prior to God's creating it. The world began in space and time. God was above space and before time.

Kosmon , "world," means "order, arrangement, ornament, adornment." What God created was beautiful and wonderful!

What we see here is a splendid and wonderful plan. Before God created the world, He thought about us. He considered us. He made everything, designed everything with us in mind. Neat, huh? As we see in the first chapter of Ephesians, God chose us in Christ, He predestined us, He redeemed us, He made known to us the mystery of His will, and He included us. This speaks strongly of a very special plan.

Eph. 1:11 says it well: "In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will."

The word "chosen" is eklerothemen . It translates "we were chosen as inheritance." It is first person, plural, aorist, indicative. God chose us in the past (before the creation of the world). It comes from the word kleres and means "to assign by lot." The ancients would place the names of people on a pebble, a potsherd or piece of wood and then place it into a vase. They would shake the vase until the object fell out. The first person whose name or "lot" fell on the ground was chosen. In this case, Christians were the ones chosen as an inheritance.

Paul uses the word again in Col. 1:12: (klerou ton hagion en to photi ) -- "lot of the saints in the light." The entire verse reads, "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

God wanted to give something special to a group of people. That something is an inheritance. The people are the saints [hagion ], "holy ones, those separated for holy use."

What God wanted to give His chosen ones was a special relationship with Himself. That is our inheritance--a deep and satisfying eternal relationship with God. No other inheritance can compare with what God has given us.

We find God's desire for relationship with humans throughout the Bible. It began when He created man "in his own image." When the first man sinned against God and broke the relationship, God instituted a path back to the relationship. He gave His Son Jesus Christ as the payment for the sins of mankind. Through Christ we can get back to God!

One of the best examples of God's desire for relationship with mankind and His merciful provision is found in John 14. Jesus is speaking to His disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Jesus continues that theme a few verses later: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way back to God!

Another insight to God's desire for relationship is what He calls those who love and follow Him. Jewish followers are called "children, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, the flock of God, and the wife of the Lamb." Christians are called "children" (Rom. 8:16-17--"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."), "God's building" (1 Cor. 3:9 --"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."), "the temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 3:16--"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"), "the body of Christ" (Eph.1:22-23--"And God placed all things under His [Jesus] feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church [Christians], which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way."), "a holy temple" (Eph. 2:21-22--"In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.")

Chief among examples of God's desire for human relationship is His love for the world. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

David, King of Israel, knew about God's love. He wrote, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." (Psalm 13:5) Nehemiah, leader of Israel, wrote, "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." (Neh. 9:17) The Queen of Sheba told Solomon, King of Israel, that he served a God who had an "eternal love for Israel." (1 Kings 10:9) Ezra, Jewish leader and historian, records that the nation of Israel sang to the Lord "He is good; His love to Israel endures forever." (Ezra 4:11) In Psalm 136, the people responded 26 times that God's love "endures forever."

God's love for humans has never been passive. His love is active, powerful and life-changing! Paul the Apostle wrote "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Paul teaches that Christ's love "surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:19). It is a love of self-sacrifice--"live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God ... Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her..." (Eph. 5:2, 25)

Remember, what God wants with you and me is a personal relationship. Everything else follows that goal. If we have a close and abiding relationship with God, we will have the spiritual, mental and physical support for all other relationships and challenges of life.

"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright (C) 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."

This completes our study about "God and the Choice". Please return toThe GraceLife(tm) Menu Page for other studies about the Gospel of the Grace of God. If you have any questions about this study, please e-mail us.