Thursday, July 3, 2008
Ephesians 1:4-5 Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . . . having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
FULL OF GIFTS: WITHOUT CAUSE
Another thing we notice about these verses is the lack of any causal phrase. There is a purpose or result phrase attached which we will talk about in a later devotion, but you can search the entire book of Ephesians and you will never find a cause attached to this action of God (His choosing us in Him).
Recently, preaching on these verses, I asked the congregation (directing the question especially towards those who were parents), "Why do you love your children?" The room was silent. A parent will never be able to give any answer to that question other than, "Because they are my children." Which, needless to say, is a bit circular, but nevertheless is absolutely the right answer. In the same way, it is the only "cause" God ever gives. Why did He choose me? Because He chose me. Which is exactly the same as saying, "Why did He love me? Because He loved me." Even the phrase "according to the good pleasure of His will" does not indicate a cause. It is the only another parallel Paul uses to underline that it was His choice to choose us, that HE is always the subject of the verb "chose."
It is no wonder that God continually makes use of the analogy of a father-son relationship in describing His love for us. It is the same concept that gives us the phrase: "a face only a mother could love." This indirectly acknowledges the fact that the love of a mother often transcends reason and cause. A parent's love will remain even when there is no apparent reason for it to do so.
In connection with God's love, this truth belongs to the very core of what Paul calls the mystery of God. From our youngest days, our experience teaches us the opposite -- that love is something for which we must have a reason, something we must learn. And much of our personal relationships suffer bitterly both because we demand a reason in others and because we assume that we ourselves must give them a reason. By contrast, in Christ we rest with absolute security knowing that His love for us and His choosing us are completely without cause.
