In my previous post I put down some thoughts about God's love for His elect and the delight He takes in us.

Romans 8:29 gives us the primary reason that God the Father elected those whom He would save - to conform us into the Image of His Son (sanctification). Our primary calling in this life is to become more like Jesus. That’s a pretty tall order. He is God Incarnate, and we are sinful human beings. It seems like an impossible process, and you know what? It is. It is completely impossible.

How can sinful human beings be made into the image of the Eternal God? By the Holy Spirit of God. That’s the only way. It is by God's grace alone.

The fact that God the Father chose you and me for this glorious process of sanctification - that began with justification and will end with glorification - is an absolute mind-blower. But here’s what’s even more crazy, and this is where I go when I’m feeling completely inadequate (which is pretty much every single day). God knew that you and I were and are completely unworthy for this calling.

He did not choose us because of something good that He saw in us. He did not choose us because He “looked down the tunnel of time and saw that we would choose Him” (a popular teaching in evangelical circles today but one that does not hold water Scripturally). Do you want to know the reason God chose you?

Here it is: He chose you because He chose to choose you. It was for the praise of His glory.

Read Ephesians 1:3-14 - that phrase, “the praise of His glory” appears three times, always talking about God’s purposes for saving us. He loves you and me because He chose to love us. Nothing more. Guess what? That is incredibly good news. Why? It is such good news because it means that God’s love for us was never based upon anything that has to do with us! That means that His love for us now and His love for us eternally will never be based on anything that has to do with us. His love for us and His election to Salvation is based on and grounded in His character, Nature, and purpose, all of which are eternal. God does not depend on you!! 

I’ll be honest here; I struggle a lot with this concept. I believe and understand theologically that God chose me, even knowing all of my sin, because it was His good pleasure and to the praise of His glory. But I struggle with really owning that truth. To be honest with you it has been just about the single biggest struggle relating to faith that I’ve had over the years.

But you know what? God knew that I would have even this struggle and He still chose me! I am so thankful for the fact that I serve a God who does not make His decisions about me based on my character and consistency, but rather on His own. I find nothing but grace, security, a sense of being loved beyond my comprehension, and sweet humility in the doctrine of election. To me it is a doctrine infinitely beautiful and comforting, and it makes me cry out to God with a heart that is grateful. What a great salvation!