December 1

For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, — Eph 1:4-5 BSB

It’s a very serious and true statement that no one can bring their own soul to life. Equally serious, and almost overwhelming, is the truth that the gospel only comes with power to those God has chosen for eternal life. These two truths are connected: if no one can give life to their own soul, it must be by God’s sovereign grace that anyone is brought to life at all. If we accept that humanity is completely dead in sin and cannot raise itself to life, the doctrine of election follows naturally.

A believer might think like this: “Am I spiritually alive? Yes. Did I make myself alive? No, I couldn’t, because I was dead in sin. Did God give me life? Who else could have done that? But why did He give me life when I was dead in sin? Because He loved me and chose me in Christ to share in His eternal glory.” Whether or not you can say these words, it’s still true that God has a people He loves and who are precious to Him. These people, often overlooked or dismissed by the world, are God’s chosen ones. If you are one of those He has chosen, the gospel has already, or will in His perfect time and way, come to your heart with power, bringing life and light to your soul.