We Can Never Lose His Love

 "God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us he makes us worthy."

Thomas Watson, 1557-1592

March brings the anticipation of baby animals in the barnyard.

I've been in a few barnyards now and love to see the little ones.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." Ephesians 1:3-5

In the devotion book, Truth for Life, by Alistair Begg, I enjoyed reading his words on the doctrine of election. Election is a hard thing to get a handle on and believe for many. Why me? Why not you?

"Our election in Christ is not some kind of historical afterthought; it goes all the way back into eternity past, before creation. Yes, we do decide to follow Christ--but it is so humbling to recognize that we could never have chosen God if He had not chosen us before the creation of the world. You would not be capable of deciding to follow Him if He had not first decided to make you His child."

"The elect are whosoever will; the non-elect are whosoever won't."

Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887

Lady in waiting.

God has loved you for a long, long time. I especially like these words Begg wrote that bring us comfort and peace:

"The doctrine of election is not a banner under which we march but a bastion for our souls. It makes all the difference to our security and our joy. Once you humbly recognize that your identity in Christ was established the moment He first set His affection upon you, even before the dawn of time, you find freedom and you have confidence. You don't need to seek to come up with some reason in yourself to understand why you have received His amazing grace; you can simply enjoy knowing that He chose you because He loves you. You don't need to live burdened by your sin or crushed because you feel you are making little progress in your Christian life, for His love was never based on your performance or on your promise of doing better. You can walk through the peaks and valleys of this life with the assurance that you are loved by the one who made all things and directs all things--and that because you never had to win His love, you can never lose it."

I could just cuddle them!

Let us be diligent in sharing His love and His story so those who have not accepted His love can hear it and make that decision as we once did. We were all lost until we heard the good news of Jesus Christ and made that decision to follow Him. Now we are safe in His arms.

By His Grace . . .