Dear Amy,

What’s all this about predestination? Don’t people have a right to choose for themselves?

As I swing in my hammock on that desert island, there’s nothing much to do except read Ephesians 1. Here’s what I find.

He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will …

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, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

― Ephesians 1:4-5, 11-12

There’s no escaping that this is the Lord’s choice, rather than mine. And that is a wonderful thing. The Lord, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, does not make mistakes. He chose me. He chose you, Amy, in accordance with his pleasure and will. As for me, I make mistakes, and my own choices are always subject to suspicion and doubt. Not so the Lord! His plans and purposes prevail, for the praise of his glory. I, you, we are both his, forever, and no mistake! And thus we have assurance of salvation.

But there’s more. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Partly that is an instantaneous, Jesus-died-for-my sins-and-now-I-am-counted-righteous thing. And partly it is a rest-of-my-life thing, as the Holy Spirit continues both to convict me and to empower me to change, as I surrender my will on the pathway to holiness. Both are life-giving, lavish gifts.

But what of evangelism? If people are chosen, where is repentance and belief? See what comes next in the passage.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession⸺to the praise of his glory.

― Ephesians 1:13-14

Those to whom Paul writes heard the message of truth (because someone told them), and believed. Predestination does not diminish the gospel message in any way. There is undeniably mystery here, but the greatest evangelist of all time was surely … Paul himself, who wrote these words. Praise the Lord!

Know that you are his, Amy, and he is yours, forever, because he chose you in him before the creation of the world. 🙏