Another week of Bible study in 1 and 2 Peter. Take a look at what I shared with my ladies today.

What a week we’ve had! I had to laugh as I got around to day 4 of this lesson. I thought to myself, “Wow! Does God seriously love me this much! This is over-the-top, crazy kind of love.” I wrote this study and still was amazed at these beautiful words of endearment we studied this week.

I want to land on one idea from all that you learned this week. And that word is “chosen.”

When it comes to relationships, there are some where we don’t get to choose.

We didn’t get to choose our parents. We were born into a family and didn’t have a say in who our parents would be.

We didn’t get to choose our children. Unless you’ve adopted (which some of you have), our children are born to us without an opportunity for us to say “yes” or “no.”

One relationship in which we get to choose is our spouse or the one we love. So why do we choose a particular person to spend our lives with? We probably have some criteria for this choice. A few may include:

• That they are a good friend
• That they accept you for who you are
• That they have the same interests or values
• That they value marriage
• That they share your goals
• That they have carved a niche in our hearts

These are just a few examples of why you might choose someone to build a relationship with.

In 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV), Peter says that we are “God’s elect…who have been chosen…” But here’s the thing, when did God choose us?

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV) tells us that “from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
• Ephesians 1:4 (NIV) reminds us that God “chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
• Even Jesus told His disciples (that includes you and me) that they didn’t choose Him, but that He chose them to go and bear fruit in John 15:16.

Before you or I were even born, God chose us to part of His Kingdom.

But here is the astonishing thing about God. He continues to choose us when we don’t choose Him. If this were not the case, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross. You see, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 – NIV)

God continues to choose us when:

• We fall short
• We are unfaithful
• We fall into temptation
• We turn away from Him
• We seek other gods

And what’s more, God lavishes us with love. 1 John 3:1 (NIV) is a great reminder for us. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”

So you might think that all of these terms of endearment in 1 and 2 Peter are over-the-top. But isn’t that just like our Father? He wants us to know for certain that He chose you and me. And when God looks at you and me, this is what God sees:

• His elect
• His ransomed and redeemed
• His living stones
• His spiritual house
• His holy and royal priesthood
• His holy nation
• His own possession
• His people
• His brotherhood of believers
• His called
• His blessed
• His beloved
• His partakers of divine nature
• His chosen

As part of any relationship, there must be growth. Growth in ourselves as individuals, as well as in partnership with our chosen one. It’s no different in our relationship with God.

• We must make the choice every day to draw closer to Him
• We must make every effort to be more like Him (to be holy)
• We must develop our faith and trust in Him
• We must bear spiritual fruit
• We must choose to believe that we are His chosen, beloved daughter

Another element to making a choice in a relationship is the purpose for getting into a relationship. Why do we choose a spouse or a friend or a child? I suspect there are plenty of reasons, but here is a short list.

• For love
• For support
• For companionship
• For encouragement
• For acceptance

God chose you for a purpose as well. Colossians 1:16 reminds us that we were created by, through and for God. So why would God create you and me? What is our purpose?

This question has been answered in Rick Warren’s popular book The Purpose Driven Life.[i] In this book, Pastor Warren shares five purposes that we must live out in our lives.

God created you and me:

1. For His pleasure. Revelation 4:11 (NIV) says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Without God in our lives, we are nothing. We have nothing. However, in His presence, we are able to offer real worship.
2. To be part of His family. We find these encouraging words in Ephesians 1:5 (NIV). “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Remember, God chose you. He adopted you to be part of His family and through this adoption we are able to enjoy real fellowship.
3. To be like Christ. This is a big part of our purpose. We are reminded in Romans 8:29 that we are to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus, God’s Son. When we become more like Christ, we come to understand what real discipleship is.
4. For service. If you haven’t memorized Ephesians 2:10 by now, this should probably be at the top of your list. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When we learn this purpose for our lives, we are able to practice real ministry.
5. For a mission. Jesus is sending us into the world to share His message. This is the reproduction piece. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 – NIV) This purpose leads us to live out real evangelism.

Do you feel special? You should! God loves you more than you can imagine. If that is hard for you to understand, that’s okay. Remember, this is a growing relationship and someday we will all know the fullness of God’s love for each of us.

Until then, let’s rejoice that God has chosen us. Let’s praise Him for His desire to lavish His love and grace upon us. Let’s be diligent in the work He has set for us to do. And let’s strive to be more like Jesus every day.

Are you ready to move forward with this relationship?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

[i] The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, Zondervan, 2002.