I was reading this morning in Ephesians and something really stood out to me. 

Ephesians 1:4 says:

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." 

As I read this all I could really think was, WOW! This really sums up my life here on earth. Let's read it "piece-by-piece".

According as he hath chosen us, It is God who has chosen us not ourselves. Am I willing to live for the one who has chosen me? Is my life reflecting Christ?

In Him, This part is amazing.... through only two words Paul manages to fit in all the story of Jesus' life into these two words! In Him. I was chosen by the blood of the precious Lamb of God who came to earth, lived a sinless-life and died and rose again for who? Me! Am I living my life as though it was bought with a price? Am I willing to surrender my will to the the One who bought me through Him? 

Before the the foundation of the world, This is a proof of God's power and existence over time. It also speaks of his complete knowledge and wisdom. Do you realize that God knew you before you did? God has had a plan for your life since before the world was even made? When you think about Life this way it really adds a lot of value to it! Suicide, Abortion, Murder, even Depression, they would all lose their the predominance in our culture if we could just value the fact that God has a plan for all people. He knew them before the earth was created and we must value them for it.  

That we should be holy and without blame before Him, All of the facts now lead to the climax. The fact that God has chosen us, Lived a blameless life, died, and rose again, and chose us before the foundation of the world, are we, the people who God did all this for, are we willing to be Holy and without blame before him? He died and was tortured by the worst means, suffered so much for you and I so that we could benefit and will I/you live holy and blameless before him? My prayer for myself and you is that we can live that kind of life. and it is possible. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me! Paul has made that clear for us and we love to use it when we are taking on the Spiritual Goliath but what about when living our personal life? We must live holy and blameless! 

Now the last two words really sum it up. In Love. All of that being said, let us not forget that we should live our life in love. When we are in a group and someone starts doing something that is in disobedience with God's word then, depending on the circumstances we should just walk quietly away but if we confront, let us do it in love. I am starting to learn that, as Paul put it so well, "...If I lack love, then I am like sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. Ever heard the two? Paul later says that if I lack love, even if I gave my self to be burned,( and I think that is a huge act of sacrifice ), even if I did that, it would be nothing if I didn't do it in love. Wow.... I constantly need this reminder. I know that some reading this will agree but sometimes I stand for what is right, which is a good thing, but I do it SO harshly and with such I-am-right-and-you-are-wrong attitude that what Paul said becomes true.... it is as an annoying noise. Let me/us not forget to do all we do in love.

This verse is really my life-purpose verse. So I will end this post with it again,

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

WOW!