14 August 2025
Before Jacob or Esau took a breath, God made His choice. Mark said, “No prenatal piety marked Jacob. No embryonic evil stained Esau… Yet in that void, God’s decree thundered.” Paul writes, “For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand—not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger” (Romans 9:11–12). God’s purpose was clear. Election was unconditional. Grace was free because it was undeserved.
This truth strips human pride bare. “Works? Crumbled. Pedigree? Worthless. Human will? Irrelevant.” Jacob’s selection was not earned by moral effort, nor withheld from Esau because of evil deeds. The choice was sovereign. The call was decisive. God’s people are not born by bloodline but brought forth by promise. His election exposes the bankruptcy of self-reliance. It buries the idol of human merit.
When you grasp this, striving to “earn” God’s love becomes absurd. “Only God’s call stands. His voice raises dead souls.” Your obedience, your church attendance, your generosity—good as they are—are not the reason He chose you. They are the fruit of His choosing. You do not work for His favour. You work from His favour. You do not obey to be loved. You obey because you are loved. This is liberty. This is security.
Mark applied it plainly: show grace when others fail, especially your children. “Model this… by pointing to how God treats us in Christ.” When your child disobeys, remind them that acceptance precedes obedience. When a colleague blunders, respond with patience instead of scorn. In doing so, you preach with your actions the gospel of undeserved love. You reflect the heart of a Father who chose before time began, not because we were worthy, but because He is merciful.
So, how does knowing God chose you apart from works change the way you live today? Does it breed humility instead of arrogance? Gratitude instead of entitlement? Confidence instead of fear? Let the truth of unconditional election shape your steps. Flee the urge to perform for approval. Rest in the One who loved you before you existed. And extend that same grace to others.
Prayer
Father, thank You for choosing me in Christ before the foundation of the world. Keep me from pride and from striving to earn what is already mine in Him. Let my life display the grace I have received. Amen.
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This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.