God Has Chosen

"He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world . . ." Among the traditional tenets of the Christian faith is the belief that God chooses or elects people for salvation. For some Christians, such an affirmation is an indication of God's sovereign and perfect will. For others, such a notion is troubling for it seems to downplay the significance of human agency and choice. Throughout the church's history, Christians have sought to understand the meaning of relevant biblical texts and debated this theological conundrum. With care and insight, theologian Mark Lindsay surveys the development of the Christian doctrine of election. After exploring Scripture on this theme, he turns to the various articulations of this doctrine from the early church fathers, including Augustine, and medieval theologians such as Aquinas, to John Calvin's view, the subsequent debate between Calvinists and Arminians, Karl Barth's modern reconception of the doctrine, and reflections on election in the shadow of the Holocaust. On this journey through the Bible and church history, readers will discover how Christians have understood the affirmation that God has chosen.

Nearly 200,000 copies sold! Chosen by God by Dr. R. C. Sproul is a contemporary classic on predestination, a doctrine that isn’t just for Calvinists. It is a doctrine for all biblical Christians. In this updated and expanded edition of Chosen by God, Sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesn’t create a whimsical or spiteful picture of God, but rather paints a portrait of a loving God who provides redemption for radically corrupt humans. We choose God because he has opened our eyes to see his beauty; we love him because he first loved us. There is mystery in God’s ways, but not contradiction.

When I believed God chose the wrong person, I was thinking about me, not Him. I saw my brokenness as a handicap, not an asset. How could He use my insecurity, low self-esteem, financial struggle, bluntness, perfectionism, awkwardness, and failure for good? The wrong person is always the right person to God. Think about it? he used a prostitute, a murderer, a widow, a criminal, fishermen, a tax collector, a boy with some bread and fish, all the seemingly wrong people, to change the world. He chooses all the wrong people, because in His perfect plan, He sent Jesus, to transform us into all the right people. My heart is full realizing the treasure of being the wrong person. When God chooses 'the wrong person' you have a front row seat to the miracles of what only He can do. He knows you cannot do it. He knows you know you cannot do it. Your life is fully His and He chooses to do with your life what will be for His glory and not yours. God chose me, who I can prove is the wrong person, because He wants the glory of making me the right person. The moment people think of us and immediately think of Jesus, we will be on our way to leaving a legacy.

Marriage is great, but it’s not forever. It’s until death do us part. Then come eternal rewards or regrets depending on how we spent our lives. In his latest book, Francis Chan joins together with his wife Lisa to address the question many couples wonder at the altar: “How do I have a healthy marriage?” Setting aside typical topics on marriage, Francis and Lisa dive into Scripture to understand what it means to have a relationship that satisfies the deepest parts of our souls. In the same way Crazy Love changed the way we saw our personal relationship with God, You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity will radically shift the way we see one of the most important relationships in our life. Jesus was right. We have it all backwards. The way to have a great marriage is by not focusing on marriage. Whether you are single, dating or married, You and Me Forever will help you discover the adventure that you were made for ­­and learn how to thrive in it. 100% of the net proceeds from this book will support various ministries including those that help provide shelter and rehabilitation for thousands of children and exploited women around the world. For more information, please visit: youandmeforever.org

The author of Desiring God reveals the biblical evidence to help us see and savor what the pleasures of God show us about Him. Includes a study guide for individual and small-group use. Isn’t it true—we really don’t know someone until we understand what makes that person happy? And so it is with God! What does bring delight to the happiest Being in the universe? John Piper writes, that it’s only when we know what makes God glad that we’ll know the greatness of His glory. Therefore, we must comprehend “the pleasures of God.” Unlike so much of what is written today, this is not a book about us. It is about the One we were made for—God Himself. In this theological masterpiece—chosen by World Magazine as one of the 20th Century’s top 100 books, John Piper reveals the biblical evidence to help us see and savor what the pleasures of God show us about Him. Then we will be able to drink deeply—and satisfyingly—from the only well that offers living water. What followers of Jesus need now, more than anything else, is to know and love—behold and embrace—the great, glorious, sovereign, happy God of the Bible. “This is a unique and precious book that everybody should read more than once.” —J.I. PACKER, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

You Can Fulfill the Plan of God for Your Life God has an amazing plan for your life! Do you know God's awesome plan that He has designed especially for you? Has God ever spoken to your heart about the assignment He has called you to fulfill? If not, are you ready to discover it? Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime as you launch out to do what He has put in your heart to do? Whether you have discovered the will of God, or you're still in the process of discovery, you can rest assured that He has had a perfect plan for your life from the beginning. And try as you might, you will never find true fulfillment until you're walking in the divine purpose that is unique to only you. Your life will take on new meaning as you step out to do what you were born to do. In this book, Rick Renner shares biblical teaching and amazing experiences to show you that life doesn't have to be boring! But you're going to have to pursue, protect, and possess your purpose. Rick's teaching will encourage, strengthen, and ignite to take your place among the ranks of others who have been awakened to God's plan. One thing is sure: God has chosen you for a divine purpose!

When you think of being chosen, does your mind go back to recess days on that schoolyard playground long ago, when Teacher asked the two biggest boys in the class to choose up teams? Remember how the rest of you lined up, dutifully waiting for your name to be called? And remember how you stood there, nervously holding your breath, shifting your weight from one sneaker to the other, hoping against hope that this time you'd be chosen? Good news. You have been chosen! Maybe not for the starting lineup on your school's basketball team or for the next promotion at work. But your calling is much more extraordinary For "you are a chosen people, . . . a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9, NIV). Who is this God who has chosen you? Why have you been chosen? And how are the chosen to live? Join Dwight K. Nelson in an experience with God that will revolutionize your life as you stand where the chosen of old once stood on the brink of the Promised Land