神的拣选
神的拣选是祂赐给我们的头一项福分。神的拣选就是祂的选择。神在基督里拣选了我们。基督是我们蒙神拣选的范围；在基督之外，我们就不是神所拣选的。以弗所一章四节说，神在创立世界以前拣选了我们。这是在已过的永远里。神按着祂无限的先见，在创造我们之前拣选了我们。神的拣选不是在时间里作的，乃是在永远里作的。在创立世界以前，神就拣选了我们。在亿万人中，甚至在我们生下来以前，祂就豫先看见我们，而在创立世界以前拣选了我们。“创立世界以前”这辞含示整个宇宙，不仅仅指地而已。这指明宇宙的创立乃是为着人的生存，以成就神永远的定旨。没有这个宇宙，人是不可能存在的。人的生存是为着成就神永远的定旨。因此，人是神永远定旨的中心点。宇宙的创立，使人能生存，以成就神永远的定旨。
神的预定
以弗所一章五节说，“按着祂意愿所喜悦的，豫定了我们，藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，归于祂自己”神的拣选不能和祂的豫定分开，二者是一件事的两面。神的拣选与祂的豫定并行，而祂的豫定和祂的拣选乃是一。
在已过的永远里，神豫定我们得儿子的名分，在创立世界以前，为祂所拣选的人标出了定命。神豫定的目标乃是儿子的名分。我们甚至在被造以前，就被豫定为神的儿子。因此，我们这些神的造物，需要由祂重生，好有分于祂的生命，成为祂的儿子。儿子的名分，不仅含示儿子的生命，也含示儿子的地位。神所标出的人，有生命成为祂的儿子，也有地位承受祂。
“豫定”，原文也可译作“豫先标出”。豫先标出是过程，豫定是豫先决定定命的目的。神在创立世界以前，拣选了我们，豫先标出了我们归于某种定命。神按着祂意愿，就是祂定旨，所喜悦的，豫定我们得儿子的名分。这启示我们，神有一个意愿，在其中有祂的喜悦。神按着这喜悦，照着祂心所喜爱的，豫定我们作祂的儿子。
每日一问：神在什么时候拣选了我们，神豫定我们的目标是什么？
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
The God’s Selection and Predestination – Eph. 1:4-5
God’s Selection – God’s selection is the first blessing He bestowed upon us. God’s selection is His choice. God chose us in Christ. Christ is the sphere in which we were chosen by God; outside of Christ, we are not God’s chosen ones. Ephesians 1:4 says that God chose us before the foundation of the world. This was in eternity past. According to His infinite foreknowledge, God chose us before He created us. God’s selection was not done in time, but in eternity. Before the foundation of the world, God chose us. Out of the millions of people, even before we were born, He foresaw us and chose us before the foundation of the world. The phrase “before the foundation of the world” implies the entire universe, not just the earth. This indicates that the creation of the universe was for the existence of man, to accomplish God’s eternal purpose. Without this universe, man could not exist. The existence of man is for the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose. Therefore, man is the center of God’s eternal purpose. The creation of the universe enables man to exist to accomplish God’s eternal purpose.
God’s Predestination – Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestinated us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” God’s selection cannot be separated from His predestination; they are two sides of the same thing. God’s selection runs parallel with His predestination, and His predestination and His selection are one.
In eternity past, God predestinated us unto sonship, marking out a destiny for those He chose before the foundation of the world. The goal of God’s predestination is sonship. Even before we were created, we were predestinated to be sons of God. Therefore, we, these creatures of God, need to be regenerated by Him so that we may partake of His life and become His sons. Sonship implies not only the life of a son but also the status of a son. Those marked out by God have life to be His sons and also the status to inherit Him.
“Predestination”, in the original language, can also be translated as “fore-marking.” Fore-marking is a process, while predestination is the goal of the fore-marked destiny. God chose us before the foundation of the world, fore-marking us unto a certain destiny. God predestinated us unto sonship according to His will, which is His purpose, and the good pleasure of His desire. This reveals to us that God has a will, in which there is His good pleasure. According to this good pleasure, and according to the desire of His heart, He predestinated us to be His sons.
Daily Question: When did God choose us, and what is the goal of God’s predestination for us?