Chosen Before You Existed: Why Election Births Gratitude, Not Pride

If we were chosen before time, before we even existed, this is not because of anything we did or would be capable of doing. It is pure grace, pure sovereign love. There is no room for pride or self-sufficiency in divine election. The believer who truly understands that he was chosen before the foundation of the world is moved to profound gratitude and complete surrender to God. Moreover, before the foundation of the world also points to the stability and security of salvation. If our election is not a decision made in time, subject to the vicissitudes and changes of the temporal world, then our salvation does not depend on present or future circumstances. It is founded on an eternal determination that cannot be altered. For Calvin, contemplating this truth should lead us to a life of worship and service. Knowing that God chose us before the foundation of the world, we should live in conformity with this election, demonstrating in our lives the reality of that eternal choice.