“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as *He chose us* in [Christ] before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4). I recently spoke with a man who wishes to become a Lutheran pastor. A very personable fellow with much life experience, which would be useful for the pastoral ministry, he is passionate about sharing the Gospel. At one point, I asked him how long he had been a Christian. He replied with a statement that is so common, yet theologically false: “I made my decision for Jesus years ago.” In life, we choose all kinds of things: what kind of food we eat; what car we purchase, which job we take. Burger King or KFC or McDonald’s? But before receiving the Holy Spirit, because we are weighed down with Original Sin, we cannot reach up to God: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Romans 3:10-11). Luther breaks this down for us: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” Besides, if you think you chose Jesus, do you ever know whether your decision was strong enough? Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller (pictured), one of the most winsome Lutheran teachers of our generation, explains this basic yet often unrecognized Christian truth in a humorous way (see video in comments below). He tells the story of just such a conversation with an employee at McDonald’s. Indeed, we are not able to choose Jesus. As St. Paul says so succinctly, God the Father “chose us in [Jesus Christ] before the foundation of the world.” As this dear brother continues to dig deeper in Holy Scripture, may he grasp the wonderful news that Jesus chose him—not the other way around—a key point as we tell people about Jesus Christ.
The Tiews in Germany 