Ephesians 1: Chosen

Pastor Alex Hall | July 5th, 2026

Chosen Before the Foundation of the World: Walking Bold in Your Identity

In a world quick to reject and dismiss, it's easy to forget who we really are. When doors close, relationships fracture, and opposition rises, we can begin to question everything—our calling, our purpose, even God's presence in our lives. But what if rejection isn't a sign that you've missed God's will? What if it's actually confirmation that you're walking right in the center of it?

The Sting of Rejection

The apostle Paul experienced this firsthand. In his ministry to Ephesus, he preached boldly for three months in the synagogue, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But then something shifted. Some became stubborn. They rejected his message and began publicly speaking against "the way."

This is where many of us would pack our bags and move on, convinced we'd misheard God's voice. But Paul didn't flee. He simply took the believers with him and continued teaching daily at the lecture hall of Tyrannus for two years. The result? People throughout the entire province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

Rejection wasn't a stop sign. It was a redirect.

The enemy loves to weaponize rejection. He whispers that if people don't accept you, God must have abandoned you too. He uses the disapproval of family, friends, and coworkers to seed doubt about your identity and calling. But here's the truth we must anchor ourselves to: rejection from man is not a sign that God has removed His hand from your life.

Remember Who You Are

When doubt creeps in and you're not sure whether to keep going or turn back, there's one essential practice: return to the Word of God. Go back to true north. Let Scripture remind you of your identity.

Paul understood this. Even as an apostle, he had to remind himself—and the church—of who they were. His letter to the Ephesians overflows with identity markers:

You are chosen—selected before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love.

You are adopted—brought into God's family as sons and daughters, with full inheritance rights, according to the good pleasure of His will.

You are accepted—made beloved in Christ, redeemed through His blood, forgiven according to the riches of His grace.

You are identified—sealed with the Holy Spirit as God's own possession.

Read that again slowly. God looked at you before time began and said, "I choose you." Not reluctantly. Not as a backup plan. It was the good pleasure of His will—pleasurable, delightful, good.

Stop Calling God's Work Anything But Good

Some of us carry labels we were never meant to bear. Ugly. Worthless. Disgusting. Failure. We've internalized the lies whispered by the enemy and echoed by a broken world. But when God created you, He called you good.

Stop calling what God has called good anything other than good. Stop rejecting what He has already accepted. Stop agreeing with the enemy's assessment when the Creator of the universe has already declared His verdict over your life.

The Mystery We're Still Unwrapping

God has made known to us the mystery of His will—His plan to bring everything together under the authority of Christ. But here's the beautiful part: it's a mystery we're still unwrapping.

You can read the Bible every year for the rest of your life and still discover new depths at 99 years old. There's always more to learn, more to understand, more to experience of God's infinite wisdom.

Too often, we think we have God figured out. We read theology books and develop systems that explain away anything we can't understand. We create paths that curve around the straight arrow of God's Word because we'd rather adjust truth to fit our comfort than adjust our lives to fit truth.

But revival comes when we get back to the Word—back to the ancient ruins of things we left behind for the sake of appeasing man, science, or our own convenience. When we simply say, "God, if You said it, then it's true. Your ways are better than mine."

The Heart of It All: Repentance

At the core of following God's straight path is repentance. And we'll do anything to avoid it. We'll create theology that curves to the right or left. We'll develop theories that excuse our behavior. We'll find any route around repentance rather than simply admit we need to change.

But repentance isn't shameful—it's beautiful. It's freedom. It's simply saying, "God, Your ways are better than mine. I'm turning back to You."

Paul's message to both Jews and Greeks was consistent: the necessity of repenting from sin, turning to God, and having faith in our Lord Jesus. Not excusing sin away. Not using theology to avoid dealing with it. Just repenting.

You can't have revival without repentance.

When the Wolves Come

Paul warned the Ephesian elders that after his departure, false teachers would come like vicious wolves. Even some from within their own group would rise up and distort the truth to draw followers.

He didn't say "maybe" or "possibly." He said, "I know."

Why? Because that's the devil's strategy. He wants to drag as many people down with him as he can. He's defeated, but he keeps grabbing for God's people, trying to pull them into defeat and death.

This is why we must test everything—not just by what sounds good or appears righteous, but by the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Don't Shrink Back

Paul told the Ephesian leaders he never shrank back from telling them what they needed to hear—not what they wanted to hear, but what they needed. He declared himself faithful.

When rejection comes, the enemy will tempt you to shrink back. To stop speaking truth. To soften the message. To compromise.

Don't.

The righteous are as bold as lions. You have nothing to fear. All that matters is whether you honor the Lord in everything He's called you to do and created you for.

Even when jail and suffering lie ahead—even when an entire continent abandons you—your life is worth nothing unless you use it for finishing the work assigned to you by the Lord Jesus.

He's Working All Things Together

Here's the promise to hold onto in the hardest times: God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Notice the condition: those who love Him. This promise doesn't apply to everyone—only to those who stay in the family, who keep walking with Him, who remain faithful even when it hurts.

Right now, you might be going through trials, rejection, or pain. The temptation is to say, "God, You've abandoned me. I'm done." But when you walk away, you forfeit the promise that He'll work this very thing together for your good.

He sees what you can't. He knows what's coming a day, a year, a decade from now. He's seen it all from before the foundation of the earth to the very end.

So even when it hurts, keep trusting. Don't run. Don't flee. Walk with Him.

You Are Seated in Heavenly Places

All things are under the feet of Christ Jesus. And you? You are seated with Him in heavenly places. You're the head, not the tail. Above, not below.

Remember your identity today. Remember the promises in His Word. Remember that even in the darkest places, He's still working.

You are chosen. Adopted. Identified. Sealed. Loved.

And that truth stands—regardless of who rejects you, who abandons you, or who speaks against you.

Walk bold. You're a lion.