At times all of us will suddenly be gripped by a line from a familiar verse in Scripture which glows like a jewel and becomes a treasure fastened on our hearts. It happened to me a few months ago and this particular nugget has stayed with me and continues to thrill me.
Read with me 2 Timothy 1:9 from the Amplified Bible:
He delivered us and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness, that is a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness; He did it not because of anything of merit that we have done but because of and to further His own purpose and grace which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began -- eternal ages ago.
Did it hit you?
HIS OWN PURPOSE ... GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN -- ETERNAL AGES AGO!
My mind struggles to grasp the greatness of the wonder. Eternal ages ago, before the world began, long before we existed, a bank account was set up for each one of us, in our own name, a treasury filled with all the riches of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Eons before we arrived on Planet Earth we were planned for, we were expected on a specific, pre-arranged date. Even though we brought nothing into this world, we were already fabulously wealthy when we arrived. So very long ago God had decided that through us He would carry out His purposes. He established an account to our credit which contained everything we would ever need for eternal life and victorious, godly living.
We've all heard of millionaires who die in poverty simply because they don't cash their cheques. How much more tragic if I should live as a spiritual pauper when, in eternity past, abundant wealth was allotted to me.
The value and significance God places on us, in Christ, is overwhelming. It has been well said that "The true self is not waiting to be discovered by introspection; the true self is waiting to be created by commitment to Jesus Christ."
How could I ever not want to be committed to Him for my share in the holy vocation to which He has called us?