In Deuteronomy 14 verses 1 and 2, Moses reminds the Israelites three things that mark their identity. First, the Israelites are God’s children. They have been adopted by God into God’s family. Now, God is their Father. Second, the Israelites are holy – God has made them holy. Third, God elected or chose the Israelites to become His children. That is, their adoption into God’s family was by God’s choosing or election. The rest of the chapter is spent on the dietary lifestyle choices that mark God’s children, the Israelites, so that nations around them can see that they are different because they follow God.
In Ephesians 1:4 Paul writes, “Even before God made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Even before God made the world, God elected us to His children. When we put our trust in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family. As God’s children, we are made holy because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Now we are called to a holy lifestyle so that those around us can see that we are God’s children. These three things mark the identity of everyone who follows Jesus.
