John Piper has said that mission exists because there are places where worship doesn’t exist. Humanity was made for praise and it is our responsibility to show the world the One who is worthy of our praise. God doesn’t just adopt us and make us holy so that we can sit back and enjoy our new status. He makes us holy so that we can worship Him properly, and He adopts us into His family to entrust us with His gospel. We have been chosen, not just for salvation, but for a mission: to take the gospel to our city and ultimately to the nations.

Reflection
Go back and read Ephesians 1:3-14 and think about what this passage says about worship. We can get caught up in studying the details of doctrines it contains but think about how these doctrines should lead us or move us to praise God. How does this passage contribute to your understanding of the Trinity? Why do you think the doctrine of election is often described in negative terms? Why should it lead us to praise God? What changes in your worship and mission need to take place as a result of a better understanding of the doctrine of adoption?