The Chosen are blessed. They receive everything that they need for salvation.
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. …” Ephesians 1:3-8.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
When we understand that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”, then we can better appreciate the conclusion of Peter’s greeting in today’s Scripture: “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”
So, when your Pastor pronounces the benediction at the conclusion of the worship hour, don’t let your mind drift to coffee hour. Rather, think of your position as one of the chosen. Think of “the riches of His grace which He lavished on us”. At the benediction, one way that we can show our faith and thanks is to stick out our hands palms up to receive the blessing.
In conclusion, we may be the chosen. But, we are not the “frozen chosen”. If we give a gift to one of our children, we don’t expect them to look down as if they are sad with arms tightly against their sides. No! We expect them to look up with joy in their faces and with their hands sticking out to receive the gift with great eagerness and joy. But, whether or not we stick out our hands at the benediction, let us act as if we really believe that we are the chosen and that God lavishes His grace and peace upon us.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 