“As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” Romans 9:13
This verse shows us the nature of God’s unconditional love toward us. Part of what makes up that nature is His choice and His plan. It was wholly according to the good pleasure of His will that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. This was before we were able to establish a history with God and make ourselves a little bit lovable to Him. It was before we could even set foot on the earth to demonstrate that we were a pretty good fellow, so that God would maybe look at our sincerity and say, “I like that sincerity, so I am going to make you the object of My love.” Before we even had a chance to try to demonstrate any qualities that would merit God’s favor, He chose us in Christ. Thus, His love in choosing us comes directly out of the good pleasure of His will. Irrespective of what was going to happen in the twentieth century — how many failures we would have, and what kind of history we would establish — irrespective of all that, He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and eternally made us the object of His love. His love toward us comes from eternity past and goes to eternity future, passing through time, through the devil, through demons, through failure, through sin, through the world, through guilt, through condemnation. This is God’s love directed toward us out of eternity.
This love is based upon God’s choice. Before Jacob was born, the word was uttered, “Jacob I have loved.” Before Jacob and Esau were able to do anything good or bad, before they were out of Rebecca’s womb, God said, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Rom. 9:13). Do not try to understand this. You cannot. God just says it, and in saying it He indicates that the essence of His love is altogether made up of His choice.