November 10, 2021 | Chosen 2 – The Sequel
Quote: “I have chosen you.” Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that he has got you. Why is God at work in me, bending, breaking, molding, doing just as he chooses? For one purpose only—that he may be able to say, “This is my man, my woman.” Oswald Chambers.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Have you ever really thought about the above passage from 1st Peter? Have you tried to imagine the awesomeness of being chosen by the Creator of the universe? Have you tried to grasp the immense honor and responsibility connected with being called to serve Almighty God as priest and ambassador?
When you take the time to really think about it, it’s a lot to take in. As imperfect as we are, God has chosen us to be His own. Despite our ignorance and disrespect, He has decided to show us mercy from a love we could never comprehend.
John 15:16-17 reminds us of this in Jesus’ words when He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Jesus wasn’t just talking to His disciples, He was talking to all who would read and hear these words. He was talking to those willing to carry on the message of salvation, those willing to put others before themselves, those willing to sacrifice themselves for something greater than themselves all in His name.
Before Jesus was even born, even at the very beginning of time, God chose His created people to be redeemed, Jeremiah 1:5 paints this picture saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Even before we were born, God knew us. Before we took our first breath, we were chosen for a specific purpose.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed 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 upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:3-14)
We didn’t choose God, He chose us. It is beyond our limited human capabilities to give God permission to use us, He has already set us apart as His own instrument of service to call people out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is not our decision to make, the decision has already been made. We have been chosen to carry on the great responsibility of service to God and to each other.
Those who follow this calling have also been predestined to receive an inheritance in heaven for all eternity to the praise of His glory. To be chosen by God means to be recipients of His grace, caretakers of His creation and beneficiaries of His forgiveness.
Have you ever tried to imagine the awesomeness of being chosen by the Creator of the universe? Have you tried to grasp the immense honor and responsibility connected with being called to serve Almighty God as priest and ambassador? I invite you to imagine what this means for you. Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing us to be partakers of Your grace and servants in Your kingdom. Help us to truly know what this means and lead us to avenues of service for Your namesake. Amen.
