God often reveals things I’ve never noticed before. Today’s thought is that Jesus does two kinds of choosing. This makes perfect sense but I’d never thought of it before and have even mixed them up in my interpretation of the NT, neglecting to consider the context and making assumptions.
One type of choosing is for salvation. Many verses support this:
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19)
(God) chose us in(Christ) him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him . . . . (Ephesians 1:4)
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, (Colossians 3:12)
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
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. (1 Peter 2:9)
Jesus also used this word to describe Judas as one not chosen for salvation: “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen . . . .” (John 13:18)
Yet there is a second type of choosing in that some are called or chosen for full-time service. We saw this last week in the ordination of a pastor. Not every Christian is chosen to do that. The first were the disciples. The devotional writer says this: “In John 15:16 He tells them, ‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit.’ This is not their call to salvation but to service. With the exception of Judas, they were already saved. Before the foundation of the world God chose them to be redeemed in Christ, and they had responded accordingly. Now Jesus was calling them to a specific ministry.”
I’ve taken that verse to mean a calling to salvation, but now see from the context and other verses that this is a call to service.
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (Matthew 10:1)
He called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: (Luke 6:13)
This type of choosing was carried on by the disciples as they selected a replacement for Judas and asked God to show them the person He had chosen. (Acts 1:24) This word seems to describe both salvation and service when God said of Saul who became Paul: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:15)
In the last days, evil beings will “make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14) Used here, chosen could include those saved, yet also those called to stand with Christ enduring those attacks.
Jesus, I am humbled to be chosen and recreated as a child of God. I’m also humbled when You choose to use me for anything. Out of the millions of people who follow You, even being able to talk to You and trust You is a great privilege. I’m thankful that You pay any attention at all to me, even promise to meet my needs and use all things for my good. You promised to transform me to be like You and I must admit that most of the time that seems totally impossible. Yet You, the King of kings and Lord of lords say so, and the most amazing thing of all is that You have chosen to give me faith to believe You!
THINK: Even though my call is not to ‘full-time service’ like a pastor or a missionary, what does God expect of me according to Ephesians 2:10 and the above verses?
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