Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Christian Crier

Home
About

Home
Evangelical
Chosen by God

Chosen by God

Last updated on: April 22, 2019 at 5:00 am by Jack Wellman

Chosen by God 2019-04-04T21:05:41-05:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

God’s Word says believers were chosen by God, but for what reason and purpose?

Why?

He loved me long before I ever loved Him (1 John4:19-21).

The main question I have about why God had chosen me is, “Why?” I know there was nothing in particular that God saw in me and made that decision based upon that. The only reason I can think of was that God loved me. Even here, there is no human explanation for God sending His Son to die for me; someone who was an ungodly, wicked enemy of His (Rom 5:6-10), and He loved me long before I ever loved Him (1 John4:19-21). Despite this, the Apostle Paul tells us that God “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” (Eph 1:3-4). More than once we read that God chose us in love (Rom 5; Eph 1). It was not that we were lovely, but rather, it was that He loved us first. Jesus told the disciples, “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” (John 15:16). Besides love, God chose us to bear fruit that would give God glory (John15:8). Anyone that’s been called by God has been called to glory Him. That is a major reason that God created us.

For What?

The Bible gives us some good ideas about what we’ll be doing in the Kingdom. For example, the Apostle Peter wrote, “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” (1 Pet 2:9). The Apostle John writes to the church, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5b-6). He has made some to be rulers, kings, and priests in the kingdom. Scripture tells us that only Jesus Christ is worthy “to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9), so it will be that the Lord “made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10). Notice it was God’s doing, and not theirs, but they are destined to be part of the rule or reign of Christ, but of course, everyone will be under the authority of Christ. Jesus gives us an idea of stewardship, stating that someone that’s being faithful in little, will mean they can be trusted with much, so some will “have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17c), while others will “be over five cities” (Luke 19:19c). What this exactly looks like in the kingdom, we cannot say. Jesus Himself is preparing these things now (John 14:3), but the Apostle John wrote that he “saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev 20:4). Scripture tells us that believers will judge angels, but which angels Scripture refers to, I am not sure (1 Cor 6:3). Perhaps these are fallen angels, or demons. Otherwise, all judgment will be Christ’s.

Now What?

The idea of being chosen by God is not a new one. God said of ancient Israel, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Duet 14:2). God didn’t call them because they were the greatest or largest, but only out of His promise to Abraham. Of course Israel failed in their calling, but the Apostle Paul wrote that God “had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone” (Gal 1:15-16), so Scripture teaches us that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). Saul would have never chosen the Way without divine intervention (Acts 9).

Called and Justified

We also know that God has chosen some who have not yet been called, and that means He may use us as a means to bring them to Christ. It is not we who save others, but God alone saves, however, God does gives us the great privilege to be used as a means to save some. Paul writes, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom 8:29-30). God has predestined some to be saved, so we need not be concerned if we don’t reach everyone with the gospel. We are simply told to “go” and share Christ. God is the Lord of the Harvest, but we are chosen by God; taken out of the darkness, and brought into the Light. Then, we’re called to go back into the darkness to bring others into the Light. It is not up to us to save anyone. Jesus says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37), not all we gather and bring to Christ.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God…a people for his treasured possession…” (Duet 14:2).

Conclusion

When Abram was called by God, God told him to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1), “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (Gen 12:4a). By Abram obeying God, he showed he believed God, and so Abram “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). God choose Abram, but Abram choose to believe, but even here, God had to make Himself known to Abram in order for Abram to know Him. Has your name “been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Rev 13:8)? If God has brought you to repentance (Acts 5:31, 11:18; 2 Tim2:24-26) and faith in Christ (Mark 1:14-15), you have been chosen by God. If you don’t care, you may not be chosen…or God has not yet called you to Christ…but if you care and wonder if you’ve been chosen by God, you’ll know by the fruits you produce, because these differing fruits show the radically different roots (Eph 5:19-25).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a Pastor and Prison Minister in the State of Kansas. Jack is also a writer at Christian Quotes and Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

Previous Post

April 19, 2019

Galatians 3 – The Law And Faith

Next Post

April 24, 2019 How To Love Your Brothers And Sisters

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Lo-Ammi" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Exiled Chosen One The Lord is My Salvation Not My People