Focus: Chosen For What?

Text: Jh.15:19

"I have chosen you out of the world."

You are chosen; Christ says so. Chosen out of the world, but put back in it for a purpose. Paul describes Rufus as one "chosen IN the Lord" (Rom.16:13). In Eph.1:4, he says, "According as he hath chosen us IN him before the foundation of the world…" So apart from having been chosen out of the world, we have also been chosen in the Lord. 

God took us out of the world and placed us in Christ. Peter tells us that we are the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit…" (1Pet.1:2). In choosing or electing us, the Father exercised His power of foreknowledge and the Spirit made it possible by sanctifying us. Faith also played a role in our election. Paul introduces himself to Titus, and says, "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to THE FAITH OF GOD'S ELECT…" (Tit.1:1). 

We embraced our divine election by faith. Faith means saying yes to God. By means of faith we accepted or received the free offer of salvation and election.

*Chosen by God

Paul calls us "the elect of God" in Col.3:12. He says, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and BELIEF of the truth…" (2Thes.2:3). We appropriated our divine election by believing in God's revealed truth. Faith rests solely on the bedrock of divine truth.

*Chosen for a purpose

Now we inquire as to the reason behind God choosing us. God has chosen us to salvation and chosen us for service in His kingdom.

*Chosen to bear His name

God said about Paul, and by extension all of us in Christ, "For he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Act.9:15). We are God's chosen vessels, and we are chosen to bear His name before the world and those who are in authority. 

*Chosen to know His will

Paul was also told, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth" (Act.22:14). We are chosen to have access to the mind of God and to hear His voice. We are chosen to know the will of God and to make it known to others. We are chosen to hear His voice and to speak what we hear.

*Chosen to bear fruit

The Lord Jesus Christ says to us, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…" (Jh.15:16). The purpose for our choosing is fruitfulness - abiding or lasting fruit.

*Chosen to dazzle the world

Paul writes, "But God hath chosen the FOOLISH things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the WEAK things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And BASE things of the world, and things which are DESPISED, hath God chosen, yea, and things which ARE NOT, to bring to nought things that are" (1Cor.1:27,28). Those regarded as fools are chosen by God to dazzle the wise and deflate their ego. Those regarded as weak are chosen by God to shame the mighty. Those looked at as being at the end of the tether are chosen by God to baffle those who see themselves as being at the top of the ladder. The despised and the nonentity are chosen by God to project and promote the glory of God.

*Chosen to display divine excellence

Peter writes, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1Pet.2:9). We are chosen to serve as kingly priests, as a holy nation, and as God's purchased possession. We let the glory shine through us. We represent Christ on earth and reflect His glory to the world. We put on display the praises or excellencies of Christ.

You can see that we are not chosen for fancy. We are not chosen for selfish grandstanding. God didn't choose us to make us feel important or to feel like demigods. No! We are chosen to play vital roles in the kingdom of Christ. God has placed us on the earth to radiate God's glory, to reflect God's grace, and to reconcile the world to Christ. We are chosen for the business of heaven on earth. Let's do it!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter