God’s Choice of You 

“We give thanks to God always for all of you…knowing brethren beloved by God,

His choice of you."  -1Thessalonians 1:2,4 

These words of Scripture really captured my heart and mind last week.  Have you stopped to consider the truth that if you are in Christ it is because God has chosen you – God’s love is upon you!  This truth should both thrill us and humble us at the same time. 

I am often reminded of Jesus’ words to the disciples “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).  Many of us understand that salvation is a free gift, that there is nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to earn or merit God’s favor or love (Ephesians 2:8, 9).  However, too often we make the error thinking we our the ones who make the decision of choosing God – as if we are doing God a favor by joining His team.  The problem is that we fail to realize that there is nothing good or holy within ourselves that would enable us to make such a choice (Romans 3:9-11).  The truth of the matter is that unless God opens our hearts and minds to the gospel truth, we shall remain blind and lost for all eternity.  So, you see, if you are in Christ (more so, if Christ is in you), it is because God has chosen you and poured out His irresistible love upon you. 

Do you feel unloved and unwanted?  Do you remember your days back in grade school gym class?  I don’t know about you but I often dreaded the time when it came to choosing teams for games.  Not being very athletically inclined, I was often one of the last ones to be picked.  It was always the athletically gifted ones who were wanted and picked.  How devastating it was to be picked last, hearing a sigh of disdain from the rest of the team.  Too often this mentality is carried over to our view of God and Christianity.  We think that God only wants or chooses the really talented – that He thinks more highly of ones who are really popular and skilled.  Let’s not kid ourselves – when we hear of a movie or sports star who becomes a Christian we often think or say “Wow! They will be able to do a lot for God and the gospel because they are so well known and talented.”  However, their human talent or popularity has nothing to do with anything in regards to the ways of God.  God chooses us not on the basis of our talent or abilities but on the basis of His unconditional love and grace.  Consider the words from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 

O what a wonderful, thrilling, and humbling truth this is – God loves us and chooses us!  And just as the Apostle Paul gave thanks to God because of this, so should we.  May you realize the security that is yours in knowing that He has chosen you and placed you in Christ, not because of who you are or what you’ve done, but because of His abundant love for you.  And may you sing with gratefulness and humility the words of the hymnist: 

Loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know;

Spirit breathing from above, Thou hast taught me it is so!

O this full and perfect peace, from His presence all divine;

In a love which cannot cease, I am His and He is mine.

His forever, only His, who the Lord and me shall part?

Ah, with what a rest of bliss, Christ can fill the loving heart!

Heaven and earth may fade and flee, firstborn light in gloom decline,

But while God and I shall be, I am His and he is mine.

By God's Grace ~ Through God's Word ~ For God's Glory!

Chuck Long

©God’sGWG
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