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Ask, and it shall be given to
you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to
you. Matt.
7:7 |
"I
CHOSE YOU"
as published in Toms River Church
of Christ bulletin
Many
of us remember when as children we got together on the playground or
ball field. There may have been a captain assigned for each team who
chose his players. This was a time of excitement and anticipation as
the teams were organized. Did you ever think, "I hope I'm not the
last one chosen." Some how being told that the other team could have
you did little for your self-esteem.
I Peter 2:9 states
Christians are "a chosen generation." We occupy a place of
prominence. As Jesus realized that His arrest, trial, and
crucifixion were rapidly approaching, He gathered His apostles to
provide some basic teaching. A portion of that teaching is recorded
in John 15:13-16. An interesting phrase appears in that passage in
V16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you ...... that
thought should cause us to reflect upon the uniqueness of
Christianity. Even when man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God
purposed to send a Savior (Genesis 3:15). It isn't simply that God
chose certain people; God chose to save those who came to Him
through Jesus Christ. We do not make the choice of lords to follow,
or the kind of life to lead. The Lord Jesus Christ chose us, and He
sets the standards by which we live. The word church means "called
out." We are called out of darkness into light (Colossians
1:13).
Because of His love
for us, Jesus went to the cross. What does that mean? As a
Christian, I've been chosen by the Captain to serve in His army and
that entitles me to receive "all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians
1:3). That selection eliminates any thought of low self-esteem.
Psalm 8:4-5, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son
of man, that thou visitant him: For thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honor".
Christianity is a religion of choosing and
rejoicing! | |