Just How Do We Know We Are God’s Chosen Ones?
Good Morning Friends,
I have a pile of identity badges at home from conferences and clubs I have attended around the world. They served as proof of my identity so others could know about me. They got me into meetings and meals. I have name badges for church as well to let others know I belong and as a welcome to others. All this prompts me to ask who I think I really am….whose I think I really am. Friends, wearing the tag is ok but the challenge, in our day to day lives, is to live out our Christian identity so that others can recognize us by our attitudes and actions. And this brings us to today’s question. Just How Do We Know We Are
God’s Chosen Ones?
Scripture: As God’s chosen ones… holy and beloved… clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV)
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:4-10 (NRSV)
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Yes, all who are incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:8-13 (NRSV)
Message: Ever have doubts. I sometimes do. Israel the chosen nation did about Jesus. Esau must have had severe doubts even as he gave up his inheritance for a bowl of porridge. Still I do not reject God’s plan. Still I do not reject Jesus. Doing that just seems so unkind. That is why I do so yearn for the church to be identified as a nourishing culture of grace and a place of love more so than as a place of rules and pretense. I do so hope for the church today to be connected to the blessing of Abraham in faith. Unfortunately our human pride does have a tendency to make us identify with a legalistic system. As a counterbalance, today’s message is about putting a face on grace. To do that we need to remember our heritage of how God’s grace worked its way into us so we might be freed to express it to others. So today we celebrate God’s grace and reflect on its identifying characteristics of compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience. But beyond that we are to put on the badge of love as a perfect bond of unity. We are to live out this new identity. When we each look in the mirror we are to see a person driven to demonstrate whose they are. We are to see a person who has chosen to let Christ’s peace and purpose rule. We are not to squander our birth right. Today we examine the contrasts between what the world says we are and who Christ says we are. In today’s scripture we see three truths about our identity in Christ. Here we realize that Jesus was rejected by men but He was chosen by God. Here we realize that we too might be rejected by men but have been chosen to be in union with God’s Son as part of a living Body. Here we are made alive and real in Christ. Here we are made heirs to every promise. Here we are freed as we become connected to the love of God in Christ. But in addition to being a Body we are also stones in God’s house and have value as part of something larger than ourselves. We are the Temple. And in that Temple, because we have special direct access to God, we are to serve as Priests offering up spiritual sacrifices. In all this we gain a spiritual identity. In all this we remember whose we are. For we hope we are like Israel… elected, chosen… and called by name to become His people. But we also hope we are faithfully responsive to the grace we have been offered. A choice is necessary. Each offers immediate satisfaction. One is lasting. The other is not. People who have chosen folly as a life style are often arrogant and cynical and confused about life. It is a waste of time to instruct them as they enjoy the short lived self-satisfaction of sin. The timing is wrong. They have fallen in love with evil. They have lost the good sense to choose wisdom. They do not want to know the truth. They refuse correction as a way of despising themselves. Perhaps only when we decide to choose God and honor Jesus do we really know we have first been chosen by Him to receive grace.
Pray we have grace driven authenticity. Pray that those who believe in God’s grace extend it to others as their identity and witness of Christ’s heart for the called out assembly. Pray we wear the badge of real righteousness. Pray our actions of love come from the Holy Spirit. Pray that God’s kindness draws us to repentance. Pray we are willing to waive our rights and preferences for the cause of Christ. Pray that the Word and truth of Christ lives in us. Pray our identity is authenticated when we become a person of grace in our interactions and relationships with others.
Pray that we have an understanding of God’s view of who we really are. Pray that we have a humble view of who we are. Pray we know the truth. Pray that we link all the events and relationships in our lives to discover the purposes we have been called by God. Pray we are obedient. Pray when we are brought into the fullness of God’s purpose in Christ we worship for the benefit of God and remember whose we are. Pray we realize that if God has chosen us, all we need do is to choose Jesus and be part of an identity in Him.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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