“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Mat 22:14, NKJ)
Perhaps you remember the old hymn:
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, / Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, / Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home, / You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, / Calling, O sinner, come home!
This calling of Jesus is, according to Rev 3:20, at the door of your heart, the origin of life (Prov 4:23). If you listen to His voice, He will enter and dine with you. We have learnt that this call comes to everyone – as a result Jesus says in the above Scripture: many are called. But alas: few are chosen.
Being chosen, as presented in most of our doctrine and tradition, has an incorrect basis – that God chooses as He wishes who will serve Him. We have already referred to the notion that a person’s choice is of utmost importance to God. And because God is not partial to anyone (Acts 10:34-35), in other words everyone is equal before Him, election is merely a term that refers to those who have themselves chosen to serve God. Because God is all-knowing, He knew who would choose Him, and thus “in Christ” (Eph 1:4) chose us. Thus we are “elect[ed] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:2). With His foreknowledge (Acts 15:18), He wrote the names of those who have chosen Him in the Book of Life (Rev 20:12). Thus: many are called, but few have responded to His calling.
What God says in Jer 1:5 is true of everyone: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” While God was busy creating humankind, Christ – the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24) – rejoiced before His Father and His delight was in the sons of men (Prov 8:22-31)! Thus, according to Rom 8:29-30, “those he foreknew…He also called”.
- Sela: Explain the main theme of today’s session to someone. Also, read 2 Pet 1:10. Pray and make your call and election sure and determine where you have previously fallen because you have not done it. Document it in your journal. Sign it.
- Read: Gen 5; Ps 5; John 5
- Memorise: John 5:39-40
