To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ have been admonished by Jude a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James saying; “I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those who did not believe” (Jude5).
The apostle Paul echoed similar sentiment by saying; “But with most of them God was not pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” And that “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come: Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1Corinthians 10:5-6, 11-12).
Unfortunately, there is a condemnation leveled on the church where ungodly men have turned the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and for this reason although many have been called, only a few will be chosen.
Who is responsible for choosing only a few from the many, is it God? Is it predestination?
For sure it is not God, because according to the truth of God’s inspired word He shows no partiality. “For the Lord our God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and widows, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18).
God’s role in man’s eternal destiny is to:-
a. Blessed him with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
b. Let His divine power give to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Peter 1:3-4).
c. Execute righteous judgment. For He will render to each one according to his deeds. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and who rejects the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for everyone who does evil. First for the Jew, then for the Gentiles, but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; for God does not show favoritism.” In every nation whoever fears God and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Romans 2:6-11; Acts 10:35).
The many called and few are chosen is it a matter of predestination?
In one sense of the word yes, but not as many presumed it is. It is not a matter of; some individuals are predestined to be saved while others are predestined to be lost.
The predestination of either being saved, or being lost: lies in the belief or disbelief in Jesus Christ. Jesus said emphatically, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets; they will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me” (John 6:44-45).
Again Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65).
The irony of truth is, because of the Father’s impartiality towards man He has drawn every one to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” this He said, signifying by what death He would die” (John 12:32-33).
Christ’s death on the cross reconciled all men to the Father, giving each on the equal opportunity to be saved. As it is written; “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life: And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11).
The only thing we have different to each other is, “To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.’
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.’
“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines” (Ephesians 4:7; 1Corinthians 12:4-11).
Why are many called but few are chosen?
Many are called but few are chosen because of the following reasons:-
1. The calling is initially not an everlasting calling.
It is a calling to lead us to the Father. Jesus whilst praying for Himself said, “Father, the hour has come: Glorify your Son , that your Son also may glorify You, as you have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:1-3).
One must not forget that, “The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed those who did not believe.” With regards to this general calling, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, and in Him we all live and move and have our existence.
2. The calling is a call to holiness.
To all who have been drawn to Jesus Christ has a mandate to live holy lives, “For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2Corinthians 5:14-15).
Everyone who has been drawn to Jesus Christ is urged to “Have a walk worthy of the calling with which he/she has been called.” And, “As obedient children, they are not to conformed themselves to the former lusts, as when they were ignorant, because this time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. But as He who called us is holy, we also must be holy in all our conduct, because it is written; “Be holy, for I am holy” (Ephesians 4:1; 1Peter 1:14-16).
It is a calling that one should esteem highly. “For we see our calling brethren, think of what we were when we were called. Not many of us were wise by human standards, not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.”
It is because of God the Father that we are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1Corinthians 1:26-31).
The call to holiness is the main objective for which we were called. “Just as God the Father chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:4-7).
The will of God for those who have been called, is their sanctification. He did not call them to uncleanness, but in holiness, unto holiness, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.
Holiness is a state that is derived from the act of righteousness. It is the fruit of righteousness, not of our own, because man´s righteousness is as filthy rags before God, nor is it by the deeds of the law, because by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, but from the act of righteousness which Christ has done, and we continue to believe in, and partake of, which has become our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
3. One must abide in Christ in whom he/she has received the calling.
Jesus Christ gave an illustration on how we can abide in Him by saying, “I am the vine you are the branches”, and according to Jesus Christ’s own words, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit the Father takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.’
“Therefore, Jesus’ admonition to those who are in Him is; “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.’
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:2-7).
The chosen ones are those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.
How does one abide or be preserved in Jesus Christ?
According to Christ’s analogy regarding the true vine and the branches, the sap of the vine [His blood] must continue to flow through the branches, and the branches have to be bearing fruits, and this is accomplished by:-
1. Partaking of Christ’s flesh and blood [Communion]. Jesus said; “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
2. By allowing the truth which was heard from the beginning concerning the Word of life to abide in us.
According to the apostle John the truth which was heard from the beginning concerning the word of life is this: “The life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us – that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ: And the basis of this fellowship is for us to be holy, blameless and spotless, walking in the light even as He is in the light.
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (I John 1:1-3; 2:24-27).
3. Keeping God’s Commandments.
It is written; “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1John 3; 24).
And, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1John 4:12-13).
Keeping God’s commandments which is the love of God, and the love of our neighbor is prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is given to those who obey God, and Jesus Himself said, “If you love Me keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (Acts 5:32; John 14:15-17 ).
4. By abiding in love:
It is written; “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him” (1John 4:16).
The way God expressed His love was to give His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And the belief that one should have concerning the Beloved Son in order to have everlasting life is to believe that, Jesus Christ is the living bread which comes down from heaven and give life to the world.
For thus says the Lord, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:47-51).
5. Confessing that Jesus is the Son of God.
For, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1John 4:15).
In conclusion the few who are chosen are those who have acknowledged their calling in Christ, are walking worthy of this calling, which is to walk in holiness, and are preserved in Christ by abiding in His love, which is tantamount to keeping His commandments, and feeding on His flesh and blood, by partaking of communion at the appointed times.
He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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