We’re Here For A Reason-Go! Ask!

I don’t think that Jesus; in His humanity wanted anyone to be put off by what He had to say, but He wasn’t going to coddle His listeners. He had great compassion. Consider how He looked upon Jerusalem, wept and cried out—“…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37) Yes, He desired all to come to a right knowledge of His Father and that included the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, fishermen, tax collectors, sinners, the Samaritan woman… little children…well, I think you understand. Later, with Cornelius, it was revealed the Gentiles too would be among the called.  As God incarnate, Jesus didn’t delight in the death of the wicked (Eze. 18:23); especially since He knew the reality of their end; speaking of it Himself in terms of a worm that dieth not (Mark 9:44.) Sadly, it is for us Today as it was for Jesus and the disciples then, people abhor the very light and truth that was intended to set them free. Of course, a world that is kept at peace in its slumber, doesn’t realize its bondage. If you could sleep peacefully in an 8×8′ filthy cell, then at least for that time you’d have a sense of freedom, but oh, what would a restless night bring you; possibly a quickening and awakening night? One that when you awoke you found the door was open!

Nonetheless, it’s clear that Jesus came for those whom He chose (John 15:16), and in His choosing, the Holy Spirit quickened (Col. 2:13) bringing us to see our actual sinful and corrupt surroundings. That is true of those who lived yesterday; live today and tomorrow. Christ is now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for His chosen. What’s remarkable too is how Jesus explained in John 15:16 the nature of ‘His choosing’; that is, He chose us out of the world. While some believe it’s necessary to explain how it is that one person is chosen rather than another, I find no conflict in believing, by faith, that God’s eternal will and purpose was consummated through divinely merged foreknowledge and predestination; which led to the ‘election’ or ‘choosing.’ Still, some folks struggle with this, and in explanation they maintain the reason some are saved and others are not is the result of free will. One simply chose to believe; the other did not. However, what is problematic with that position is what Jesus said in the same verse: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.”

Now, my purpose for bringing this up is not to perpetuate the centuries old squabble between Calvinists and Armenians. Frankly, if a brother or sister came to me and said that they studied the matter of free will and adamantly concluded their salvation was based on their decision-making—apart from any inclination that the Holy Spirit was involved—I don’t know what I’d say. Would I be aghast? Yes. Most people just accept free will because that’s what they heard. However, I certainly wouldn’t pronounce judgment, because I believe that God; in seeing the end from the beginning, knows the end of that man or woman. However, taking John 15:16; Ephesians 1:3-13; Ephesians 2:8,9 into account and in plain reading, I am at peace with God with regard to my current view; which is accepting of His sovereignty and that He has worked all things; including those chosen, in accordance with the counsel of His own will. (See Ps. 22:10; Jer. 1:5) The beautiful and most wonderful aspect of God’s sovereignty and the election of the saints; which occurred before the very foundation of the world, was that our election was not as many look at it. It’s not a question of one person or another being ‘chosen’ at random out of a fallen mass of humanity. Rather, as the great minister, Martyn-Lloyd Jones said, we were inserted into this space and time; meaning that we were placed where we are for a specific reason and purpose. If that doesn’t give you a sense of excitement and challenge to go to God and inquire; then again I’m aghast. All I can say it that we’re here for a reason. Go. Ask!