8th February 2013
Choose God’s Choice
“You did not choose me, but I chose you”
John 15:16 (NIV UK)
If God has a will for us, does it threaten our human rights? After all, we have free will and we hold sacred our right to choose. Among theological and philosophical circles there is much discussion on these subjects.
God, of course, also has free will. He cuts to the chase in dealing with our dilemma about whether or not to choose him. He first chose us, even before any of us were born! No one forced God to supply “his glorious grace, which he has given us freely in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:6). It was entirely God’s own choice.
Freedom is more about giving than it is about anything else, according to the book of Proverbs. “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (Proverbs 11:14). Solomon is talking about how we ought to express our free will through generosity of spirit. God has expressed his free will by sending his son to die for us. His free gift in Jesus Christ gains more for us than we could possibly imagine.
A “no brainer” is a phrase used to indicate an obvious choice – so obvious that we need not think about it for long. God, however, wants us to think about how Jesus died that we may live. Our response to his sacrifice may seem like a “no brainer”, but it becomes a stumbling block for many. The desire to hold on to our own free will is so strong. We see accepting God’s will for us as an assault on our freedom. It isn’t. God’s choice is about making us free. It is about fulfilling our own unique human potential that he chose for us from the foundation of the world.
Choose God’s choice for you.
Accept Jesus.
Prayer
Great God, thank you that you chose me in Christ Jesus. Help me to live every day in acceptance of your will.
Amen
Study by James Henderson
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Love in Christ