F4S: I want to ask you some questions that I was asked. May I? Who started the work of grace in us? Did God choose us, or did we believers choose God?

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

I want to ask you some questions that I was asked. May I? Who started the work of grace in us? Did God choose us, or did we believers choose God?

"Just as He chose us in Him 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…" ~ Paul

Bottom line: There was zero merit or goodness that caused God to choose you or me. You know we've blown it in sin going against God's holy standards and commandments - yes, all of us are real sinners. We have both crossed God's line and fallen short of His glory.(Rom.3:23) It is clear that in spite of our best intentions and the high opinion we may hold of ourselves, God's choosing had nothing to do with our merit.

Greg Laurie, my friend and pastor in California, says God chose us for the same reason He chose Israel. To them He said, "The Lord did not set His heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you" (Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NLT).

I personally wasn't out lookin' for him when I lived in Dana Point at the time. A friend named Randy Zieglar - my football coach and a four A surfer that I'd go hit the waves with.. told me all about knowing Jesus.

Glad!!!  I had no desire to seek Him. I was a surfer and mocker that got changed and now I am a mockee, but happy. Way blessed. Yup. 

The Lord loves you.

Romans 5:6–8 tells us, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (NKJV).

Paul was preaching to some Gentiles (non-Jews) and a number of them believed: "Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48 NKJV).

Allow me to pray for you before I close here...

Thank you Father for choosing us and hearing us. You are SO worthy of all glory and honor and praise. I worship You and I pray because I love You. We all do here. We want to be close to You, and want all our friends to be saved and helped. Yes God, we desire You and to be used by You to reach the lost around us. God, please use us today.. to sharpen our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to give the Lost a viable answer for the hope that we have in Your son Jesus. Please fill/refill us with the Holy Spirit for this Task. Guide our thoughts to the right ideas; to the right words to share with those in need. Give us a hunger to know You better and to serve you faithfully in every part of our lives. Please bless each of my friends where they need this most. Father, I ask all this in Jesus' Name as He has in the Bible clearly instructed us. We love You Father. Amen.

The Bible is filled with the call of God to man to respond to the Good News!

1. John 11:26 – "Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."
2. Paul in Romans 10:13 said, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
3. Revelation 22:17 – "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

God started it - as the Initiator. I responded.. just like you can do if you still need assurance inside. I love Him because He first loved and chose me.