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Topic: THE "CHOSEN" of God's Heart
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bluefrog
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posted
WILD B...Your concern above about giving credit for using someone elses work has been taken care of by your new president. Now Evvveeerrryyyyyooonnneeee has credit and the other guy does the work. So, you see, there were no rules broken here. It is the new Change!
It doesn't bother me if someone copies anothers work, but it sure would be nice if they shortened it some. Does anyone really read the longies that seriously ? I know one who doesn't.
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Found in Him
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Member # 7596
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posted
oneinchrist wrote....Its interesting that the passage "And no one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up the last day." is so often looked at from one perspective theology, but I wonder if there is'nt another perspective to be considered. Doesnt vs. 45 give us greater depth into understanding vs. 44?............
vs. 45"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."
Amen...His words are spirit and they are life. We first believed by "hearing" the gospel. The word of God concerning His Son Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit drawing and convicting us.
God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit agree in one. Work as one.
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
Posts: 1503 | Registered: Jan 2009
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WildB
Moderator
Member # 2917
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posted
<< Matthew 22 >>
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible
22:1-14 The provision made for perishing souls in the gospel, is represented by a royal feast made by a king, with eastern liberality, on the marriage of his son. Our merciful God has not only provided food, but a royal feast, for the perishing souls of his rebellious creatures. There is enough and to spare, of every thing that can add to our present comfort and everlasting happiness, in the salvation of his Son Jesus Christ. The guests first invited were the Jews. When the prophets of the Old Testament prevailed not, nor John the Baptist, nor Christ himself, who told them the kingdom of God was at hand, the apostles and ministers of the gospel were sent, after Christ's resurrection, to tell them it was come, and to persuade them to accept the offer. The reason why sinners come not to Christ and salvation by him, is, not because they cannot, but because they will not. Making light of Christ, and of the great salvation wrought out by him, is the damning sin of the world. They were careless. Multitudes perish for ever through mere carelessness, who show no direct aversion, but are careless as to their souls. Also the business and profit of worldly employments hinder many in closing with the Saviour. Both farmers and merchants must be diligent; but whatever we have of the world in our hands, our care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ. The utter ruin coming upon the Jewish church and nation, is here represented. Persecution of Christ's faithful ministers fills up the measure of guilt of any people. The offer of Christ and salvation to the Gentiles was not expected; it was such a surprise as it would be to wayfaring men, to be invited to a royal wedding-feast. The design of the gospel is to gather souls to Christ; all the children of God scattered abroad, Joh 10:16; 11:52. The case of hypocrites is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, who have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The imputed righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are both alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can form it for himself. The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously claimed. Our Saviour here passes out of the parable into that which it teaches. Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utter darkness. Many are called to the wedding-feast, that is, to salvation, but few have the wedding-garment, the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit. Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in the faith, and seek to be approved by the King.
http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/matthew/22.htm
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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oneinchrist
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Member # 6532
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posted
Hi Bluefrog,
Well, if anyone does disagree, I am willing to listen. One thing I have learned is that we can learn more when we are willing to listen to those who disagree with us.
so.......who's on first?....LOL
With love in Christ ,Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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bluefrog
unregistered
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posted
ONE IN CHRIST...Well said. How could anyone disagree with that ?
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oneinchrist
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Member # 6532
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posted
Hi Found in Him,
Its interesting that the passage "And no one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up the last day." is so often looked at from one perspective theology, but I wonder if there is'nt another perspective to be considered. Doesnt vs. 45 give us greater depth into understanding vs. 44?............
vs. 45"It is written in the prophets, And they shall be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."
So we see Jesus humbling Himself and giving honor and glory to the Father as the One who "draws", but then we see that the "drawing needs to be mixed with our listening and learning(attentiveness)
The significance of this verse would have slightly different meaning to us than it would have to them........please let me explain
In those days, God was working all sorts of miracles, signs, and wonders through Jesus in the presence of others. This was "drawing" them in and they needed to learn from it.
Today, we have the word of God which "draws" us in.........and we also have Christian brothers and sisters whom the Holy Ghost has used to "draw" us in and we needed to learn from it.
So what is the morale of the story...........God has, is, and will continue to be "drawing" people towards Him, but they still need to respond with an attentive heart that is willing to learn from what it hears.
If there are theologians who do not believe that man is able to respond with an attentive heart that is willing to learn(because of their sin nature) then I would have to ask the question..........."how is it then that men can respond that way towards anything or anyone, else?".......spouses, parents, friends, teachers,for that matter.
Our faith response to God needs to be that of an attentive heart that is willing to learn and Gods gift to us is to help us meet the challenges that we would not be able to meet on our own.
With love in Christ, Daniel
Posts: 1389 | From: Wind Lake, WI | Registered: May 2007
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bluefrog
unregistered
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posted
Amen and Amen
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WildB
Moderator
Member # 2917
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posted
THE "CALLED" of GODS HEART
Eph.4
[1] I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
[4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling;
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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yahsway
Advanced Member
Member # 3738
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posted
Amen! Rev. 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.
Posts: 1238 | From: Tennessee | Registered: Aug 2004
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Found in Him
Advanced Member
Member # 7596
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posted
becausehelives writes...This parable does not mean that God calls a lot of people, picks over them, and keeps only a few. If that were true, the middle of the parable would have no meaning. It means that God calls everyone and gives them the power to respond—but to be chosen, we must respond to the call, using the power God gave us for that purpose.
AMEN!
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
Posts: 1503 | Registered: Jan 2009
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becauseHElives
Advanced Member
Member # 87
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posted
quote:
Found in Him
The concepts of being called and being chosen are both biblically legitimate, but they are rarely understood and routinely misused. Let's be sure to get them straight.
What did Jesus mean by:
“Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen”?
This oft-quoted phrase comes from the King James Version:
For many are called, but few are chosen
—Matthew 22:14, KJV
Here is the entire parable, but the New International Version renders verse 14 as “many are invited, but few are chosen”:
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
—Matthew 22:1-14, NIV
The purpose of this parable is to explain the process by which the called are chosen.
First Things First: The “Many” and the “Few”
It is easy to misunderstand the word “many” in the New Testament, because it has slightly different meanings in Greek and in English. In both languages, it refers to a large group. In English, “many” is restrictive, but in Greek it is inclusive. In other words, if I say “many of the people came” in English, it implies that most of them did not. If I said the equivalent of “many of the people came” in Greek, it would imply that practically everyone did.
In this case, we are dealing with a Greek usage that divides the whole into two unequal parts, which are called the many and the few. In Greek you might say, “The many are on time, but the few are late.” The English equivalent is, “Most are on time, but some are late.” In Greek, “the many” and “the few” add up to everyone; just as in English, “most” and “some” add up to everyone.
In this parable, everyone was invited to the wedding, but the invitation went out in two waves. The respectable people were invited first, but they did not heed the invitation or they only pretended to accept. They lied, they pretended, but the result is that they didn’t show up. So the king told his slaves to send out the invitation again to the people who were not originally on the invitation list, and these people actually did show up. One of them was not wearing a wedding garment, so he was thrown out. In those days, the host furnished the wedding garments, so anyone who wasn’t properly dressed was very disrespectful.
In the end, everyone had been invited, but only a few were permitted to stay for the wedding. In other words, everyone is called, but some people refuse the invitation and are not chosen.
Another Purpose for the Parable
Another purpose of this parable is to prepare the disciples for the fact that when they evangelized the Jews, they would meet with disappointment for the most part, and that they should turn to the gentiles, whom they would otherwise consider unworthy. The bit about the man who avoided the distribution of the wedding garments means that the second group cannot presume acceptance, any more than the first group can presume acceptance because they are Abraham’s children. Just being called doesn’t mean you are chosen; you have to respond appropriately in your faith and conduct and then you are chosen.
Of course, Christians are presented with the problem that the gospel is Jewish, but Jews for the most part do not accept it. There are two theological explanations:
The first explanation comes from Paul and it parallels this parable. If the worthy had accepted the invitation, the unworthy would never have been invited; that means if the Jews had accepted the gospel, the gentiles would never have been evangelized. So the Jews’ rejection of the gospel is not Jewish stubbornness, it is divine providence, so that all can be saved.
The second explanation is that God wants to preserve the Jews as a witness to the One True God. The Jews were a very small and insignificant ethnic group in ancient times, yet they survive to this day. We do not hear about the plight of the Edomites, the problems of the Ammonites, or the exploits of the Hittites in the evening news; all those nations have long since passed away. Today, archaeologists study them, but to most people these mighty nations have shrunk down to names in the Bible that are hard to pronounce. Yet we still have Jews! To me, the only possible reason why this tiny ethnic group could survive when all those larger nations passed away is that they really were chosen by the One True God to bear witness to His existence and providence.
The Called and the Chosen
This parable does not mean that God calls a lot of people, picks over them, and keeps only a few. If that were true, the middle of the parable would have no meaning. It means that God calls everyone and gives them the power to respond—but to be chosen, we must respond to the call, using the power God gave us for that purpose. [B]
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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bluefrog
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FOUND IN HIM.....Well, I hope you feel gooder now that you got that off your chest. LOL ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Anyway, Well Said and Thank You.
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Found in Him
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posted
THE "CHOSEN" of God's Heart
The idea that one must be "called" and "chosen" originated with Jesus Himself, who told His disciples that "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). The concepts of being called and being chosen are both biblically legitimate, but they are rarely understood and routinely misused. Let's be sure to get them straight.
"Many are called, but few are chosen." That's what Jesus said. But what does it mean?
God's desire is to give salvation-eternal life-to all mankind. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17). The key to this passage, however, is that not all are being saved at this time, in this age (Romans 11:7-8, 25-26; Ephesians 1:7-10).
God chooses a person to receive eternal life only when he learns and accepts the truth, repents and is baptized. But how can he distinguish truth from error?
The truth, Jesus explained, is what God reveals through His Word, the Bible (John 17:17). To become acceptable to God, all must recognize and accept God's Word as the main source of truth. Our Creator "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
All must repent
After learning the fundamentals of God's truth, one must repent. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). There are no exceptions. God wants everyone to repent.
An accurate understanding of the gospel of Jesus helps us comprehend God's plan for us and why we must repent. That understanding of the future God has in store for us helps us see why we need to surrender to God and transform our lives with His help.
But how can one gain this understanding? Paul's answer: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15).
Paul says we must be taught by those who are truly sent by God, His faithful servants who do not teach lawlessness, who are faithful to God's Word, who teach obedience to God and that repentance is to cease from sin and quit transgressing God's laws (1 John 3:4).
Let's consider the difference between called and chosen. "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning CHOSE you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
Here we see that people are called (invited) by the preaching of the gospel (the good news of the Kingdom of God). They receive the knowledge that they need to repent of their sins.
Those who respond positively to that calling, that invitation, are chosen for salvation. How? By believing the truth and by being sanctified (set apart) by receiving the Holy Spirit.
Different responses to gospel
The process of God's calling and choosing us is a sorting that begins with a miracle from God. Jesus says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him ..." (John 6:44). He adds, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (verse 65). It is a remarkable testimony to the mighty power of God that He can still reach us in spite of satan's influence, our flawed human nature and the pulls of this present evil world.
God issues the invitation. He draws our hearts toward Him. He grants us the desire to learn His ways, to submit our wills to Him. But our natural inclination is to resist submitting to His laws (Romans 8:7). Yielding our will to God is truly a miracle, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Jesus uses the parable of the sower and the seed to illustrate people's varied responses to the gospel. In the parable all hear the truth of God's Word preached. But only those whom God calls grasp the truth and understand it. People respond differently to the message. You can read the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13, where Jesus not only tells the story but explains what it means.
First Jesus explains the response of those who are not yet being called. They do not grasp what they hear. "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside" (verse 19). Such people never comprehend the message and its significance.
Next He explains three different responses from those who do understand. God has opened their minds; they grasp the meaning. But they respond differently and for different reasons.
Short-lived acceptance
"But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles" (verses 20-21).
This person's first response is joyful acceptance, but he quickly retreats. Why? He backs off because of pressure from other people who do not understand. He cares more about what people think than what God thinks. He is afraid to rock the boat. Conforming to those around him is more important. The tribulation, or persecution, he experiences from trying to live God's way of life makes him stumble. He rejects the calling from God.
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (verse 22).
This person is not as concerned about the opinions of his peers. But he has another problem: selfishness. Maintaining his status and acquiring possessions consume his interest, time and energy. He has no time for God. He is too busy serving himself. Material things are more important than spiritual matters. He, too, rejects God's calling.
"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (verse 23).
This person understands God's Word and takes it seriously. He puts it into practice. God has changed his life! This person was chosen for salvation. He put God first in his life.
Many are called. Many receive the opportunity for God to work in them "to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). But only a few respond. Those few truly repent and surrender their will to God, making a commitment to obey God's commandments. Those who respond to God's calling are chosen by God because they choose to serve and obey God and put Him first.
They must remain faithful
When God offers them an opportunity to serve Him, the choice is theirs. That choice is not merely a one-time decision. They must commit themselves to that choice and persevere to the end (Matthew 24:13).
At the end of this age the rulers who resist Christ "will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful" (Revelation 17:12-14).
Notice that those who are with Christ are not just called and chosen; they are also faithful. Being called and chosen is not the end of the story. We must remain faithful to our calling to be saved.
At times we may be called upon to prove our faithfulness by enduring trials and overcoming obstacles to our faith as evidence of our continued commitment to serving God. His truly converted people are designated in the Scriptures as "the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27) and "the church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15).
God has made it clear who His real disciples are. They are first called to repentance by having their minds opened to accurately understand the teachings of the Scriptures.
If they respond by choosing to surrender their will to God so His Spirit can guide both their hearts and their conduct, they are chosen for salvation—to have a part in His eternal kingdom. Then all who remain loyally obedient to Him are the true "called, chosen and faithful" people of God!
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
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