Many Are Called....

[Adstar]

Many are called but only those that respond to the call are chosen.

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[Dad Ernie]

Great responses everyone. Very uplifting to know that I walk (chat) among brothers/sisters that are like-minded.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Bless you all,

Dad Ernie

[tsth]

Very precise and full of truth zebulon. Good post!

Welcome!

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Crusader4Christ]

Quote from Catsmeow:

Matthew 22:14 Many are called but few are chosen....

I have never been certain what this verse means...it's always puzzled me.

If people are called, aren't they chosen...and if they're chosen, won't they respond?...

It indicates many are called but only a few are chosen...I really struggle with this verse...

This means that God calls many to believe Him and accept as their Savior, but

few will be chosen to be of God's flock.

I hope this helps catsmeow.

God bless you.

[wordsower]

I wonder..am I called? Am I chosen? If chosen, what am I chosen for and why me? Do other people wonder, "Why did God choose to reveal Himself to me?"

Cats, you were called and you ARE Chosen! God has a purpose for everyone, sbut not everyone fulfills their purpose. Your purpose is to glorify God and Praise Him! He saved me from death when I was 5, He wants us all fulfilling our purpose but He knows the end from the beginning so He knows how the story ends. He will reveal your specific purpose in His plan if you ask Him and seek Him.

Bless you!

[Guest zebulon]

We are constantly called and constantly chosen.

The question is, do we submit to the Lord our will???

God chose Pharoah, and told him, "I have raised you up, that MY name might be glorified in all the earth," and yet the Lord God saw fit to harden the heart of Pharoah, for his own purposes.

Is that bad news?

God forbid!

that's GOOD news!

God, being all knowing, already knew that Pharoah's heart would never fully embrace Him.

It's good news

Because we know that the Lord has promised all who come to him in faith that he will never leave us or forsake us, and if we profess him before men, he will confess our names before His Father.

The rest is up to us. Will we leave him? Forsake him? Deny him? And there are countless ways we can do that... it doesn't require an abandonment of words of faith to utterly cut ourselves off from his grace.

We've all heard "grace is a free gift." That's true. But it is a gift that is continually being given, like a life-line, or food, a spiritual sustainance to carry us to redemption in Christ. We can easily go on a grace diet and slim down in sins; fashionable in the world, yes... but hideous to the lord. He wants us overflowing with grace to the point that Satan's fiery darts meet the extinguishing water of everlasting life with a hissssss.

Why God chose to reveal himself to you, and not someone else, is the mystery of election. He told Jeremiah he knew him before he was in the womb. I think he knew all his elect before they were manifest, in some way. Lot's of wild speculations there by various preachers, and none of it worth a lick of salt. It's one of those wonderful things we have to wait and see about. Like christmas day, opening your presents... one day, we'll 'know as we are known.' Oooh! maybe there's another clue!

[Crusader4Christ]

Applaud! Applaud!

Great post Zebulon! You hit the nail right on the spot.

God bless you brother.

[Catsmeow]

Why God chose to reveal himself to you, and not someone else, is the mystery of election. He told Jeremiah he knew him before he was in the womb. I think he knew all his elect before they were manifest, in some way

I do believe in the mystery of election...God knowing us before the foundations of the world. It seems like a very special honor or privilege, which I don't take lightly.

I have wondered if those "called" are those who are invited but don't consider the invite a "privilege" or "honor" whereas those who do consider it an honor enter into the realm of the "chosen".

I am making a connecting between this and the scripture parable about the persons who were invited to the wedding feast but declined, due to other engagements.

Then people out in the streets are invited to the wedding and those who attend become the new "chosen" guests. The former chosen ones rejected the gracious invite so now, there's a new guest list.

The real life application would be the Jews were invited, rejected the invite and now the Gentiles are given the same invitation. They now become among the chosen ones.

[Guest zebulon]

Yes... and all to teach a great lesson. It's a tragic one, but one God had to enact in history for oursakes, I think. one which we should never take for granted. As paul said, branches were broken off that we might be grafted in.

We are 'adopted'

There is the "chosen" element again

We "think" we chose Jesus... but we don't. He foreknew and chose us even before the world began. It's unfathomable... and wonderful.

and it may even be that we, in ways we don't understand now and can't, were even with God then.

[Catsmeow]

I can't verify it with scripture but I have a suspicion that we were in spirit form before we became flesh (conceived in the womb) hence God knew us, in the intimate sense of knowing a person very deeply or personally...and we knew Him also.

Many people flinch at the thought of predestination but I tend to agree with it because of verses which support Him knowing us before the foundations of the world.