CHOSEN BY GOD!

CHOSEN BY GOD! 

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. —Deuteronomy 14:2

            How amazing that our Lord God Almighty chose Israel over all the other peoples of earth to be “His treasured possession!”  Why did He do that?

After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. —Deuteronomy 9:4-6

It was not because of their righteousness that He chose them any more that it being our righteousness that He chose us. 

• But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. —Titus 3:4-7
• You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. —John 15:16
• If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. —John 15:19
• But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. —I Peter 2:9
• Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. —Colossians 3:12

Yes, brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus, He chose you and me.  But let us never forget that it was not because we were more righteous than anyone else.  We have not righteousness of our own any more than Israel did when He chose them.  Let us not forget that “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (II Timothy 1:9).  He chose us for His own purposes.  He chose us by His grace (favor).  This was true of the nation of Israel and this is also true of us. Wow… let us rejoice that He chose us and let us be faithful to Him.  Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyFNAs2jRjU

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. —Ephesians 2:4-5