About the attitude of the Lord God towards the many called and the few chosen, and also about the fact that love fades away from the diminishment of communication. Who are the “chosen people”, how to recognize them? Why are there few chosen ones? How to know that you are chosen by God
Now I am sitting in my chair, in which I pray every morning, writing a letter to you and thinking about all those people who support us with prayers and finances. I just prayed for you, and now I am pondering a question that was recently asked to me; I want to talk to you about this question and the answer to it today.
I was recently asked, “How does God choose the people He wants to work through?” This is an important question that you should ask yourself if you want God to choose you. If you look closely at God's chosen ones doing something significant, you will understand that God does not choose people based on their talents and abilities. And if so, there must be another reason that prompts Him to lay His hand on a person in order to use him in a special way.
WHAT IS THIS REASON?
There are several answers to this question. There are certain qualities by which God chooses people, and you need to know these qualities.FAITHFUL, RELIABLE, TRUSTWORTHY
One of the answers to this question is given to us by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:2. He states this here so emphatically that one gets the impression that this quality is high on God's list of requirements for those chosen to do His work. Here's what he wrote:I would like to draw your attention to the word “faithful”. The Greek word pistos, “faithful,” is derived from the Greek pistis, “faith.” However, in 1 Corinthians 4:2 the word pistos does not mean “faith,” but “fidelity.” It characterizes a person whom God has considered faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and unshakable.
GOD IS WATCHING US CAREFULLY
How does God determine whether a person is faithful, reliable, trustworthy, steadfast? Paul answers this question in the same verse: “It is required of stewards that everyone should be faithful.”The Greek word eurisko – “to appear” – means to find, to discover. It is important to note that the meaning of the word eurisko implies a discovery made as a result of careful observation.
The meaning of the word eurisko tells us that God is carefully watching us, our actions and reactions. He looks at how we treat people, how we respond to pressure, and whether we have the tenacity to stay on the right path when there are so many distractions around us that are designed to cause us to disobey God. Before He pats us on the shoulder and entrusts us with some new important task, He will look at how well we have completed His previous assignment. Was it done as He expected? Have we finished it completely or is some part left unfinished? And have we done it in a way that glorifies the name of Jesus?
CHARACTER AND ACTIONS ARE WHAT IS IMPORTANT!
If you were God and were looking for a person through whom you could act in a powerful way, would you not look first to his character and actions to make sure that you could trust him with an important task? Even the employer closely monitors employees to understand which of them deserves a promotion.BEFORE YOU TRUST MORE...
If you were an employer, before you promoted a person and gave him greater responsibility, wouldn't you observe him to see if he would be faithful? If people do this when they are looking for a person who can be entrusted with fulfilling even important, but still temporary, from the point of view of eternal life, responsibilities, all the more will God do this when choosing people to whom He can entrust a mission, the fulfillment of which will affect that where people will spend eternity. There is nothing more serious than eternal destiny, which is why God, before entrusting someone with important spiritual matters, will observe him to see if this person will be faithful.GOD IS WATCHING AND... YOU!
God wants to know if we are faithful, trustworthy, reliable, steadfast. He is not ignorant and has no illusions about us, He watches us carefully and then makes a decision. This means that God is watching over you too. He watches your actions and reactions. He observes how you treat people and how you behave under pressure from circumstances. He looks to see if you have the tenacity to move forward despite difficulties.1 Corinthians 4:2 leaves no doubt about how important our quality of fidelity is to God. The word “turned out” strongly indicates that God is watching us over a long period of time to see how we behave in certain circumstances, whether we are faithful, whether we can be relied upon, whether we are trustworthy, how much we reliable and unshakable.
Today I would like to ask you a question: “How did God find you?”
GOD SEEKS THE FAITHFUL!
Having realized from observing a person that he can be trusted, God, as a rule, soon entrusts him with a task. The Greek word used in the above verse, zeteo, “to be required,” means to seek, to seek, to look very carefully. The word was a legal term describing a judicial investigation, but it could also refer to scientific research. It describes an intense, thorough search. The verse can be paraphrased as follows: “God makes a careful, all-inclusive, thorough search to find a steward who will be faithful.”VALUABLE FIND
This means that people who have the qualities that God wants to see in them in order to use them in the implementation of His plans are not found at every turn. Faithful, reliable, trustworthy, steadfast people are so rare that God has to make a careful, thorough search to find them. And when, as a result of observing a believer, God comes to the conclusion that he really strives to do His will, and in the best possible way, He understands that he has made a valuable discovery. He has found a faithful person whom he can rely on and entrust him with an important task.A REAL TREASURE!
WHAT CAN GOD SAY ABOUT YOUR FAITHFULNESS?
Looking at you, what can God say about your faithfulness? I encourage you to do everything possible so that He can easily say: “This man is a real treasure. I can entrust him with the execution of an important assignment.” And don't let Him say, “Not yet,” because you refused to make the necessary changes.
Because God is watching us, we need to look at ourselves to see what He sees when He looks at our actions, how we keep our promises, and how obedient we are to Him and His Word. Will God say He can trust us, or will He be wise to choose someone else?
THE DOOR TO YOUR CALLING
If you want to move to a higher spiritual level - more responsible, but at the same time more interesting and exciting, and it is at this level that God can give a more important task - then do everything possible to be faithful! If God sees your faithfulness, then soon a door will open before you, entering which you will be able to fulfill what He has called you to do.DO YOU HAVE A TASK RIGHT NOW?
Today I want to ask you:
What assignment has God given you? Perhaps this assignment is related to work or relationships, an assignment to solve some personal problems? Can you name now the most important assignment God has given you—the one that He is watching most closely? If you don't know what God wants you to do now, ask Him to help you understand what your task is and do it to the best of your ability so that He can entrust you with something more significant. Determine and even commit yourself to do everything in your power so that God will find you faithful in doing His will - in carrying out the simple task He has given you - so that He can then entrust you with a more important task.GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR!
God is interested in how you complete the tasks assigned to you. He stands beside you to help you, to encourage you, and to strengthen you where you are weak, so that you may be faithful and able to carry out His next assignment with full dedication.GOD CALLS US TO RAISE HIGHER
Do you think God finds you faithful in doing His will, from the simple tasks assigned to you to such an important matter as fulfilling your calling? I hope this letter was interesting and useful for you. This letter motivated me to be even more obedient to God and serve Him even better. It became a test for myself, because I always try to do everything that the Lord tells me. Right now He is calling me to rise higher. I know it. What is God calling you to? I am confident that you will be faithful and take on your God-given assignments with renewed vigor and complete them to the best of your ability.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for your prayerful and financial support of the ministry of our church. Not a day goes by that Denise and I do not thank God for all of you and pray that He will lift you even higher and give you the best. It is a great honor for us to pray for you and watch with you how God’s will is carried out in your life.
INTERNET CHURCH
In our Internet church, on the website () you have the opportunity to watch broadcasts of services in real time, “Online Home Groups” on Mondays. Online church is a great opportunity to reach as many precious hearts as possible with ministry. Invite your friends and acquaintances and, if possible, join us yourself.
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This is the part of the dictation that you can read
When God sent Moses to the Israelites, he did not send him to a specific group of people. It is simply a symbol of a certain state of consciousness. What does it mean to be God's chosen people? Who were God's chosen people and who are they now?
Yes, God's chosen people were indeed those who were created in the spiritual octave as angels, representatives of God. This is how they were created; they are created to be angels in the higher octaves, who would gradually lower the Divine energies into the lower octaves. And therefore, they were the first creation of God, and therefore they can be said to have been chosen by God to play this important role of stepping down the light for others. But when they were poisoned by their pride and they fell, they kept their pride, and they keep it to this day.
And thus, when Moses was sent to the Israelites, he was sent as a symbol of the Messenger from God who came to those who had fallen because of pride. They thought that they were the most important beings. They thought that they were God's chosen people, and that is definitely why they were given the message that they were (the chosen people).
Their test was to recognize that they were created for high rank - they were created for a certain high position, but that they could realize this position only through absolute humility, including the humility of a being willing to serve those who they consider inferior to themselves, and thus who are in some sense inferior to them, since they were created later, they were created to be sons and daughters of God, who evolve through the material world, upward through the Spiritual octaves, until they too reach the fullness of the Divine consciousness with which the angels were created first.
So, truly, when you understand the equation, you will realize that being God's chosen people on Earth is not a very high position. Because this means that you have fallen through pride, and that you need to go within, look in the mirror, look for the beam in your own eye, and not look for the speck in the eyes of those who are lower than you in rank, but truly not lower than you in humility. Didn’t Christ say: “And whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of all?” (Mark 10:44) And this is certainly another motto of the Age of Aquarius that could burn brightly across the sky.
We offer the path of humility
Let us live to make man free. Do you think I'm here for my own glory? Do you think I'm here to present myself as some kind of king, like some kind of idol that will be worshiped, like Jesus, who was turned into an idol by the false preachers of Christianity for this 2000 years?
No, I'm not here to show myself off, I'm not here to elevate myself above anyone. I AM here to help everyone see the God within, the Christ within themselves, so that they can see that there is no one who is more important than others, for God loves everyone. Even though people were created to play different roles in the drama of life, this does not mean that they are more valuable. Being God's chosen people means that you are chosen for a special mission, and as long as you fulfill that mission, all is well and you are multiplying the talents given. But if you, through pride, begin to think that other people should serve you, then you have lost the thread of connection with the Lord.
And then, the only way back - since you have fallen in pride - the only way back is through complete and utter humility. And that is why we prescribe the path of humility to everyone who would like to be students of the Ascended Host.
It doesn't matter where you come from, whether you fell from above or fell from below. The past is not important. What matters is where you want to go. Do you want to take the test? Are you ready to come to terms? And so, I turn to you: - In the Age of Aquarius, those who have the greatest humility are considered the greatest in the eyes of God, because they have the smallest ego. They have less pride.
Don't strive to be great in the eyes of man if you want to be great in the eyes of God. Seek instead a total humility where you acknowledge that you are not here to glorify your individual self, because you are more than that individual self. You are part of the Body of God on Earth, and only when the entire Body of God is exalted do you accomplish what you came to do. You did not come here to glorify the ego, you came here to glorify God, since the One is in everyone.
Look, brethren, who you are called: not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many of you are strong, not many of you are noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong things; God chose the base things of the world and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should boast before God.
First Corinthians 1:26-29.
The Apostle Paul said that Jesus Christ was despised by both Jews and pagans. However, the apostle asserted, for him this was not a stumbling block, for what for others was madness, he considered wisdom, and rejoiced that the madness of God was wiser than people and that the weakness of God is more powerful than the strength of man. But in order that none of the Corinthians should stumble when they hear that the world despises Christ, the apostle shows what is the usual way of God: He chooses insignificant means to achieve His ends, and because of this all the glory belongs to Him. As an argument, Paul uses the fact of their election and calling: “Look, brethren,” he says, “who you are who are called: not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble...” But the poor, illiterate, God called the insignificant ones so that He might be all in all, so that no flesh should boast before Him. It is clear to any person who searches the Scriptures or observes the facts that God did not intend the gospel to be fashionable. He did not even think of gathering the elite of humanity; He had no plans to form a new people from high-ranking officials. On the contrary, God challenged human greatness, He humiliated human pride and cut with the sword of His power the armorial shield of human glory. “I will overthrow, I will overthrow, I will overthrow,” sounds the motto of the Lord of hosts, and it will sound “until He comes to whom it belongs” and the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. The doctrine of election, like no other, humbles a person. This is why the Apostle Paul remembers him: he wants the Corinthian believers to be content to follow the humble, despised, cross-bearing Savior, for grace has chosen humble and despised people who cannot be ashamed to follow Him who is so like them, Who was despised and despised among men.
Moving directly to the verses we read, we will, first, pay attention to the One who made the choice; secondly, to the seemingly strange election; thirdly, on the elect, and after that we will dwell on the reasons that stood behind God's election: "... so that no flesh should boast before God."
I. First, let us rise high on the wings of thought and think about the One who made the choice.
Some people are saved and some are not; It is an undeniable fact that some gain eternal life and some continue on the path of sin until they end up in hell. What causes this difference? Why does anyone reach heaven? The reason that some perish in hell is sin and sin alone; they do not want to repent, they do not want to believe in Christ, they do not want to turn to God and therefore they voluntarily perish, bringing themselves to eternal death. But why are some saved? By whose will are they different from other people? Paul answers this question three times in these verses. He does not say: “man has chosen,” but repeats three times: “God has chosen, God has chosen, God has chosen.” The grace that is in man, the glory and eternal life that some achieve, are gifts of God's election and are not given out by the will of man.
This will become clear to any sane person if he only turns to the facts. Whenever we see election in the Old Testament, we see that it clearly comes from God. We can start from the most ancient times. The angels fell, the multitude of shining spirits who surrounded the throne of God and sang His praises were deceived by Satan and sinned. The ancient serpent carried away a third of the heavenly stars, so that they would disobey God and be condemned to eternal chains and eternal fire. Man also sinned: Adam and Eve broke the covenant made between them and God and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. Did God condemn them to eternal fire? No, in His great mercy He whispered a promise in Eve's ear: "The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent." Some people are saved, but no demon is saved. Why? Is the reason in man? Keep quiet! It is empty boasting to say that man has determined his destiny. God Himself says: “...I will have mercy on whom I have mercy; I will have mercy on whom I have pity.” Being the all-powerful God, the Lord is essentially saying: “I determine and decide that from the human race I will save a huge number of people that no one can count, and they will be vessels of mercy. And the angels who were formerly my servants have now become traitors their Master, will perish without any hope of redemption and will be an example of the power of My righteousness and the greatness of My justice." And it never occurred to anyone to challenge this decision of God. I have never heard even the most extreme Pelagian defend the devil. Origen apparently did teach that the universal law of mercy also applies to the devil, but hardly anyone today holds this point of view. Here is a clear example of election: some people are saved, but all the fallen angels will perish. How can such a difference be explained if not by the will of the Lord? When we remember the grace that humanity has received, we must say: “God has chosen.” We can easily recall examples of how the will of God separated some people from others. During the time of the patriarchs, almost all people were pagans. But a few people chosen by God worshiped the true God. The Lord decided to create a special people who would have revelation from God and keep the truth. He chose Abraham as the forefather of this people. Who chose whom: Abraham God or the God of Abraham? Did Abraham have something from birth that made him fit to serve the Almighty? Scripture is clear that Abraham had nothing like this. On the contrary, he was a wandering, or rather, perishing Aramean, and his family was no different from others; his family, like everyone else, worshiped idols. Nevertheless, he was called from the East and became, by the special will of God, the father of the believers. What was it about the Jews that could prompt God to bless them with prophets, teach them the true worship of God through sacrifices and other rituals, while other nations worshiped gods made of stone and wood? We can only say one thing: God did it. His mercy was directed to the people of Israel and to no other. Think of any example of Divine grace in Old Testament times. For example, God showed mercy to David. But did David himself choose the throne, separate himself from other people and make himself God's chosen messenger for the Israelites? Or maybe the youngest son of Jesse had a clear advantage over his brothers? No, on the contrary, from a human point of view, his brothers were better suited. Even Samuel, when he saw Eliab, said: “Surely this is His anointed before the Lord!” But God sees differently from man, and He chooses blond David to be king of Israel. And you can give other examples, but your memory will allow me not to waste unnecessary words. All the events of the Old Testament show that God acts as He pleases, both among the heavenly host and among the inhabitants of the earth. He casts down and He lifts up, He lifts up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the poor from the dirt, He places him next to the nobles. God chooses, not man. “Therefore, mercy does not depend on the one who wishes, nor on the one who strives, but on God who has mercy.”
Let's look at this issue from a different perspective. If we think about who God is in relation to man, then it will become clear to us that everything must be determined by His will. God is a king for man. And will the Tsar really not act according to his own will? People can create a constitutional monarchy that limits the power of kings, and they are right to strive for it. But if we could find a perfect man, then absolute monarchy would be the best form of government. In any case, God has absolute power. He never violates justice, for He is holiness and truth itself, and counts His absolute power as one of the most beautiful pearls in His crown. "I am the Lord, and there is no other." He gives no account of His deeds to anyone. There is one answer to all questions: “Who are you, man, that you argue with God? Will the product say to the one who made it: why did you make me like this? Doesn’t the potter have power over the clay, so that from the same mixture he can make one vessel for honorable use, and the other for the low?” God is an absolute monarch, therefore His voice in everything, and especially in the matter of salvation, is decisive. Let's imagine such a situation. Several criminals are imprisoned and each of them is sentenced to death. Their guilt is the same, so when they are led to execution in the morning, no one will say that it is unfair. If pardon is possible for some criminals, then who will make the decision, the criminals? Will they be given the right to decide the issue of pardon? For them, the reversal of the sentence is a great indulgence. But suppose they all rejected pardon and, having heard the offer to be saved, refused to accept forgiveness. If in this case the highest grace prevails over their perverted mind and will and decides to save them anyway, then who will have the final choice? If the choice was given to criminals, then they would all again choose death instead of life, so it makes no sense to leave the last word to them. In addition, it would look very strange if the issue of pardon was decided by the criminals themselves. No, of course, the king will determine who will be pardoned and who will suffer the deserved punishment. The fact that God is a king and men are criminals requires that salvation depend on the will of God. And truly, it is better for us to leave everything to the will of God, and not to our own will, because God is much kinder to us than we are to ourselves, He loves man more than man loves himself. God is justice, God is love, justice in all its majesty and love in all its unlimited power. Grace and truth met and honored each other. And it is very good that the power to save has been handed over to God.
Now we will look at a few examples that the Bible uses to describe how salvation works, and I think you will understand that the final decision regarding salvation is left to God's will. Part of salvation is adoption. God adopts sinners who were children of wrath into His family. Who has the authority in the matter of adoption? Children of wrath? Of course not. But all people by nature are children of anger! Common sense requires that no one other than the parent make the decision to adopt. As a father, I have the right to accept or reject a person applying for adoption. Obviously, no person has the right to demand that I adopt him, and cannot, without my consent, declare that he is my adopted son. I repeat that common sense requires that a parent have the right to decide whether someone is adopted or not. So God decides Himself who will be His son and who will not.
The church is called the house of God. Who determines the architectural style of this building? Who decides what stones it will be built from? Do stones really choose themselves? Did the stone in that corner choose its place for itself? Or did the one that lies closer to the foundation climb there on its own? No, the architect arranges the selected materials as he sees fit. So in the construction of the Church, which is the house of God, the great Builder reserves the right to choose the stones and their location in the building.
Take an even clearer image. The church is called the bride of Christ. Would any of you like to have someone forced onto him as a bride against his will? There is not a single person among us who would give up his right to choose a life partner. So will Christ really leave the choice of His bride to chance or to the will of man? No, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Husband of the Church, uses His power, which belongs to Him by right, and chooses His own bride.
Moreover, we are members of the body of Christ. David says that “in Your book are written all the days (in the English translation “members” - Approx. Transl.) appointed for me, when not one of them was yet.” The members of every human body were written in the book of God. So is the body of Christ an exception? Is it possible that the great Divine-human body of Jesus Christ our Savior will be created according to the whim of free will, while other bodies of much less importance are created according to what is written in the book of God? Let us not even consider the possibility of an affirmative answer, which simply indicates a misunderstanding of the imagery used in Scripture.
It seems to me quite clear that biblical images and examples teach that man's choice to salvation belongs to God. Does this, dear friends, not correspond to your experience? This is exactly what happened to me. Some people may hate the doctrine of election; many are foaming at the mouth trying to deny the sovereignty of God. But I must admit that this teaching touches a deep chord in my soul, so that it makes me cry even when nothing else can bring tears. Something inside me says, “He must have chosen you, otherwise you would never have chosen Him.” I lived willfully in sin, I constantly strayed from the true path, I took pleasure in iniquity, I drank evil like an ox drinks from a stream of water, and now I am saved by grace. How can I dare to attribute salvation to my own choice? Undoubtedly, I chose God voluntarily, but this was only due to the preliminary work that God did in changing my heart, for my unchanged heart was not able to choose God. Beloved, don't you notice that even now your thoughts are running away from God? If God's grace were taken away from you, what would happen to you? Aren't you like a bent bow whose shape is held by a string, but if you cut it, the bow will straighten? Isn't that the case with you? Wouldn't you immediately return to your old sinful ways if God withdrew His mighty grace? Then you must understand that if even now, when you are regenerated, your corrupt nature does not want to make a choice in favor of God, then much less could you choose God when you did not have a new nature that would restrain and suppress the sinful nature. My Lord looks into your eyes, O people of God, and says: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” And we feel how the answer is born in our souls: “Yes, Lord, we did not choose You in our natural sinful state, but You chose us, and may there be eternal honor and praise for Your free and sovereign choice.”
II. May God grant us to feel the work of the Holy Spirit while we speak directly about election itself.
So the Lord chooses people who will honor the cross of Christ. They will be redeemed with the precious blood, and God will make them worthy, in a certain sense, of the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But look at what a strange choice He makes. I read with reverence the words: “...there are not many of you wise according to the flesh, not many strong, not many noble...” If a person were given the right to choose, he would choose the wise and noble. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong; and the base things of the world and the things that are despised God chose, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are...” If a man had chosen, he would have passed by just such people. God made a very, very strange choice. I think that even in heaven, he will be the subject of eternal wonder. And if the Apostle Paul had not revealed to us the reasons for such a choice, then we would simply be at a loss as to why God, with Divine contempt, passed by the magnificent royal palaces and chose people of low origin and insignificant position in society.
This choice is strange because it is exactly the opposite of the choice a person would make. Man chooses those who are most useful to him, God chooses those to whom He can be most useful. We choose those who can thank us best, God often chooses those who most need His benefits. If I choose a friend, then one whose friendship would be useful to me; and this is where human selfishness manifests itself. But God chooses as friends those people to whom He can provide the greatest service with His friendship. God and man make choices in completely different ways. We choose the best because they deserve it. He chooses the worst because they least deserve it, so that the election is a clear act of grace and not the result of human merit. Obviously, God chooses completely differently than man. Man chooses the most beautiful and beautiful, God, on the contrary, seeing the imprint of filth on everything that is considered beautiful, does not choose this visible beauty, but chooses those whom even people recognize as ugly, and makes them truly beautiful and beautiful. Strange choice! Is this what a man does, O God?
Please note that this choice is also full of grace in both your case and mine. This choice is full of grace even in the way it excludes people. It is not said “not a single wise man,” but “not many wise,” so even great people are not deprived of the grace of God. The Gospel is also proclaimed to the nobles; in heaven we will meet those who wore crowns on earth. How blessed is the grace of gracious choice! She gives life to the weak and foolish. One might think that when God told the king: “No,” He did this so that no one would count on His mercy. After all, we usually say this: “We refused Mr. N, and he is a much more important person than you, so I am all the more forced to refuse you. You know, kings asked me for this favor and received nothing, so do you really think that Shall I provide you with this service?" But God thinks differently. He passes by the king in order to extend his hand to a beggar; He does not look to the noble in order to benefit the man of low birth; He turns away from philosophers to embrace the ignorant. Oh, how strange, how amazing, how incredible! Let us glorify Him for such wonderful grace!
What an encouragement this is to us! Many cannot boast of their pedigree. Many did not receive a good education. We are not rich or famous. But how merciful God is! It pleased him to choose precisely such ignorant, such despicable, such worthless people as we.
And rather than spend all my time this morning thinking about how strange God's choice is, I will note that any Christian who thinks about his election will agree that God made the strangest choice that anyone could make.
III. Now we turn to the chosen ones themselves. Paul says who they are and who they are not. Let's look at the second one first. What are the chosen ones not? The Apostle writes: “...there are not many of you wise according to the flesh...” Notice that it does not simply say “not many wise,” but “not many wise according to the flesh.” God chose truly wise people, for He makes all of His own wise, and He did not choose “wise according to the flesh.” The Greeks call such people philosophers. People who love wisdom, great scientists, mentors, encyclopedists, educated, insightful, infallible people... look down on simple, illiterate people with contempt and call them fools, consider them to be dust that can be trampled underfoot, but none of these wise men a few chosen by God. Strange, isn't it? But if the first twelve apostles had been philosophers or rabbis, people would have said: “No wonder the Gospel has such power: the twelve wisest men of Greece were chosen to proclaim it.” But instead, the Lord finds poor fishermen on the seashore (He could not meet more uneducated people) and calls them to follow Him. The fishermen become apostles, they spread the Gospel, and the glory rests not on the apostles, but on the Gospel. The wisdom of God has passed by wise people.
Notice that further the Apostle Paul writes: “...not many are strong...” The wise, it would seem, could make their way to heaven with their minds, but we seem to see them helplessly trying to feel the latch on the gate that opens the way to heaven, at the same time, illiterate, ordinary people have already passed through this gate. Blind wisdom stumbles in the darkness and, like the Magi, searches in vain for the child in Jerusalem, while the poor shepherds immediately go to Bethlehem and find Christ.
Here's another group of great people! Strong people, fearless winners, monarchs, their imperial majesties, conquerors, Alexanders, Napoleons - aren't they the chosen ones? After all, if a king becomes a Christian, he can force others to accept Christ with the sword. Why not elect him? “No,” says Paul, “...there are not many strong...” And you can easily guess what the reason is. If the strong had been chosen, people would have said: “It is clear why Christianity has become so widespread! The edge of the sword is a strong argument in favor of Christ, and the power of the monarch crushes not only the heart of man.” We understand what explains the success of Islam in the first three centuries of its history. People like Ali and the Caliph were ready to destroy entire nations. They rode on horses, waving scimitars over their heads, fearlessly rushing into battle. And only when they encountered people like our Richard Coeur de Lion did they cool down a little. When sword meets sword, then the one who first picked it up dies. Christ did not choose soldiers. One of his disciples pulled out a sword, but the experiment was unsuccessful, since he could only wound the slave’s ear, and even then Christ healed him with a touch. After this incident, Peter no longer entered the battle. So that the success of the Lord's conquests does not depend on strong people, God does not choose them.
After this, Paul says: "...there are not many noble..." - meaning people with a famous pedigree, in whose family tree there are princes and kings, in whose veins blue blood flows. “...not many nobles,” for they would say of the nobles that it was they who made the Gospel prestigious: “Is it any wonder that the Gospel has spread so widely, since Count such-and-such and Duke such-and-such are Christians.” But you see that in the early years there were very few such people in the church. The saints who gathered in the catacombs were poor and simple people. And it is very remarkable that among all the inscriptions found in the Roman catacombs, which were made by the first Christians, there is hardly one that does not contain spelling errors. And this is strong evidence that they were made by poor, illiterate people who at that time were the defenders of the faith and the true guardians of the grace of God.
So, we talked about what the chosen ones, as a rule, are not: not many wise, not many strong, not many noble. Now let's see who the chosen ones are. And I want you to pay close attention to the words chosen by the apostle. He does not say that God chose ignorant people. No, he says differently: “...God chose unwise...”, as if those chosen by the Lord by their nature did not deserve to be called people, but were more like soulless objects; the world treated them with such contempt that they were not said about them: “Who are these people?”, but simply: “What is this?” In the Gospels, Christ is called “This One” several times, i.e. “This one”: “We do not know where He comes from.” His opponents did not even want to call Him a man. They seemed to be saying: “We don’t know this, uh, call him an animal or a thing...” God chose people whom the world considers uneducated, ignorant, stupid idiots who can be led by the nose and forced to believe in whatever whatever. But God chose “unwise,” which is the very embodiment of foolishness.
Further, God also chose “the weak things of the world.” “And who,” said the Caesar in the throne room, if he even deigned to pay attention to this subject, “is this King Jesus? A pitiful vagabond, hanged on the cross! Who is it preaching him there? Poor fishermen who cannot even scrape together the talent of gold in all their wallets combined! Who is this Paul who so fiercely defends Christ? He makes tents! And who are his followers who happened to meet him on the banks of the river? What are you talking about? on the Hill of Mars. In the Areopagus the Athenians called him a fool." Undoubtedly, Caesar considered them insignificant people who did not deserve his attention. But God chose “the weak things of the world.”
Notice that Paul also calls the elect “the base things of the world.” This means that they had no nobles in their family. Their father is nothing and their mother is nothing. Such were the ancient apostles, they were humble in this world, but still God chose them.
And, as if this were not enough, Paul adds that God has chosen “the things that are despised.” The chosen ones were mocked, they were persecuted, they were hunted, sometimes, not being taken seriously, they were treated with complete indifference: “Is it worth paying attention to them? Insignificant fools! Don’t touch them, leave them alone.” But God chose them. Zeros and insignificances. “Oh yes,” says the man of peace, “I heard that there is such a group of fanatics.” “Yes? I haven’t even heard of them,” says another. “I’ve never had anything to do with such low-grade people.” "Do they have a bishop or an infallible pope?" - someone asked. “No, sir, there are no such noble people among them, they are all lowly ignoramuses, so the world rejects them.” “But,” says God, “I chose them.” These are the people God chooses. And notice that the situation has not changed from the time of the Apostle Paul to the present day, for the Bible does not change over time. And in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, as in the year sixty-four, God still chooses the weak and the base, as He always did. God will yet show the world that those who are mocked, who are called fanatics, madmen and criminals, are His chosen ones who will yet lead an entire army of chosen ones and achieve victory for God on the last day. And we are not ashamed to boast that God chooses the weak and the despised. And we stand near the despised people of God in the hope of becoming partakers of His electing grace.
IV. In conclusion, let's look at the reasons why God chose these people. Paul gives us two reasons - immediate and primary.
The first, immediate reason is contained in the following words: “...God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong; and God has chosen the base things of the world and the base things, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are... ".
So, the immediate reason for this seemingly strange election is to confound the wise. When a wise man puts a wise man to shame, that is one thing; it is also easy for a wise man to put a fool to shame; but when a fool prevails over a wise man, that is truly the finger of God! You remember what happened to the first apostles. The philosopher listened to the Apostle Paul and said: “There is nothing interesting in this! It’s just some kind of stupidity! Fables - from beginning to end! We shouldn’t waste energy answering this.” Years passed, this philosopher turned gray, and the Christian “heresy” not only did not die, but, like an epidemic, spread quite widely. His daughter was converted, even his wife began to secretly go to Christian meetings in the evenings. The philosopher is at a loss as to what is happening. “I,” he says, “have already clearly proven that Christianity is stupidity, but people accept it. I have refuted all their arguments, haven’t I? I have not only refuted their arguments, but I have presented my arguments with such force and persuasiveness that that, it seemed to me, there would be nothing left of Christianity. But it is already in my house.” Sometimes this philosopher mutters with tears in his eyes: “I feel in my heart that it has conquered and put me to shame. I came up with syllogism after syllogism, I defeated the pitiful Paul, but Paul defeated me. What I considered stupidity has disgraced my wisdom.” A few centuries after the death of Christ, the Christian faith spread throughout the civilized world, while paganism, which was supported by all the philosophers of the West and East, fell into decay and became the subject of ridicule. God chose the weak to shame the strong. “Oh,” Caesar exclaimed, “we will eradicate Christianity, and with it we will destroy those who defend it!” Various rulers killed Jesus' disciples one after another, but the more they persecuted them, the more they became. The proconsuls were given orders to destroy Christians, but the more they persecuted them, the more of them there were, until, finally, people themselves began to come to the persecutors asking them to die for Christ. Those in power came up with sophisticated tortures, tied believers to wild horses, laid them on hot grates, skinned them alive, sawed them into pieces, impaled them on stakes, coated them with tar, and turned them into torches to illuminate Nero’s gardens. They were rotted in dungeons, used for shows in amphitheaters, bears strangled them to death, lions tore them to pieces, wild bulls raised them on their horns, but Christianity spread. All the swords of the legionnaires, who defeated the armies of all nations, conquered the invincible Gauls and the fierce Britons, could not withstand the weakness of Christianity, for the weakness of God is stronger than the power of man. If God had chosen strong men, they would have said, “God owes our success to us”; if He had chosen the wise, they would have said, “It is all in our wisdom.” But when God chooses the foolish and weak, what can you say, philosopher? Didn't God laugh at you? Where are you, spear and sword? Where are you, strong ones? God's weakness has overwhelmed you.
Paul also writes that God chose the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. To abolish is even more than to disgrace. "Meaningful." What was significant in the days of the apostle? Jupiter sat on an exalted throne, holding thunder in his hands. Saturn was revered as the father of the gods, Venus rewarded her followers with lustful pleasures, and the beautiful Diana blew her horn. But then Paul appears and says that there is no God except one God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. He talks about "insignificant". The Christian “heresy” was held in such contempt that if a catalog of the religions of different countries had been compiled at that time, Christianity would not have been included in it. But where is Jupiter now? Where is Saturn? Where are Venus and Diana? Their names exist only in thick dictionaries. Who now worships Ceres during the harvest? Who says a prayer to Neptune during a storm? They've all disappeared! The insignificant has destroyed the significant.
Let us consider that the truth has not changed since the time of Paul. The year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four will see the repetition of ancient miracles: the significant will be abolished by the insignificant. Remember the days of Wycliffe. Wooden crosses in churches were significant back then. All the people of Britain worshiped Saint Winifred and Saint Thomas of Canterbury. Here is the Lord Archbishop walking down the street and being worshiped. The Pope is worshiped by thousands, the Virgin Mary is worshiped by everyone. And what do I see? A lonely monk in Lutterworth begins to preach against the mendicant beggar monks, and while preaching against them, he unexpectedly discovers the truth and begins to proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation, claiming that everyone who believes in Him will be saved. At first, this man’s efforts looked so ridiculous that they didn’t even pursue him. True, he had to answer to His Eminence, but a brave man, John O'Gaunt, came to his aid, put in a good word for him, and, although Wycliffe was condemned, he was allowed to return to his parish at Lutterworth. "Significant!" there was even a need to shed his blood, it had to die by itself! But where are your holy crosses today? Where are St. Agnes and St. Winifred? ritualistic movement in the Anglican Church in the 19th century. - Approx. Transl.), for only they still remember them, they communicate with moles and bats, so they know where the idols were thrown, they try to bring back to life the superstitions of the past, but... the grace of God will not succeed so easily for them. The modern system of English superstitions with its doctrine of life-giving baptismal water, confirmation and the transmission of grace through bread and wine will be abolished under the influence of the insignificant Truth revealed in Jesus; the belief that there are no priests higher than ordinary Christians, that all believers are priests to God, the pure truth; the simple truth that water does not oblige the Holy Spirit to regenerate a person, that outward forms and rites have no power of themselves without the faith of those who take part in them - all this will abolish, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, that which is significant. We rely on the power of God. I wouldn't want God's warriors to be stronger. If they were stronger, brothers, they would gain glory. Let them be weak, let them be few, let them be despised by people. Their small numbers, poverty, and weakness will make louder the cries of greeting and glorification of the eternal Conqueror and will inspire the song: “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory, for the sake of Thy mercy, for the sake of Thy truth.”
Is this the immediate purpose of choosing the unwise, the weak, the insignificant? God wants to put to shame the wise and the strong. But His ultimate goal is different: “...so that no flesh should boast before God.” I draw your attention to this last thought, and we will conclude. Paul does not say, “...so that no man...” No, he does not intend to flatter anyone, so he says, “no flesh.” What a word! What a word, I repeat! Solon and Socrates are wise people. God points his finger at them and says, “Flesh.” The flesh is sold in meat markets, isn't it? It is torn by dogs' teeth and eaten by worms. Flesh - and nothing more. Here stands Caesar in a royal purple robe, he stands proudly and confidently, a powerful emperor, and the Praetorian soldiers draw their swords and shout: “Great Emperor! Long live the Great Emperor!” “Flesh,” says God and repeats: “Flesh.” Here are the warriors striking a step, hundreds in one row, the mighty legionnaires of Rome. Who can stand in their way? “Flesh,” says Scripture about them, “flesh.” Here are people whose fathers come from the royal family, they can trace a long line of their noble ancestors. “Flesh,” says God, “flesh, and nothing more.” Food for dogs and worms. "...So that no flesh should boast before God." You see that God sets upon each of us the seal that you are but flesh, and He chooses the weakest flesh, the most unwise, the poorest flesh, so that every other flesh may see God's contempt for it and His will, so that no flesh I did not boast before Him.
Do you reject this teaching? Are you saying that you cannot hear about the election? It seems to me that you want to boast a little before God. God doesn't see things the way you do, so you need a new heart and a right spirit.
But perhaps, on the contrary, today someone will say: “I have nothing to boast about, I will not boast before You, but I will cast myself into the dust and say: “Do with me as You please.” Sinner, do you feel that you are flesh, just sinful flesh? Have you humbled yourself before God so much that you feel that no matter what He does to you, He will be right? Do you realize that you can only trust in His mercy? If yes, then you are one with God, you are reconciled with Him. I see that you are reconciled, for when you agree with God that He should reign, then He agrees with you that you should live. Sinner, touch the scepter of His grace. The crucified Jesus now stands before you and calls you to turn to Him and find life. It is a manifestation of grace and a manifestation of the greatest love that you hear the call to convert. You can be converted, and you should praise the Lord for it forever. And may God bless you, whose name I have sought to exalt today with my feeble words. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Question: Who are God's chosen ones?Answer: In simple terms, God's chosen ones are those people whom God has predestined for salvation. They are called "chosen" because the word indicates choice. Every few years we elect a president - that is, we choose someone who will serve in this position. The same applies to God and those who will be saved. The Lord chooses them, which is why they are called His chosen ones.
The concept of God's election of those who will be saved is not in itself controversial. It is controversial how He chooses them. Throughout church history, there have been two main opinions regarding the doctrine of election (or predestination). One view, which we will call the foreknowledge position, teaches that the Lord, through His omniscience, knows who in the course of time will voluntarily choose to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Based on His foreknowledge, God chooses these people “before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4; hereinafter - Russian Bible Society translation). This view is shared by most Western evangelical churches.
The second main position is represented by the teaching of Augustinianism, which essentially teaches that God not only chooses those who will believe in Jesus Christ, but also leads them to believe in Him. In other words, God's election is not based on foreknowledge of a person's coming to faith, but on the free grace and absolute authority of the Almighty God. God chooses people to be saved, and in time they will come to faith in Christ because they have been chosen by God.
The difference between these two positions comes down to this: who has the final choice in the matter of salvation - God or man? In terms of the first position, a person has control; his freedom of choice is independent and becomes the determining factor in choosing the Lord. God can provide the way to salvation through Jesus Christ, but man must choose to believe in Him for salvation to be realized. Ultimately, this position questions the power of God and deprives Him of sovereignty. This opinion “puts” the Creator at the mercy of creation, that is, if the Lord wants to provide people with eternal life in heaven, then He must hope that man himself will choose His path to salvation. In fact, this position does not imply election at all, because God, according to it, does not elect, but only confirms. The final choice remains with the person.
According to Augustinianism, election depends on God; He chooses by his own absolute will whom to save. Instead of simply making salvation possible, the Lord chooses those who will be saved and then realizes their salvation. This position gives God the proper status of Creator and Supreme Ruler.
The Augustinian position also has its problems. Critics argue that this view takes away freedom of choice. If God chooses those who will be saved, then what is the point of man's faith? Why then preach the Gospel? Moreover, if God chooses people according to his own will, then how can we be responsible for our actions? All of these questions are fair and require answers. To answer these questions, we must study Romans 9, which best opens the way to understanding the relationship between God's absolute authority and election.
The context of this chapter extends to the previous chapter, which ends with a climax of praise: “And I am convinced that... nothing in all creation will be able to come between us and the love of God, which He has demonstrated in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:38-39). This leads Paul to consider how a Jew might react to this statement. Although Jesus came to bring back the lost children of Israel, and the early church was largely composed of Jews, the gospel spread to the Gentiles much faster than to the Jews. In fact, most Jews accepted the gospel as a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23) and rejected Jesus. The average Jew would doubt the possibility of God's plan of election being fulfilled because most Jews rejected the message of the Gospel!
Throughout chapter 9, Paul systematically demonstrates that God's independent election was valid from the beginning. He begins with a crucial statement: “Not all Israelites are true Israel” (Romans 9:6). This means that not all people who are ethnically related to Israel (that is, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) belong to the true Israel (God's chosen one). In reviewing the history of Israel, Paul shows that God chose Isaac rather than Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau. Just in case the reader does not come to the conclusion that God made His choice on the basis of faith or good deeds that they had to do in the future, he adds: “The children [Jacob and Esau] were not yet born and did not have time to do anything good , neither evil ... His choice is free and does not depend on the merits of man, but only on the call of God” (Romans 9:11-12).
It can be tempting to blame God for injustice. Paul expects such a charge, clearly stating in v. 14 that God is always just. “I have mercy on those whom I want to have mercy on. I am merciful to those with whom I want to be merciful” (Romans 9:15). God is sovereign over His creation. He freely chooses those whom he wishes, and is free to pass by those whom he wishes to bypass. The creation has no right to accuse the Creator of injustice - the very thought of this is absurd for Paul, and all Christians should reason this way. Romans chapter nine substantiates this view.
There are other passages of Scripture that deal with the topic of God's election (eg, John 6:37-45, Ephesians 1:3-14, etc.). The fact is that God has predestined the salvation of the remnant of mankind. These people were chosen before the foundation of the world, and their salvation will be fulfilled in Christ. As Paul said about them: “These are those whom God knew even when they were not, and predestined to be the true likeness of His Son, so that His Son would become the firstborn among many brothers. Those whom He ordained, He also called; whom he called, he justified; whom He justified, He shared His glory with them” (Romans 8:29-30).
