“CHOSEN!”

 

Luke 9:23-27                       (ESV)

Take Up Your Cross and Follow JESUS

“[23] And HE said to all, “If anyone would come after ME, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow ME. [24] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for MY sake will save it. [25] For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? [26] For whoever is ashamed of ME and of my words, of him will the SON of MAN be ashamed when HE comes in HIS glory and the glory of the FATHER and of the holy angels. [27] But I tell you truly, there are SOME standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of GOD.””

Matthew 22:14                   (ESV)

“For many are called, but FEW are “CHOSEN”.”

The CHOSEN are FEW!  Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul, King David, and EVERY other person who has EVER been CREATED has been born with a “sin nature, a propensity to choose bad over good, unrighteousness over Holiness!  Then WHY are they CHOSEN by a HOLY GOD to be a servant of HIS???  A more powerful question is WHY am I CHOSEN???

Formerly I was very “full of myself”, trying to “be the best that I could be”!  But the “road” that I was assigned led me “through the valley of the shadow of death“ more than once, and my EYES were OPENED to SEE that I didn’t have the ability to even “breathe” without HIS GRACE (Isaiah 42:5)!  

ALMIGHTY GOD has directed my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6) to reveal to me that HE IS THE ONE IN CONTROL, not me!!  Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) says very clearly “For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED through FAITH. And this IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; it is the GIFT OF GOD, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no one may boast. For WE ARE HIS workmanship, created in CHRIST JESUS for good works, which GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, that we should walk in them.”  EVERYTHING is about HIM, and not about me!!

JESUS says in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after ME, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow ME”!  Following HIM means that we go where HE is leading!! We are “CHOSEN” to take up our cross daily and follow HIM, not to be whatever we desire to be!!!