“I CHOSE YOU!”

 John 15:12-17                    (ESV)

“[12] “This is MY commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. [14] YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHAT I COMMAND YOU. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did NOT choose ME, but “I CHOSE YOU” and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the FATHER in MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT TO YOU. [17] These things I command you, so that you will love one another."

Ephesians 1:4                    (ESV)

“[4] even as HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM.”

2 Timothy 1:8-12                    (ESV)

“[8] Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of GOD, [9] WHO SAVED US AND CALLED US TO A HOLY CALLING, NOT BECAUSE OF OUR WORKS BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH HE GAVE US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN, [10] and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS, WHO abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, [11] for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, [12] which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know WHOM I have believed, and I am convinced that HE IS ABLE  to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”

There are times when I tend to get in the way of what GOD is trying to SAY to me by saying what “sounds” better IN MY EYES!!!

GOD CHOSE, (or “ELECTED”) me even though HE FOREKNEW that I would be precisely who I am and that I would be the FOREMOST of aggressors of the PERFECTION that HE came to earth to display for humanity!!!