When Jesus saved you it was now, and forever! God wanted to have a relationship with you and sent His Son to remove every obstruction between you and Himself. Jesus pays for our sins and sends the Holy Spirit to live within us. This is amazing, and it is GOOD NEWS!
Let’s get to the mystery — Matt. 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” There can be a variety of reasons for someone being called by God for a task but never anointed/chosen to do it. Saving is a God proposition. He pays for it, and gives it to any who will receive it by faith as a gift. VERY GENEROUS! Being saved comes with a calling, but not necessarily a “choosing”. Are you surprised? God has a plan for all, but all, even those receiving Jesus, are not willing to work with that plan. Let’s reference a few examples:
Mary is called to be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-56, Matt 1:18-25). I don’t believe for a second God forced this on her. I don’t believe she earned this blessing. It would be equivalent to saying she earned her salvation. Mary is given the message of the call, then agrees to cooperate with God in this endeavor, and walks it out stellar fashion. It will be a challenging yet radically blessed journey for her. She is called and chosen. Saul of Tarsus is knocked off his horse on his journey to persecute Christians, a task he is extremely good at. He becomes temporarily blinded and seeks the Lord, soon discovering God has a calling on his life (Acts 9). Paul’s statement (Acts 26:19) gives insight into how he moved from called to chosen. Obedience! Even when you have a specific task and a Word from God to do it “… few are chosen”. Why? Because few will willingly pay the price to be near enough to God to see it through to fulfillment. Ouch!!! The rich young ruler walks away, and Paul presses in toward his upward call (Luke 18:18-25; Phil 3:8-14). The work we have to do can be well described as a stewardship. God gives us something of His to manage and bring to a Jesus honoring fruitfulness with His Spirit’s assistance.
Often, this is not as complicated as some may think. Corrie Ten Boom came through a horrible time in WWII German concentration camps, and it became part of the call on her life. Statements of hers like “forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”, have encouraged many hearts including mine. Wilberforce pressed through opium addiction as he followed God’s call to oppose slavery, and labored for years to see the fulfillment. There are many, many more that have seen the obstacles they face turned into a tool God greatly uses. We must engage with God to see our calling grow into a fruitful choosing.
We are never going to earn our salvation or His calling. By receiving His great salvation, and responding to His call, we can join with Him in this life in a way that literally lasts forever. Phil. 2:12 “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” If fulfilling your calling is more mystery than reality, work it out with God’s Spirit. As you press in and on, He will be working through it all to more deeply reveal Himself to you, as well as advance His Kingdom through you. Let’s go forward depending fully on His ability to save us, and as His disciples work out His purposes in and through our lives. He is worthy to be followed, obeyed, and loved.