“The Chosen Few”
Matthew 20:1-19
“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few ‘chosen.’” [Matthew 20:16]
One thing we can be sure of in the Kingdom is that it will be made up of a chosen few. How do I know that? It is from this verse, Matt 20:16, “For many are called, but few chosen.”
This is the doctrine of Sovereign Choice which has been much debated among theologians for a long time. The word “chosen,” eklektos in Greek, is where we get our English word “elect.” You may hear people in the church refer to themselves as “God’s elect.” Eklectos simply means to be “chosen out of.” The church [God’s elect] has been chosen out of the world and into His Kingdom. The “God’s Sovereignty” part identifies Who does the choosing. It is God. God is the Sovereign Who chooses. Therefore, you cannot even take credit for choosing God. He chose you from before the foundations of the world. And that is what makes Grace so intriguingly selfless. It puts the focus squarely on God, and that is a good thing; actually, it is the best.
The result is the wonderful truth that God has chosen me, and the reality that He never chooses wrongly. God only chooses winners. Therefore, I can receive the blessed truth with the reality that He has a call and purpose for my life. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” [Rom 11:29] We must never forget this, especially in times of doubt. In this life of faith, we must walk NOT by feeling and emotion, but by God’s Sovereign Word.
Now some might say, “that’s not fair.” “If God chooses then how can we be held responsible for not choosing Him?” Well, I think the late Pastor Chuck Smith had the best answer for that, “choose Jesus and you will know that God has chosen you.” It is quite that simple. Let’s leave the debate to the theologians. Simply receive Jesus as a child, and God will take care of the rest.
