A Chosen Generation
When God says you are chosen it means that God has specially singled you out and picked you out. It means that you are His preferred choice out of a great number of people for specific blessings, privileges and assignments. It means that God didn’t leave it to you or anyone that knows you to do the choosing, He chose you on His own terms and conditions, by His own standards. By human standards, popular vote, a man like Paul who had killed, terrified and oppressed Christians and the church of God, would never have been chosen to accomplish a great deal for the Kingdom of God. Yet God in such a dramatic, life-changing way, specially chose Paul to preach Christ to the Gentiles. Like Paul, God has chosen us to be the generation whose names have made it to God’s special list for special Kingdom assignments.
In choosing people, God is not after the brightest and the best, the influential, those that belong to the crème de la crème of society, those that feel they are healthy and don’t need a doctor; those that feel they are perfect, self-made, self-righteous and don’t have any need for God. God chooses the weak, the despised, those with flaws and imperfections, and those that are nobody by human opinion, so He can make them into somebody. So that when God’s work and power is seen in them, the glory and praise goes to God (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God has chosen us to be the generation whose boast and praise is in God, not in our strength, riches, qualifications, abilities and expertise.
Today, wickedness, injustice, corruption, sin and ungodliness can be seen in all the nations of the world, even in the most civilized of nations. Isaiah 60:2 tells us that gross darkness has covered the earth. In the midst of the darkness that abounds, God wants us to stand out. God has selected us to come out of the darkness, to separate ourselves from the darkness of sin and live for His glory. The nations of the world have a President or leader in charge of their citizens and government. God has chosen us to belong to a holy nation that has Jesus Christ as the Sovereign King and Ruler of this nation. By yielding our lives, to the government and leadership of Jesus Christ, we become a people who stand out from all the other nations of the world. Our citizenship is in heaven; heaven determines what happens to us even while we are here on earth. So while the nations of the world are talking of a financial casting down, in God’s holy nation we can experience a financial lifting (Job 22:29). While wickedness, injustice and oppression has become the order of the day in the nations of the world, in God’s holy nation, made up of God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, we are clothe with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we have against one another. We forgive as our Leader and King has so graciously forgiven us (Colossians 3:12-13). This is how the citizens of God’s holy nation distinguish themselves from the nations of the world, by a life of love, holiness and righteousness, by renewing our mind with God’s Word so we don’t blindly and foolishly copy the culture and standards of the nations of the world. God has chosen us to be a peculiar, unique and different nation whose lifestyle, watchword and message is holiness.
We have been chosen to have direct access to God. Formerly, only the priest could access God’s presence and just once a year (Hebrews 9:7). But Jesus by His death and resurrection, has made us a kingdom of priests and kings to serve God and access God’s presence every day and everywhere (Revelation 1:6). What an honour, what a privilege that must never be wasted or treated lightly. What is that issue you believe can’t be resolved until you go for a camp meeting, conference or miracle service? What is that longstanding problem in your life you believe will take a great man of God to come and touch you and pray for you before it will come to an end? God has chosen you to be part of a royal priesthood. Now that you are God’s chosen people and priesthood, God is ready to show you mercy. As a priest of the Most High God, God is waiting for you to come before Him with your spiritual sacrifices of praise and prayers. He will receive and bless your sacrifice. He will touch your sacrifice with His fire and power, He will resolve all unresolved issues in your life and the lives of those you bring before Him. Step into your place of service for you are indeed a priest and minister of God and all who see you from today will acknowledge that you are chosen and blessed of the Lord.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pexels