Chosen

I just love learning new things. It thrills me to see things new, when I have seen them a thousand times.  I have recently been reading and listening to a lot of N.T. Wright.  One of the analogies he uses is "surround sound." In my most recent book that I am reading from him, How God Became King, he addresses how we have possibly been listening/reading the bible through a certain teaching method that may not be entirely correct. It doesn't mean that it is wrong, but there may be more. I'll try and explain...

When my husband sets up the different speakers for our home he can hear when one of the speakers is not properly attuned with the rest, for it tends to drown out the others. If the treble coming from one of the speakers is off, he instantly hears it. He listens to and wants to feel the subwoofer deliver its impact at just the right time.  His ears are tuned to listen to and detect when something is too loud from the left/right/front/back. He listens to them carefully and adjusts them till they are all in sink and coming in at the right time from the appropriate direction. I, on the other hand, will accept whatever quality of sound I hear, just as long as I can understand what is going on. In my experience I didn't grow up with different speakers, but one coming directly from the TV in front of me.

As I have been reading/learning I am suddenly aware that many things that I thought I knew didn't come from what I have read, but how they have been taught to me. Within this topic, there seems to be one speaker that has been over powering the rest. I have been in this relationship long enough now, that I am slowly becoming more accustom to hearing differently. I want to hear the surround sound. So when I hear the effects of the rumblings within my heart I pause and take note. Yesterday my heart leaped when I heard something new.

Who are the "chosen of God"? Last night I thought about this question a lot and started to remember Abraham and Moses. God chose to show them who He was. He chose them. Picked them out from among a nation (made a nation through Abraham) to lead His people. But it wasn't just for them or to save a few. It was so that the whole world would see who He is. God revealed Himself to everyone through them. He chose them to lead others, because He knew they would follow Him. Through them and their obedience the whole world can see His faithfulness. 

To answer this question more, I must take a look at who were the chosen of Jesus? If I really take pause and think about this question for a moment I come to the number 12. There were 12 that He went out and chose to be His disciples. This make me want to rethink the "elect". Yes, I know the scriptures that look like there are only a few chosen to go to heaven. But what if we read scripture through different interpreting ears, what will we hear? Ephesians 1:4-5, John 15:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 1:9, Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."  For the first time today I saw something different. I saw "called according to His purpose." This to me is huge!

Does this mean that the rest of the world was at a loss and may as well give up? Or that there really is no point in going out and sharing with others about God? No, this means that "some are called according to His purpose." James 3:1, not everyone should teach... Jesus was a teacher and some He is calling for His purpose. He is asking some to be disciples, to go out as He went out and walk in His path. Does this make the others "left out" not as meaningful? 
Okay, think of it like this. Does every person need to be your leader on this spiritual journey with God? No, of course not. Does this mean that those people are "unsaved"? No. It may simply mean that they are part of the sheep, but only some are "chosen" to be the shepherds. And the different times and places that we find ourselves in during this journey may change our roles amidst the flock. In some circles, I am part of those being taught. In other circumstances, I find I am the teacher. Then at other times, at the same time, I am both.

I feel like...it seems that... the "elect" has changed to the "elite" of God. We have gone from being a people who have been chosen for a job in the service industry, to the people wearing the nice suits and being served. The ones chosen by God were never the elite, they were the chosen to show the world who the One True God really is. That is all! That is the whole point of this life. We are to become one with our Lord so that others can see Him through us.

It is within every person to have a desire to worship. Why do we find in Exodus 34:17 God instructing His people to Not worship images like we find in chapter 32? Because He knows that we must worship, but we also must see that which we worship. God is calling us to be beings made in His own image so that other people can see Him as they look at us. We are not to be worshiped, for we are not the elite. We are to be seeking Him so much that His love for others is felt through our lives. And we are to be set apart from others who are living that same way. Many atheist, Buddhist, Hindu's, ect... show love, but we are to be different by the name we bear. We are called according to His purpose and this is to show the world the True King. He paid our ransom to the one who held us captive. He conquered our enemy by conquering death, our ultimate fear.

Now, my final question is where do we see ourselves in this walk with our Lord? We can look at our life and see our call. Are we in this walk as a new believer who isn't yet in a position to teach?  Have we lived our lives as part of the flock, but never felt the courage to step out and become more? Are we feeling the intense reverberation booming within to share with others who He is, not because we are the elite, but because we are part of the elect? Oh how exciting it is for me to hear differently something I've heard a thousand times! Are you part of His flock? Are you part of His called? Can you hear the difference? I think I finally can.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, "Called By God"