Chosen

Many of us can relate to Barry Newton’s experiences:  “As a slender and short youth, I endured the ritual of two team captains choosing up teams.  Worse than being chosen last was not being chosen at all.  I wanted to play.  I wanted to be in the game.” *

Can you relate?  Those of us who can will also recall the pain and embarrassment of not being chosen.  We wanted to play.  We wanted to be included.  But, perhaps because of our size or our lack of athletic ability, we weren’t chosen.

Newton informs us that “although exclusion is painful, John described a moment when it becomes tragic.  This tragedy is further compounded by being completely avoidable!”

Here are the words to which Newton refers:  “The one who is believing in Him (God’s Son) is not condemned; but the one who is not believing in Him is already condemned” (John 3:18).

The Good News (the Gospel) is that YOU have been chosen!  Christ WANTS you to “be on His team.”  In fact, He DIED for you so that you can share in His victory!  Being on Christ’s “team” has eternal benefits including salvation from our sins and the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).

It is our SIN that keeps us “out of the game.”  But God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, so that we can be forgiven of our sins, be included on His “team” (the church), and live eternally with Him (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7; Acts 2:36-47).

Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), but it is up to each individual to accept the invitation to be a part of His winning team.

He has chosen YOU!  Now, will YOU choose to follow Him?

Newton explains: “John awakens us to the reality that we remain lost, in spite of the good will and good inclinations we might have, until we come to Jesus.  Either we have entered the salvation Jesus provided, or we remain standing outside condemned.”

The tragic thing about this is that we don’t have to “remain standing outside condemned”!  Jesus died on the cross for ALL of us so that EACH of us can have the opportunity to be saved and be a part of His team, forever.

In order to accept His invitation, we must place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4).  Then, we must continue to follow Jesus faithfully (1 John 1:7).

Newton reminds us:  “Every kid knows that being excluded is no fun.  The GOOD NEWS is that when it comes to what is most important, all of us are capable of being included.”

Won’t YOU accept Christ’s invitation to be included on His winning team by your trusting obedience?