Many people get stuck on the idea that God chose or called some people to be His children, which then implies that some have not been chosen. This is what it says in Hebrews 9:17: His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, cancelling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them.
Is God then a God who only called specific people to come and live with Him in eternity? Through the ages, theologians and other clever people argued a lot about how this worked. As usual, there are two sides, and also as usual, when there’s an argument, I soon lose interest.
My way of understanding this is simple: God is a loving God. A God who sent His Son to sacrifice His life for the greatest sinner, so that that guy and the thousands of us don’t have to be punished for our sins ourselves. Without doing a stick of work we can open the door to heaven and walk inside.
That’s how I see God. The One that overflows and overflows and overflows with love. A God who does it for some and not for others does not fit into that picture. God doesn’t say: Oh, sorry. You’re not the right colour or you don’t speak the right language or you haven’t got the right background. No! God’s heavenly door is open to all sinners.
I suspect being chosen has more to do with people making a choice. When I choose God, I’m also chosen by God. You see, our time and space are different from God’s time and space. And when we want to use our past-present-future model to try and understand God’s multidimensional time, which is so much more than our past, present and future, we fall short.
Then we get stuck wondering if God has only chosen some of us. We’ve already said that’s not God’s way. God’s heart is much, much bigger than a taxi and there’s always space for more people.
Then I realise again that God is so much bigger than me and that the way that I understand Him is sometimes simply not enough. And that’s OK. Or rather it’s necessary, because it forces me on my knees, worshipping the almighty God who overflows with love; who is so big that we humans are simply too small to understand everything.
Sometimes we focus on the wrong things. We spend time trying to unravel things we don’t actually need to worry about. Rather focus on the things that matter. The particularly good news in the verse is crucial.
Jesus died so that you and I, who should’ve died for all the stuff that we’ve messed up, can really live. We have life instead of death. Let’s use our energy to go and live that grace in the world out there. There are still many out there who’ve been called, but who are missing out on this good news because we are spending our energy in the wrong places.
Let’s go out into the world and live Jesus for all the chosen wherever we go.
Scripture
Hebrews 9:16-17
Reflection
Do you believe you’ve been chosen to go to heaven?
Do you live it in relation to the people around you?
Who do you have to talk to about their status in God?
Prayer
Our Father, thank you that Jesus died for me on the cross. Thank you that I can go to heaven one day. Thank you for choosing me. Help me to live it in the world out there. In Jesus’ Name, amen.