Transcript
Speaker: This is your host Vernon Terrell with Grace Ministries International and it's time for Walking Free. And welcome back this is Vernon and we had such a good time with
Speaker: Michelle on the podcast, didn't we? Wouldn't she great? And she's going to come back and do some more things. But her insights on codependency are just amazing. She held a workshop that was well received and very excited about that. We hope to make that
Speaker: available and have some more workshops on codependency and on other topics. In fact, one topic that is available right now, in fact, it was a book that I published a couple of years back. It's on Amazon called Stop Fighting Start Living Unraveling Temptation. I've got that now
Speaker: not only on Amazon, but I made it available free of charge online through a PDF reader. You can't download the PDF, but you can actually read the entire book online. You can just go to stopfightingstartliving .com and you'll see just a little registration, name and email. That's it. And it just takes you right over to the book and just bookmark that.
Speaker: and you can read it at your leisure. And if you like it, you can also buy the book on Amazon, but there's some folks who just can't afford the book and that's okay. We've got you covered and you can actually read the book online through the little PDF reader there. So I hope you find that helpful. Again, that's at
Speaker: Stop fighting start living all one word stop fighting start living Dot -com and you can register and get immediate access to the online book So I hope you find that helpful but it is getting closer and closer to election time and
Speaker: I wanted to remind you something about election. And no, this is not a political podcast. I don't do that. Whatever your political persuasion is, you vote as the Lord directs, okay? But this idea of election in scripture or of being chosen
Speaker: There's so many references in the New Testament. And I just want to highlight just a couple. And this always resonated with me in 1 Corinthians 1, 27, but God has chosen. What did God choose? He chose the foolish things. That's me. Maybe you relate. God has chosen the foolish things of the world.
Speaker: to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. And the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen the things that are not so that he may nullify the things that are. Isn't that something? That is a comforting verse to me.
Speaker: You know, we don't have to be the smartest person in the room to share and express God's grace and truth. In fact, oftentimes it's the smartest folks who miss it. I don't want you to miss it. I want you to know and understand the love that God has for you.
Speaker: and that God is always for you and never against you. You are in Christ. In fact, Paul uses that word in Colossians chapter three, verse 12, and he says so as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved,
Speaker: put on a heart of compassion and kindness and humility and gentleness and patience. Why? Well, it really fits you. But that phrase, those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, that's you. If you've received Christ,
Speaker: If you've believed, if you've called on Him, you're chosen of God. You are holy and beloved. And it really starts way back in that book of Colossians and chapter one when Paul says, wow, we're just in verse three giving thanks.
Speaker: to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. And the transformative from that love that you have for all the saints. Because you see, they heard the word of the truth, the gospel, the good news. And you know what they did? They believed. They believed.
Speaker: And as a consequence of that faith in Christ, they are holy and beloved, chosen of God. In fact, all of those in Christ are chosen and predestined to what? An inheritance that will not fade away.
Speaker: The imperative in the Gospels is to believe, to believe. You say, well, what about following? You hear the word follow all the time, and that's fine. Some people like to say, I'm a follower of Christ. That's fine. It's just interesting you don't see that in any other New Testament letter.
Speaker: I think Jesus told the folks and gave them the imperative to follow because, well, they didn't have Fox News and CNN and MSNBC and whatever cable news channel that you follow. They didn't have those roving cameras and satellite feeds. If you really want to see something firsthand, you literally had to follow. And that's what he called it. Follow, follow me. Come and see, see what's happening.
Speaker: See it for yourself. And the imperative is always, you see it, now believe it. Do you believe what you're seeing? Have you believed? Have you received Christ?
Speaker: I liked what Paul continues in this idea of being chosen. He says to those in Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 2 .13, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. How? This is how the whole process is
Speaker: through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Now, take that train backwards. When you believe, have faith in the truth, you're separated, set apart by God. Isn't that incredible? Well,
Speaker: Paul continues in this idea of being chosen and gives you a little bit of the structure. When he says in Ephesians chapter one, he says, in him,
Speaker: And all of Ephesians 1 is how we're in Him, in Him, in Him. In fact, just a couple verses prior when he said, in Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.
Speaker: When you believe in Christ, you're placed in Christ, and in Christ you are predestined for that inheritance which will not fade away. He says, in him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.
Speaker: with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory. Folks, I want you to know that in this election year, you are part of the election.
Speaker: As one who has believed in Jesus Christ, you are chosen. You are predestined to an inheritance that will not fade away. You are holy and beloved in Christ. That is who you are. And you can say with confidence that you are one of the holy ones. Doesn't that feel good?
Speaker: Have you, do you remember back maybe in grade school when, and I don't know if they still had this when you were around, it was big when I was around, it was kickball and they're choosing teams. Did you ever have the experience of being like the very last one to be chosen? It's like they're picking John and Mary and, and Carl and Jan and well, they didn't call Vernon.
Speaker: And then after the one right before you is picked and you're the last one, it's like, okay, Vernon, I mean, they had no other choice. Come on and let's do kickball. Man, that's just kind of a, that's a rough feeling, isn't it? Isn't it cool that you are part of God's chosen?
Speaker: And that's distinguished from God's chosen nation. Who is God's chosen nation? The nation of Israel. That will never go away. But Peter kind of gives us something interesting. When he says to the folks in 1 Peter,
Speaker: He said in 1 Peter 1, 1, and to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, who are chosen. He keeps going in chapter two, verse nine, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession.
Speaker: so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Man, that's some powerful text, isn't it? That a people who, by the way, weren't a people, I mean, they were chosen
Speaker: In verse 2, 1 Peter 1, 2, according to the four knowledge of God, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that's how they were chosen. God knows everyone in Christ. In fact, the Father is giving everyone in Christ as a gift to the Son. And all those in Christ come freely by believing
Speaker: in the Son. And the Father knows every single one of them. Every single one who's going to believe.
Speaker: Now that's another great, great promise. And the fact that you're chosen in verse nine, he says in verse 10, you once were not a people. You weren't a part of the story, really. It was all about the nation of Israel as the light
Speaker: of the nations. For in verse 10, you were once not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy. Now you have. And that's why, again, there's always this message that says, beloved, I urge you. I urge you.
Speaker: as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Why does that, one of those lusts wage war against your soul? Because in Christ you've been given a brand new spirit, brand new heart, and all those old ways and those earthly lusts are just waging war to keep you down.
Speaker: That's why Paul and Peter will tell you to abstain from that stuff or put on kindness and love because that is the brand new you that God made. That is the new creation in Christ. That is who you are as one of the chosen. So I want you to hold your
Speaker: head high that you are chosen. You have been, you're part of the ones who are God's own possession. And by your good deeds, and by your loved one for another, as Peter says, in 1 Peter 2, at the end of verse 11, that because of them, as they observe them,
Speaker: as others in your life, your friends, your family, fellow students, coworkers, those in church, as they observe, they can glorify God in the day of visitation. So you are chosen. You who are not a people, guess what? You're now part of the bride.
Speaker: You have a family and say, no, I'm alone. No, you're not alone. There's a whole family of us. In fact, we're going to be, we're going to be an incredible family for eternity. So let's start getting used to that now, treating each other with kindness and respect. That's what it's all about.
Speaker: So I just wanted to encourage you that, when you think of the election year, this year, pause just for a moment, let it just be a reminder, every time you hear that word elect, hey, thank you, Father, that I am part of your elect, that I am part of your chosen, and that you've chosen me for a purpose.
Speaker: You've made me a brand new creation for a purpose to love, to live loved, to show kindness, to walk in humility, to glorify my heavenly Father. That's my encouragement to you.
Speaker: And I have no idea what the Lord wants to do with this short podcast, but I don't want you to simply talk about it and use about it as I always say. I want you to ask the Lord, how can I walk this out today as one of His chosen? So I can stop talking and start walking.
Speaker: You've been listening to Walking Free, a production of Grace Ministries International in Marietta, Georgia. For more information, go to our website at gmint .org. That's gminc .org.
