Chosen

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 
1 Peter 2:9

I can remember the reoccurring event. Two boys stand in a field; both pick a team for a scrap football game. I waited as boy after boy after boy was chosen. I wiped my sweating palms against my pants. My heart raced until I finally heard my name. Sometimes I was picked last, other times I landed higher up in the pecking order. It is not cool to be chosen last, and it is embarrassing.

But God chose us before the foundation of the world. He set His affection on us before we were born. He has called the entire world to receive His gift of salvation, but it is only those who respond to the call that become His chosen ones. God foreknew who would accept Him and who would reject Him.

We can rejoice in the knowledge that we are chosen by God. He didn't choose us because we had it all together. No, we can never earn His acceptance. We are accepted in the beloved because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. He paid the price for us to be redeemed.

Those of us who have invited Jesus to be their Lord and Savior can bask in the truth that we are His chosen ones and we are members of His wonderful family. We are all equal before Him, and none of us have been chosen last. Let's rejoice in the fact that we are chosen by God the Father. What an awesome truth to behold. We each have been picked to be a key player on God's winning team!

Salvation - a Free Gift

Salvation is a free gift to those that choose to receive it. It is free to us but not to God. Jesus paid the ultimate price, when He hung upon the cross. His life became a ransom for our sins. He took upon Himself the sins of the world, and God the Father judged Him for our sin. After three days, He rose again from the dead. Jesus, who is 100% man and 100% God, won salvation for us who believe. In Romans 10, it says that all those that confess that Jesus is Lord, and all those who believe in their heart that He rose from the dead shall be saved. 

We cannot earn our way to heaven. In fact, we can never be good enough, because God's holiness demands perfection. But when we invite the Lord into our lives, He takes our sin and imparts to us His righteousness. This is the miracle of salvation – the greatest miracle of all. When we come to him, we must bow low. In humility we can surrender our lives to God the Father allowing Him to cleanse us from our every sin. Our salvation is not based on the denomination we may or may not be part of; it is only based on the position of our hearts before God. If you would like to become a follower of Jesus, please pray the prayer below....

Dear Heavenly Father,

I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die and pay for my sin debt. I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and I declare that He is my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving me from all of my sin. Lord, I repent of all my sin and choose to follow You. Thank you that I have a home in heaven waiting for me.

Congratulations! You have made the most important decision of your life.

I would like to encourage you to:

Pray every day – its like talking to a Friend.

Daily read from the Bible – it is food for your soul.

Share your faith with others – let them hear the good news.

Go to church regularly – we need the fellowship of other believers, and we need to hear the word of God preached.