What is better, "To be chosen-or Not"

**mikhen7** · January-20th-2011, 08:42 AM

My bible studies have taken me through Lamentations and the chapters of Jeremiah 39-44 and I have been struck again with the question of discipline. In short those books deal with the harshness of Judah being taken into captivity by a merciless Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The question begs to be answered is it better to be God's people or to be lost in this life? We know when dealing with eternity the answer is obvious, you want to be a child of God. But in this life the true believer not only has eternal life with the Lord as his/her lot but also the grueling subjection to His discipline.

What a lot of people do not stop to consider when they read the Old Testament stories of judgment on Israel is, that under the Mosaic Covenant, they endure these atrocities because they willingly accepted being the covenanted people of God. It is true that God made unconditional covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob promising that eventually a Messiah would be raised from the lineage of David who would bring Salvation to the ends of the earth. We know that to be Jesus. But the Mosaic covenant is the story of a people who endure harsh disciplines because they said "Yes" to the Lord, "We will follow You." In doing so they willingly accepted the fact that God would be dealing with them as a Father does a son.

So again, I will rephrase my question, "Would you rather be a child of God and be subject to His disciplinary actions as He molds you into the person He saved you to be, or lost in the world and really just flapping in the wind subject only to the whims of the day? It seems that many of those who are lost do not have to endure the expectant discipline from God if they live a life that is not in step with the Lord's righteous standards. It is so easy when going through trials to be tempted to cry out, "What good is it being Christian, if my prayers for deliverance on seem to hit a brick wall! I might as well just live in the world for I see no difference in my life. I am going to forget all this 'God stuff' and meet back with my old friends at the local bar." Can anyone relate to that? When Jeremiah told the people of Judah in the chapters afore mentioned that the reason they had to endure such harsh discipline was because they prostituted themselves with other gods they did not believe him. They said, "on the contrary, it was when we were offering incense to other gods that we were living in relative peace." (Please read Jer. 44:15-30)

How easy it is to be deceived. I am afraid that there is a message missing in the proclamation of the gospel today. It is easy to preach, "Come to Jesus- have your sins forgiven!" But it is not easy to preach, "Come to Jesus-Have your sins forgiven, and subject yourselves to His discipline." You see we do not like the last part. Humanity does want eternal life but they would rather have it in their own way and leave the Lord out of it. Being a child of God means becoming a new creation, (2 Cor.5:17). The Bible teaches us that we will be shaped into the person God saved us to be. It means giving your life into His hands that He may work in you His purpose for breathing life into your nostrils at birth. It is why it is called being "Born Again." A new life that starts from scratch to learn a new life, "His Life" Christ in us, the hope of glory. The whole molding, sanding, and shaping process is to transform us so that we may be fit to server Him in eternity.

So when you are tempted to say you are going to live the old life just remember it is not that old life that can be used in eternity. Slipping backwards just prolongs the disciplinary process. Be obedient. Do not question God. Just follow Him. In the end you will understand why.

God Bless

**king'sbloomingrose** · January-20th-2011, 08:56 AM

I think I'd prefer to be in God's control because I know He does all things well. He never lets things happen to me that are outside His will, and even in the bad times of life, when I don't understand why and everything seems dark around me...I know He's there. He won't let go of me no matter what happens.

**mikhen7** · January-20th-2011, 09:05 AM

GOOD ANSWER!!!!

**Robert** · January-20th-2011, 09:57 AM

I'll tell you my choice, but first, allow me to elaborate on what I have learned;

Often, we want what we want rather than asking the Lord. And when we are told no, rather than simply accept that, we try to argue, reason, debate, and then when that doesn't work, try to get it on our own. We don't realize that what we want is detrimental or can open up avenues to temptation that we personally vulnerable to. The Lord will try to steer us back to him, but sometimes, we just have to learn the hard way, and that ends up with us wrecked and broken. Much of what we call "discipline" is really the natural consequences of our actions that the Lord, lovingly, HAS to let us endure so that we learn for next time.

Sad to say, humans moist times have to learn the hard way.

In some other instances, we have faults that the lord is trying to remove from us, but rather than submit to his perfect will, we hang on to them, not realizing that they are harmful impurities and defects in our character that impede our walk with him. He tries to shape us, but we refuse to be shaped and the "grinding, sanding and polishing" take a lot longer.

Another instance, one that many do not realize: folks think of "discipline" as "punishment". They assume that because this is happening that God is punishing you or chastising you. But when Paul spoke of it in his epistles, he related it more to the training that athletes underwent to participate in an event. So, what we may see in a brother or sister's life may not be corrective action, but rather, training for a task or calling that the Lord intends to use them in. Shaping them to be his tool in the mode he wishes to employ them in, much like a factory shapes the metal blanks into the final finished tool, ready to be used once the process is done.

Finally, what we endure reminds us that this world is not our permanent home, and is the natural consequence of a world that hates God and anyone who follows him. God doesn't allow it to happen to be sadistic, but because we often "settle down in the good times" and forget too soon that we live in a cursed, decaying, sallow shadow of what was once perfect and pristine. He occasionally has to shake us from complacency and show us that what we perceive as "good' is just a veneer, an illusion. The reality is that after the Garden of Eden, nothing on this planet can ever match what was shaped by God's hands before the fall. And the Lord cannot use us if we become taken with this decrepit world that is under a shroud.

So, all that said: it is better to be chosen, because of one simple fact: a day in the courts of the Lord is better than a lifetime in the mansions of the most wealthy. If you value what the world values, you would choose the latter. but if you value the Lord, you choose to be with him no matter the cost. and that cost is being his child, and as a child, you are trained and at times corrected.

All that said, I would rather be chosen.

As for Israel going in the captivity: God warned them all he could, even though he knew it would still happen. The captivity wasn't God's fault; it was Israel's. They were stiff-necked, and refused to listen to God.

We who serve the Lord would do best to remember that.

**soundingthealarm** · January-20th-2011, 10:10 AM

Chosen, Chosen, Chosen

However, all those times I've self invoked God's Discipline.....Have been brutal...and I've cried and boo hoo'd why me Lord and heard "you know why Son, you know very well why"

Disobedience is costly for sure, EVERYTIME

but the Cost of being identified in Christ in this world....that Chosen Cost....can be daunting and sobering and weigh heavily

when I read Acts and Hebrews and Fox's Book and realize what many of my brother's and sister's in Christ went through and what many in this world experience because they were "chosen" ...it causes me to pause and ask "how, why?"

Why do follower's of You Lord sometimes have to suffer in Your Name under such hatred and scorn?

I realize the answer but it's still sobering.....

but it leads my mind to think upon this passage in 2 Corinthians 4

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

**mikhen7** · January-21st-2011, 08:29 AM

Great replies. The point I was making is deception is so subtle. The evil one loves to blind us to true reality. Like those in Jeremiah's day who could not or did not want to understand the long-suffering (Hesed) of God, they mistook His grace in giving them time to repent at the preaching of the prophets, for good times while they offered incense to the queen of heaven. Therefore, they tell Jeremiah "we lived in peace while we were practicing those things."

Dear brother and sister, God has called you to His service, His long-suffering during our days of rebellion is simply the story of His love as He patiently waited for us to respond to Him. Your old life is now hid with Christ. Your new life is to be directed by God.

If you are going through trial, pray and seek Him through the scripture. Grasp hold of His promises and believe them by faith. Shun the enemies lies. Get up and know He is in control. Leave your cares with Him and He will carry you into His perfect will. You must trust Him to do that.

God Bless

**mattfivefour** · January-21st-2011, 08:40 AM

If we are not chosen, we are lost forever. The beauty is that ALL that God foreknew would accept His Son are indeed chosen. That is the result of God's foreknowledge, not His dictate. Therefore, every single person who is saved is chosen ... but they were chosen because He knew they would choose Him when given the choice. All those who are not chosen are those whom He knew would never choose Him. This is why God can say: "Those whom He foreknew, He chose." (Romans 8:29a)

Oh the joy produced by this passage!!! "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

Oh, yeah! I would MUCH rather be chosen than not!!!

Chosen means that before He formed the earth He knew I would choose Him. And, therefore, because of everything that Jesus Christ did ... and nothing of me ... I am indeed saved and will spend eternity in Heaven with Him! HE made sure of it. None that are His will be lost.

Chosen! CHOSEN! CHOSEN!!!

**mikhen7** · January-21st-2011, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by mattfivefour

If we are not chosen, we are lost forever. The beauty is that ALL that God foreknew would accept His Son are indeed chosen. That is the result of God's foreknowledge, not His dictate. Therefore, every single person who is saved is chosen ... but they were chosen because He knew they would choose Him when given the choice. All those who are not chosen are those whom He knew would never choose Him. This is why God can say: "Those whom He foreknew, He chose." (Romans 8:29a)

Oh the joy produced by this passage!!! "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

Oh, yeah! I would MUCH rather be chosen than not!!!

Chosen means that before He formed the earth He knew I would choose Him. And, therefore, because of everything that Jesus Christ did ... and nothing of me ... I am indeed saved and will spend eternity in Heaven with Him! HE made sure of it. None that are His will be lost.

Chosen! CHOSEN! CHOSEN!!!

And the Angels in Heaven are singing along with you Brother!!!!!!!!!