“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave
me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have
kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is
from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have
received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they
have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for
the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All
mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. (John 17:6-10,
ESV)
“God has chosen.” These are incredible words seen over and
over again in Scripture. What an amazing thing it is to know that we are chosen
by God. In scripture we read words such as chosen, elect, predestined, and
foreknew. Despite what some might say about how we come to salvation, it is not
something that is man’s idea. God did not offer up His Son and say, “Come if
you wish, it’s all up to you.” Though Scripture clearly states that we have to believe
to be saved, we clearly read that salvation is a work of the Spirit in the
hearts and minds of those chosen by God so that they can see and know and even
believe. Being able to believe is an incredible gift we have been given by God.
In passages like this, where He was praying for the eleven
(after Judas departure) and even the greater number of believers at that time (according
to verse 2), Jesus again speaks of Himself faithfully making the Father known
to those the Father had given Him out of the world. Clearly He is not speaking
of the whole world here because He said that these were given to Him out of the
world—out of all humans, these were given to Him by the Father. They belonged to
the Father from the past, they were given to the Son, and they have proven
themselves faithful.
Having been faithful in telling them what He had been given
to say and repeatedly reminding them that what He said was what He had seen and
received from the Father, they now knew everything that had been given to Jesus
was from the Father. He had given them the words given to Him by the Father,
and they now have surely come to know the truth that He indeed did come from
the Father. They earnestly believed that He did come from the Father.
It was these believers, these faithful ones, these ones who knew
the truth that Jesus was praying for. The world rejected Him and He was not
praying for the world. He was praying for those that were given to Him by the
Father. These are the ones God chose. They belong to God—both Father and Son,
and by being faithful to show them the Father Jesus in turn is glorified in
them knowing both the Father and the Son.
I am not a lucky accident. I am so thankful that
God has chosen me, shown Himself to me, and softened my heart and opened my
eyes so that I can be counted among those that belong to God, both Father and
Son and am sealed by His Spirit. I am so thankful as well to know that God
having begun this good work in me is also faithful to complete it in Christ
such that one day I will step out of this body and into His presence knowing in
the meantime that I am honored to serve Him. If you have trusted Christ for
your salvation you are no accident either, and if you have not won’t you stop,
thank God for prompting you to look to Him, and ask for the salvation freely
given in His Son. You aren’t a lucky accident either.
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