jesus-christ – J3Khai.fun

From Charles J. Rolls, The Indescribable Christ: Names and Titles of Jesus Christ: A-G

And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let Him save himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God (Luke 23:35).

My servant whom I have chosen (Isaiah 43:10).

Jesus Christ is assuredly preferred above all by the very heart of the eternal God; for He is distinguished beyond all others in the heaven of glory and is pre-eminently desirable because of His holiness in grace and goodness. This same Chosen of God is the One in whom we have been chosen for eternal companionship. What an honor! (John 15:16) To be thus initiated into such an association is one of the inestimable privileges of our relationship in the Beloved. Jesus Christ is God’s Elect, the stateliest of the sanctified, in whom the Father’s soul delighteth because He can never fail in fulfilling the eternal purpose and glorifies the immortal Majesty in all things (Isaiah 42:1).

Jesus Christ is the Chosen of God because of His comely character, because of His charming countenance, because of His changeless constancy, because of His crowning capability and by virtue of His complete conformity in discharging every obligation to do the will and work of God. What an object for our heart’s affection is this unmatched, unequaled, unexcelled chosen of God? We should take particular notice of the sacred simplicity, stately sublimity and the sterling sincerity that characterized all His actions.

The affection of the Father had a perfect object in His Chosen and therefore He had no need to choose us; but we are nevertheless chosen in Him who is the Chosen of God, which reality is according to the good pleasure of His will. God is inconceivably pleased with His Chosen, because His and God’s blended interests form the essence of mutual harmony and their agreement is the very soul of affectionate accord and abounding amity. Herein we approach the fathomless mystery of Godhead and comprehend in some small degree the perfect consciousness of prevailing calm which abides the ages.

All resources are revealed in a Person, whether they be the realities of goodness, the riches of grace, the rays of glory or the rarest of gifts. All reach us through the Chosen of God. No spiritual blessing comes to us by blind chance but by divine choice. We are chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, we are called in Him, justified in Him and blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3–7). These stupendous verities magnify the amazing mystery of reconciliation which was wrought by one infinitely blessed. Who could doubt acceptance with God in One so acceptable? No one who selects the Savior as Surety and Substitute will ever regret the step taken. God rests in Him, in Him I rest, even “My servant whom I have chosen” (Isaiah 43:10).

Charles J. Rolls, The Indescribable Christ: Names and Titles of Jesus Christ: A-G (Loizeaux Brothers, 1984).

I have a sticky note on my desk speaking of Luke 10. It struck me as I was reading through the gospel. Luke 10:17-20. Jesus sends 70 out and He gives them power over demons and to heal. It would be the equivalent of waking up in the morning and discovering you had the powers of Superman or Spiderman. What you could do was astounding, amazing, spectacular. You were above mere mortals.

To that Jesus responds (my paraphrase), “You guys think that is something? I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning”. And then He says in verse 20, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven”.

Our value and worth to God resides in our relationship with Him as sons and daughters, never in our abilities or strengths or accomplishments. We are to rejoice in who we are to God, not in what we can do.

All of our culture, all of our upbringing, most of our experiences teaches the opposite. People have value because they are important, intelligent, wealthy, beautiful, productive. We have a book in the country entitled “Who’s Who”. We have sports competitions, quiz shows, Mensa, Suma Cum Laude, advanced degrees, etc.

I don’t have to perform for God. Not only do I not need to perform but there is nothing in me that can accomplish His work. The Holy Spirit is the One accomplishing the building of the Kingdom of God. He gives salvation, understanding, motivation, the desire to participate with our Father in what He is doing. It is His desire to bring glory to Jesus and He is good at what He does.

It is wonderful to rest in our relationship with Jesus. It has been granted us by grace. It can’t be earned, it can’t be bought, it can’t be lost. We can get misguided, confused, and led astray which Satan delights in and works at. But we can’t escape the loving hand of our Savior. May the Lord give us grace to maintain that focus!

You remain daily in my prayers and on my heart,

Your brother,

David