Chosen By God
By Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist
Read Colossians 3:1-14
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” (Colossians 3:12)
First, God chose them (Colossians 3:12a). The word elect means “chosen of God.” God’s words to Israel through Moses help us to understand the meaning of salvation by grace: “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you … hath the Lord brought you out (of Egypt) with a mighty hand” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
This miracle of divine election did not depend on anything we are or we have done; for God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). If God saved a sinner on the basis of merit or works, nobody would be saved. It is all done through God’s grace that it might all bring glory to God.
Of course, election is a “sacred secret” that belongs to God’s children. It is not a doctrine we believers explain to the unsaved. “The Lord knows them that are his” (2 Timothy 2:19), so we must leave the working out of his eternal purposes with him. Our task is to share the good news of the Gospel with a lost world.
Second, God set them apart (Colossians 3:12). That is the meaning of the word holy. Because we have trusted Christ, we have been set apart from the world unto the Lord. We are not our own; we belong completely to him (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Just as the marriage ceremony sets apart a man and a woman for each other exclusively, so salvation sets the believer apart exclusively for Jesus Christ. Would it not be a horrible thing, at the end of a wedding, to see the groom run off with the maid of honor? It is just as horrible to contemplate the Christian living for the world and the flesh.
Third, God forgave them (Colossians 3:13-14). “Having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:13). God’s forgiveness is complete and final; it is not conditional or partial. How is the holy God able to forgive us guilty sinners? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has forgiven us “for Christ’s sake” (Ephesians 4:32), and not for our own sake.
Chosen by God, set apart for God, loved by God, and forgiven by God. They all add up to grace. Now, because of these gracious blessings, the Christian has some solemn responsibilities before God. He must put on the beautiful graces of the Christian life. Remember, anyone who sincerely asks Jesus for forgiveness will become a child of God (John 3:16).
Read Ron Purkey’s free Bible study outlines at rcpbibleoutlines.com. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.