Many Are Called, But Few Chosen

April 21, 2022 Starla Bice Comments 4 comments

There are two parts to being chosen for anything. You choose this awesome player for your team. Yay! But they reject your invitation to play. Do you leave that spot blank? No! You choose someone else! Then, they must accept the invitation to play to continue to be chosen. Someone is invited to a party. Awesome! Let’s party. That person must show up to enjoy the party as a chosen guest. And this is exactly what Jesus explains in Matthew 20, even the last laborers were chosen just because they accepted.

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few chosen.
Matthew 20:16

You are called. You are chosen. Have you accepted the invitation?

How to Have Eternal Life – Available to whosoever believes

Without realizing that we have the choice to answer the call and therefore be chosen, it may sound as if God is only choosing certain “predetermined” people. That wrong belief is contrary to the “whosoever believes” in John 3:16.

The Kingdom of God

When Jesus says in Luke 14 that we should be generous to those who we would never expect to pay us back (Luke 14:13-14), someone said, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (Luke 14:15).”

Then Jesus tells a story of a certain man that sends his servants out to call many to a great supper (Luke 14:16-17). But those who were called began to make excuses (Luke 14:18-20).

The master finally sends his servants out to call everyone, anyone who will come (Luke 14:21-23). He then proclaims that none of those that were called and rejected His invitation would be chosen to taste his supper (Luke 14:24).

Cares of this World

Just as Jesus tells us in Mark 4:18-19, the “called” in Luke 14:18-20 were more interested in the cares of the world than the feast that has been provided.

1 John 2:16 explains what the cares of this world are. They are the same cares that the devil tempted Eve with all the way back in the garden (Genesis 3:6). They are the same cares that the same devil tempted Jesus with also in the wilderness (Matthew 4).

Your Identity

First, the enemy questions our identity, “If you are the Son of God, …” (Matthew 4:3, 6).

Then, he casts doubt on God’s goodness! In Genesis 3:5, the devil says that God knows that they will be like Him if they eat the fruit.

Just to be clear that the snake in the garden is the devil, Revelation 12:9, 20:2 are two verses that make it abundantly clear.

Adam and Eve were already made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-31). He made them the gods of this world (Genesis 1:27-31)! He gave them everything and said, “It is very good!”

In fact, God had made mankind only a little lower than “Elohim” which is translated as “God” every time in the Bible except for the verse Psalm 8:4-5 in the KJV. This has been corrected in later translations such as Psalm 8:4-5 NASB20!

King David is asking, “Who is man that You have created him to be only a little lower than You!?”

Why is this Significant?

Hebrews 2:7, 9 are translated correctly talking about Jesus! This is significant because God created mankind in His own image just a little lower than Himself. Then the devil deceived Adam and Eve gaining the power and dominion that God had given to mankind.

Jesus had to come to where mankind had fallen to take back the power and position originally intended for mankind. (See also “All Power is Given: Matthew 28:18″)

Lucifer had been “under” God only until he was sent into the garden to serve man. Any time a crime has been committed, we look for the motive!

Lucifer was sent to serve or minister to Adam and Eve (Hebrews 1:14, Ezekiel 28:13).

Lucifer, the serpent of old, the devil (Revelation 12:10)

You can read Ezekiel 28 to find out more about Lucifer.

At first read, it sounds as if God is just talking to a man, a king in Ezekiel 28:1-10. But upon a little study of this chapter (Ezekiel 28:11-19), you can see that this king had rejected God and submitted himself to the devil.

Jesus warned Peter about his line of thinking in Mark 8:33.

Resist the devil, and make him flee (James 4:7, Luke 4:13).

But Now We See Not

Why can’t we yet see all things put under Jesus? Because many are called but few chosen!

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. – Hebrews 2:8 KJV

Many people are still being deceived by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and stay focused on the cares of this world.

It is Finished

Are you willing to believe that you have already been rescued or delivered from the power of darkness in this world and transferred or translated into the kingdom/life eternal (John 17:3, 1 John 5:20), now in this world? You are chosen if you choose to believe.

The same verse in two translations: Both past tense! It is Finished!

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, – Colossians 1:13 NASB20

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: – Colossians 1:13 KJV

In this World!

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. – 1 John 4:17 KJV

This verse says that just as Jesus is now, so are we in this world (1 John 4:15-17)!

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], – Ephesians 1:20 KJV
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: – Ephesians 1:21 KJV

You are called: Believe, receive, and be chosen.

I came across such an excellent explanation of Matthew 20:16, “…for many be called, but few chosen.” from Andrew Wommack that I had to share it here.

The use of the word “chosen” here does not mean that God has limited salvation to only a select few. Salvation is a free gift to everyone (John 3:16, Romans 10:13, Titus 2:11, and Revelation 22:17), but not everyone will be saved (Matthew 7:13-14). This is not because God is unwilling to save some (2 Peter 3:9) but rather because some are not willing to repent and receive salvation God’s way (Acts 4:12). Therefore, God calls all to repentance but only chooses those for salvation who meet the conditions of Romans 10:9.
AWMI free Online Bible Commentary

Love Defined

God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes how God loves you. And you can learn to love yourself and then freely give God’s kind of love to others as you freely receive Him. “Charity” is giving without expecting anything in return.

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. – 1 Corinthians 13:4 NASB20
It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own [benefit;] it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong [suffered,] – 1 Corinthians 13:5 NASB20
it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; – 1 Corinthians 13:6 NASB20
it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:7 NASB20
But now faith, hope, [and] love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB20

Are You Perfect?

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer (hold yourself up against) the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye that [our] brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you. – Hebrews 13:20-23 KJV

Being born again (1 Peter 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21) means that you are new (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15), and yes, that means that you are perfect (Philippians 3:15, 2 Timothy 3:17, Hebrews 7:19)! Just as Jesus is perfect (Hebrews 5:9), we are already just like Him, now, in this world (1 John 4:17).

Now, you may be saying, “Look at this body(Romans 1:23, 1 Corinthians 15:53, 1 Corinthians 15:54) !” and “You have no idea what horrible things I think about!” Thankfully, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that we are three-part beings. A born-again spirit is fully restored as in creation (Genesis 1:27, John 4:24)! Not only that but God seals every born-again spirit (Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30) so that they cannot be corrupted (1 Peter 3:4)! Not even by our own stupid!

Soul and Body

I believe we can submit our bodies to God’s will by renewing our minds as spelled out for us in Romans 12:1-2. We can make our faith effective by acknowledging Christ in us (Philemon 1:6). God has already accomplished perfection in His born-again children, and He has come to live in us (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:16).

Or choose to not be chosen and submit yourself to the god of this world (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 10). And whether you think “theos” in 2 Thessalonians 2:11 is talking about God or Satan, those in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 had already rejected Jesus and had already chosen the pleasures of unrighteousness over salvation.