2 Peter: God Chose Me

Consider the following two pictures about choosing people:

Picture #1: Twelve kids lined up along the fence. Two team captains stood a few paces from them, pondering the possibilities. The first team captain picked a tall boy, a good runner. The second team captain chose a stocky boy, a powerful hitter. An so it went until all twelve had been divided into two teams.

Picture #2: Twelve kids sat in math class. The teacher explained rules, showed examples, and had the children come to the board and work the problems themselves. The kids took tests to prove their competence in the subject. None of the kids made 100% on all the tests. But the teacher was not expecting perfection; he was expecting a certain grade. The teacher said that as long as the student met certain criteria (if they averaged 70% or above on all the coursework) then they would pass the class. At the end of the term, ten kids passed and two failed the class. The teacher had CHOSEN the ten because he had chosen the criteria by which they would pass.

Are either of these pictures accurate in showing how God chooses the citizens for His kingdom?

In the first picture, kids were chosen by a certain criteria, but the criteria may only have been known to the team captains. Perhaps a girl was chosen because she's cute. Perhaps a boy was chosen because the captain felt sorry for him. No one knew the criteria for choosing except the one who was choosing. We might say the choosing was subjective.

In the second picture, kids were chosen to pass or fail based upon a set of criteria which is given before the class ever started. It was an objective choosing. Yes, the teacher chose the criteria, but the students had a responsibility to work hard to pass the course. They didn't have to be perfect, but they had to try. A great part of the student's success was up to the teacher, but a great part of the student's success was also up to the student.

Like any analogy, this will break down eventually, but I believe the Bible gives us the second picture rather than the first. God chose me. How did He choose me? He chose me through His Son, Jesus Christ. Anyone who believes on Him shall be saved. If you are in the Son, you are chosen. If you are not, you're rejected. That's the picture the Bible paints.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble...

God chose me....and I need to work hard (be diligent) to make sure I stay within the criteria He has set forth.

What do you think?

God bless,
Nathan