Psalm 37:1-18; Deut. 7:6-11; Titus 1:1-16; John 1:29-34
Election is the most humbling of all truths. Here the Lord tells them that they were chosen for one simple reason, He was faithful to the promise He made to their fathers. He sovereignly chose Abraham and because Abraham accepted the call and continued faithful he received the promise on behalf of those who would come after him. Their choice is unconditional but the receiving of covenant blessings is contingent on their keeping the commandments of God. They are His treasured possession but they are also to be holy to the Lord, set apart, different from the rest of the world. Peter says the same of the Christian church. It is wonderful to be God’s treasured possession but the responsibility is great.
John was chosen and blessed and because he was faithful to God’s command he received the greatest revelation ever given to man, he was the first to know that Jesus was the Christ of God! He says that he came baptizing that the Messiah might be revealed in accordance with the promise of God given to him and according to the sign he was given, the descent of the dove which would remain on Messiah when he was baptized. It must have been a bit puzzling to John that Messiah would be baptized at all, much less by him, as the baptism of John was for the repentance of sins. Why would Messiah be baptized for forgiveness of sins? It was not for forgiveness of sins that Jesus was baptized, it was for identification with sinners. In our baptism we are to identify with Jesus’ righteousness and then we are to walk as those who are holy to the Lord, set apart in our baptism as distinct, His own treasured possession.
Paul describes his ministry in an interesting way. He is “a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness…” He is a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, he bears a message from and about Jesus on behalf of God. He does this for the sake of the faith of God’s elect, the message is for those who have been chosen by God to be receptive to the message. He does so that they may have knowledge of the truth about Jesus, not be led astray so his message is clear and unadulterated. The message of truth is to produce godliness in the elect, changed lives. Consequently, he now gives the qualifications for those who are set apart for leadership and defines the characteristics of their lives rather than their worldly resume as the important things. They are set apart for their godly character, the only true measure of a man.
Oh to know the power of your risen life
And to know you in your suffering
To become like you in your death my Lord
So with You to live
And never die
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