Chosen

By Pastor Alan Clark

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16

Jesus gives us a picture of election in this verse. After centuries of focusing on predestination, these words might not have the same understanding that they did 2000 years ago. When I first read the verse, it reminded me of one of my favorite books,” Laughter in the Walls.” In this book, Bob Benson talks about family life and relates deep spiritual truths to everyday events. He also talks about growing up and being the last one selected in dodgeball, baseball, and anything else that left an unathletic kid on the sidelines. When Bob understood that God had selected him it changed his understanding of God, himself, and predestination. He believed that God selected him first and that truth set him free to become a successful Christian publisher, record producer, and pastor. He strongly believed that the God that he believed in had selected (elected) him way before he put his faith in God. This selection was so much more than picking one person over another. It was an act of trust and faith that the Lord had shown to him, and to all of humanity. God believed that we could carry his message. He believed that we could be faithful. God believed that human beings could actually bear the image of God and could reflect the glory of God to the unbelieving world. God’s “selection” meant that God believed we could fulfill the requirements and duties of being the people of God even though there were thousands of years of evidence to the contrary. There is a lot more to the story and includes being empowered by God’s Spirit, but that info fits in another verse.

God “selected” us. My adrenaline is starting to kick in even as I write about this verse. It is so filled with hope, and the original hearers would have heard it that way! In all of chapter 15 Jesus talks about “fruit.” We probably have different preconceived notions about what that fruit looks like. Some of us may hear it in context of the promise made to Joshua, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). We hear “favor” when we think of “fruit.” Some of us might even think that “fruit’ means “good works.” And you would agree with a number of smart people who write commentaries. But the whole point of what has been designated as John 15 is that we are to abide with the one who abides with us and with those who abide in him together. And John uses the same word to describe the fruit. God wants us to have fruit that “abides” in us, on us, and through us. How is that different from good works? God wants us to not just do good, but to be good. God’s desire is for us to have goodness coming out of the pores in our skin, and not just random deeds of goodness. We should hear the words spoken to Abraham in Genesis 17:1b, “walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” We should not only do good things, but we are also called to be good people. This is the fruit that God is looking for. He called Abraham to not only do the right thing, but to “be” the right person. Authentic. Genuine. The Real Deal.

And last but not least, we need to look at “whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you” (John 15:16b). Seriously? Whatever? That’s a pretty big statement. I recently saw a Tesla that would make people think I’m special. Could that be included in the “whatever” statement? Probably not. I think that the main point Jesus is trying to make is that God would love to pour out blessings and favor onto us. But we need to be the kind of people that he can trust with his blessings. We need to be the kind of people who can showcase his grace, blessings, and favor. Maybe it does mean a Testla (probably not), but the question is not what is included in the word “whatever.’ The question is, are we the kind of people that can be trusted with God’s favor? Are we the kind of people that God can pour into and will we showcase his glory, or use it for our own glory? Sadly, that rules out the Tesla.

In “The Snowball,” Warren Buffet talks about the inheritance he will leave for his children. To paraphrase the book, Buffet believes that he needs to leave his children enough so that they can really do something. But, on the other hand, he believes that he cannot leave his children enough so that they can do nothing. He knows his children and believes that they cannot handle everything that he could leave them. When I read the book, I had an epiphany of what this verse means. God would love to pour out blessings and favor on his children as they ask for things in the name of Jesus. He calls us to be the kind of people who can handle it with grace and faithfulness. Jesus was calling his audience to understand that they have been “selected” to receive the favor and grace of the Almighty Father. In order to receive these gifts, they would need to have the fruit of righteousness abiding or remaining on them. This would mean that they would need to have a reputation for godliness and not just a flash of goodness. They would need to be covered in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit, and not just on the edge of truth.

What a challenge for each of us! Do we have the reputation of godliness that allows God to pour out his favor on us, or would God be afraid that he can’t give us too much because it might showcase our own glory? I go back to the beginning of this verse. You were selected. That means that our Almighty Father believes that we can be faithful. He believes that we can be trusted. He believes in us. And in that way, he has selected us to carry his fruit. He wants us to have lasting fruit and not just flashes of goodness.