"....Chosen...To Be Obedient...."

(I pressed "send," but my computer indicated that it did not go through.  If you receive this twice, apologies)

"....who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His Blood...."  (1 Peter 1:2, NIV)

This is a novel statement for too many:  We, "have been chosen...to be obedient to Jesus Christ..."  One can only wonder if the charismatic renewal would have plateaued the way it did if this would have been fundamental teaching: "....chosen...to be obedient...." 

Too many have put forth that we have been chosen to "claim the promises," or, "declare/speak" things into existence.  There may be some merit to this, but as the Bible says, "....the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God," e.g., does not willingly embrace, "chosen...to be obedient."  I have seen in myself over the years that I have had a tendency to obey what I want to obey and not obey what I don't want to obey.  Many of Christendom throughout the centuries have become masters of such.  But away with this!  I have not only been, "....chosen...to be obedient to Jesus Christ..," I make a "declaration" today that as I have been, "chosen...to be obedient to Jesus Christ..," I choose to obey Jesus Christ. 

And there is more.  Not only have the Followers of Jesus, "....been chosen...to be obedient to Jesus..," we, "....have been chosen...to be...sprinkled with His Blood," yes, "chosen," to be forgiven, bathed, cleansed, purged, and as Peter later declares in the chapter, "....redeemed...with the precious Blood of Christ."  Father sought out you and me and chose us to be, "....obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His Blood."  If Jesus is to you and me what we so often claim in testimony, worship, prayers, if Jesus is, "....to you who believe precious," then the "obedience factor" will not be objectionable.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess today, I choose obedience to You.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2