Many Called but Few are Chosen. Beware of Your Salvation
Many are Called but Few are Chosen
Matthew 20:16 ...'So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.'
Matthew 22:14 ...'For many are called, but few are chosen.'
Now many people will say that few are saved in comparison to all the people that live and have lived. But if you look at what Jesus said, you will see that He is talking about those who profess to be in the faith. He said that out of the 'called' one's, only few are chosen. Those 'called' people are those who profess to be Christians and follow Jesus, and yet He is saying that only few of these will actually be saved. Do you see that? Jesus didn't say that only few out of ALL people would be saved, but only few out of the 'called' people, ie. Christians!
The professing Christian world needs to wake up to this message now!
Why are only few chosen? Jesus explains this in another verse ... Matthew 7:13-14 ...'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.' ... The majority of the called people (professing Christians) are heading down the 'broad' way, which leads to destruction. The narrow path is the only way to be saved through Jesus, and only few will find it. Think about it, many of the professing Christians in this world think that they can just believe in Jesus, turn up at their social club (church) a couple times and week to sing rock songs with "Christian" words, chat to their friends about the worldly things they did during the week, and be saved! They believe that you don't need to keep God's law anymore, that you don't really need to make any sacrifices in your life for Christ, and that you can carry on living a worldly life, "as long as you have Jesus!" Does someone living this way REALLY have Jesus? According to Jesus they don't and they are heading right down to destruction. Think about those two ways; one is broad, so it must be an 'easy' way, and the other is narrow, so it must be a difficult path. Which of the two is being preached in the churches today? The 'easy' broad way!
Jesus Himself warned us about the preachers who would teach this way of thinking, right after the verses where He's describing the 'broad' and 'narrow' way ... Matthew 7:15-16 ...'Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.' ... There certainly are ravening wolves inside the professing church today. The door has been opened to satan and he is taking control of a lot of the churches out there. I believe it will get so bad, that what Jesus said in Luke will be so true ... Luke 18:8 ...'Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' ... Jesus isn't talking about "professing" faith here, He is talking about TRUE, sacrificial, unshakeable faith. A faith that I believe, is sadly lacking in this world today. And why is this world full of professing Christians who will NOT be chosen when Jesus returns? Because they don't study God's Word in the Bible for themselves. Instead they let these false teachers and preachers do their studying for them, while they spend their time reading useless novels! It amazes me how much time the professing Christian today spends reading novels compared with Bible study. Will Jesus find faith on the earth when He returns? Very little!
Will Jesus find faith on the earth when He comes?
Look at the parable of the ten virgins:
Matthew 25:1-12 ...'Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.'
All ten of these virgins were 'called' and they all expected to be saved, but only 5 were actually saved. Why? Because the other five had lost their 'first love' for Jesus. They had stopped studying God's Word for themselves, and they didn't realize that they didn't have enough oil (Holy Spirit) to make the journey. I fear that the majority of professing Christians today will be in the camp of the five foolish virgins. The foolish virgins knew the Lord Jesus, but they didn't truly LIVE FOR HIM. The biggest lesson from this parable is that when the door of mercy is shut, even if you then realize your mistake and turn to Jesus, it will be too late! Which is why Jesus said in the next verse:
We need to be watching, preparing, waiting, studying and living for Jesus everyday! Jesus confirmed that just knowing and saying His name wasn't enough. He also confirmed that even prophesying in His name or casting out devils wasn't enough ... Matthew 7:21-23 ...'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.' ... Why did Jesus not know them, and therefore reject them? Because they did iniquity! The original greek word for iniquity was 'anomia'. Now take a look at this interesting description from Strong's for the meaning of this word: 'the condition of without law'; 'because of ignorant of it'; 'because of violating it'. So these people who did these wonderful works for Jesus, were lost because they were WITHOUT God's law! They were carrying on in a life of sin! And this is the very message coming out from many pulpits today! Saying that we need not keep God's law anymore! How blind the professing church is today! It's interesting that Jesus said only those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom, and what is the will of God? How do we TRULY know Him?
Romans 12:1-2 ...'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.'
1 John 2:1,3,4 ...'My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.'
1 John 2:15 ...'Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'
1 John 4:3,6 ...'Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.'
1 John 5:3 ...'For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.'
1 Thessalonians 4:1,3,7 ...'Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.'
Friend, make sure you are not one of the many that walk down the 'broad' path to destruction, to whom Jesus will say 'depart from me' when He comes. Watch, wait, prepare, study, pray, separate, and do all the things that a true disciple of Christ would do. Give your all to Jesus today and don't look back, and make sure you are one of the few chosen out of the many called.
Does God have a “chosen people” today? If so, who are they? What makes them “chosen”? What were they chosen to do?
The answers to these questions can only be found in the Bible. As you study this subject in light of this essay, you may find that it contradicts what you have been taught. If this is so, it is because you have been taught a “system,” not the Bible. What does the term “chosen people” mean? Many think immediately of Israel. Is this correct? What does the Bible say:
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God: the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself, above all people that are on the face of the earth.” - Deut. 7:6
To whom was this spoken? A look at Deut. 6:3-4 reveals it was spoken to Israel. At that time, Israel consisted of all those that came out of Egypt with Moses (see Deut. 7:8). A very similar verse is Deut. 14:2: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations of the earth.” In 1 Chron. 16:13, Israel is called “His chosen ones”: “O you seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones.” David wrote: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom He has chosen...” (Psa. 33:12). And: “O you seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob His chosen...He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness.” (Psa. 105:6, 43).
Isaiah records these words from the Lord: “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend...You are My servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away.” (Isa. 41:8-9) “‘You are My witnesses,’ says the Lord, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen....’ ” (Isa. 43:10). “...I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.” (Isa. 43:20). “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:” (Isa. 44:1). In Isa. 48:12, the Lord refers to them as “My called,” and Daniel calls them “His chosen people” (11:15).
From the above, it can be seen that the phrase, “chosen people” definitely applied to Israel.
But, what was the composition of OT Israel? According to the Bible, Israel was made up of:
1. the descendants of Jacob (Ex. 1:1; Josh. 13:6, etc.), and,
2. those who joined Israel through circumcision and keeping the law (Ex. 12:48f).
Keeping the covenant was a requirement for all those who wished to remain a part of Israel: “And the uncircumcised male...shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.” (Gen. 17:14). “...whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day [of the Feast of Unleavened Bread], that soul shall be cut off from Israel...for whoever eats anything leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger, or born in the land.” (Ex. 12:15,19). For other examples, see: Ex. 30:32,38; 31:14; Lev. 7:20-21, 25,27; 17:4,9-10, 14; 18:29; 19:8; and Num. 15:30-31.
These Scriptures, and many others, show that membership in the nation of Israel was dependent on obedience to God’s commandments. To disobey God was to lose one’s citizenship.
When most people think of O.T. Israel, they think exclusively in terms of Israel as a nation. Yet, this is not the true Biblical meaning of “Israel.” The Old Testament scholar A. R. Hulst has shown that the name “Israel” has always had a twofold significance: one national, and the other religious. For example: “...you [Israel] will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6). The prophecy of Amos (9:11-12) proclaims that the remnant of Israel would be “largely an entity of religious instead of national destination.”
Isaiah says much the same thing: “[God’s] house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. The sovereign Lord declares — He who gathers the exiles of Israel: I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” (Isa. 56:7-8).
Did O.T. Israel lose her election? As Paul would say, “God forbid!” The Old Testament prophesied in many places that a “remnant” would be saved. The question is: Of whom was this remnant to consist? According to Jer. 31:31-34, the remnant would be made up of those who “know the Lord,” and whose sins would be forgiven completely (unlike under the Old Covenant - Heb. 10:1-4). This was to be made possible through the initiation of a “new covenant.” This New Covenant (or “Testament” -KJV) was ratified by Jesus at His crucifixion, shown to His disciples in symbolic form in the Last Supper (Mt. 26:28 and parallels; 1 Cor. 11:25).
With the establishment of the New Covenant, physical descent was no longer a determining factor for entrance into Israel. Only those who believed in the Messiah could enter or remain a part of Israel. Let us examine what the Bible has to say on the subject: “The Lord called you [Israel] a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm He will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.” (Jer. 11:16). Verse 17 says this was directed to “the house of Israel, and the house of Judah.” Hosea says of Israel: “His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree....” (Hos. 14:6).
Paul picks up the olive tree motif in Rom. 11:17-24. He says those Jews who rejected the Messiah were themselves rejected and “broken off” (or cut off, to use the O.T. term) from the “olive tree” of Israel (v. 20). The apostle showed that the only possible way to remain a citizen of Israel was to believe in Jesus as Messiah. This citizenship was also offered to the Gentiles on the same condition. If they would put their faith in the Messiah of Israel, they would be made fellow citizens of Israel (cf. Eph. 2:19). “Christ created His Church, not beside Israel, but as the faithful remnant of Israel that inherits the covenant promises and responsibilities. Christ’s Church is not separated from the Israel of God, only from the Christ-rejecting Jewish nation.”
The identification of the Church with Israel is explicit in Peter’s first epistle: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God....” (1 Pet. 2:9). Here, Peter definitively states that those who “believe” in Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 2:7) were the “chosen race” and the “holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9; compare Ex. 19:6; Deut. 7:6; and 14:2). “Only in Christ could Israel as a nation have remained the true covenant people of God.” God’s covenant people are no longer distinguished by racial or territorial characteristics, but exclusively by their faith in Christ. And the land we have inherited is a spiritual one. The spiritual blessings of citizenship in the Israel of God are ours as Christians, but what of the “unconditional” land promises of the so-called “Palestinian Covenant”?
In conclusion, we have studied the subject of who God’s Chosen People are, and have found that, according to the Bible, Israel is now composed of all those who believe in Jesus as Messiah. It is not correct, therefore, to state that the Church has replaced Israel. Rather, the Church is the continuity of the Old Testament Israel of God; it has only replaced the Jewish nation . There is no more “Jew” and “Gentile” racial distinctions. All nations are now a part of Spiritual Israel in Christ. Christ’s kingdom is here now in fullness. All (who were a part of the true spiritual) Israel were saved and given the inheritance (Rom. 11:26).
With the advent of the war in the Middle East, many people are wondering what is taking place in a prophetic sense. As preterists, we can say with assurance that the events now taking place are NOT a fulfillment of prophecy. We know that all prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70, at which time the New Covenant was fully established, making the Kingdom available to all who would believe in Jesus as Savior (Messiah). Some emotionalism is understandable in time of war. However, we need not fear the Great Tribulation or being “left behind” in the Rapture. We know by the time limitations recorded in the New Testament that these things have already occurred, and we are living in the new spiritual promised land.
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