“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you” (John 15:16).

Chosen (Def): (Gr.): Eklegomai from Ek and Lego: To select, make a choice, choose out

Ordain (Def): (Gr): Tithemi from Histemi and Keimai: To place in a passive or horizontal position

There is an interesting picture being set forth before our eyes by our Lord. Essentially Jesus is saying to us, I have chosen you to live a surrendered life. Living a surrendered life is the fulfillment of the Vine/Branch modal; the Vine/Branch modality, Jesus says:

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

As we abide in Christ, we become the conduit of His Life, and it shows forth by His Life flowing through us to produce through us the fruit of His Divine Nature which is the Fruit of His Spirit. Jesus is saying, I Have Chosen You for this very purpose. I selected you. I made a choice, and I Have Chosen You. I chose you out of the world and brought you into Myself to bear much fruit.

There are so many who do not live this way. There are so many who in their own zeal, their own energy, their own enthusiasm go out to convert souls, to preach Christ. However, it is all out of their own learning, their natural education of doctrines, of theology and of a natural understanding of the Gospel. They may have some success, build their church with their own followers, or disciples, but it is not the modality of the Spirit as set forth by our Lord and Savior, our Master, Jesus Christ in the making of His disciples.

The idea of being chosen out from the world is clearly expressed by our Lord in His words to the Apostles:

If you were of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world, but I Have Chosen You out of the world, therefore, the world hates you” (John 15:19).

Jesus makes it very clear that being chosen is being chosen out; out from the world, out from the darkness, out from personal self-interest, self-seeking and personal ambition. We have been chosen out from, and chosen into Christ, to abide in the Light, in Life, in the True Vine. We have been chosen to live surrendered lives to do His will and not our own, even if my own will is for a noble cause (cf. Romans 10:4).

The reality is, God has not chosen us according to our abilities in the natural man, rather according to His eternal purposes and plans. James writes:

“Hearken my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to them that love Him” (James 2:5).

Being chosen of God is a sovereign act of His own will. God does the choosing. He calls, He separates, He assigns our assignments as He wills.

As the Apostle wrote to Timothy concerning God’s calling:

“Who has saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).

What a blessed thought it is, indeed, to know we did not initiate our path in the Gospel of God in Christ, but as Jesus said, I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should bear much fruit. Let us accept our assignments, our calling, our purpose and find true Life in the Son.

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