Pastor Tom Johnson, May 13, 2012
Jesus is teaching about love—He wants us to abide in His love—and love one another. He wants us to know that love, fill ourselves up with it, and overflow to the world around us. He speaks these words so that we will love—love one another and love God.
But Jesus is not just telling us to love. He wants to motivate us to love. It is one thing to be required to love. It is quite another thing to be inspired to love. And what could possibly motivate you and me to love? Well, to begin with, Jesus wants us to be clear on what love is. He wants us to reshape our understanding. And this is the core love: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” This is the pinnacle and highest act of love—Christ’s death for the forgiveness of sins—to bring the world salvation and eternal life. This is love: Jesus who died and rose again for us. And Jesus not only wants to show the pinnacle of love—but also the depth of love—a love so profound that it is beyond human understanding. And so he says some deep words: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
When we understand the depth of God’s love—that it flows out of His choosing us—His free and gracious election—it tears down many wrong understandings of what love is. God’s love is not God’s response to our initiative—we did not choose Him, He chose us. We did not have to win his attention and love. We did not have to woo him or convince him to take notice of us and care about us. Love is his initiative, his idea, and his choice first. God’s love is not a familial and nepotistic love—we are not born into this love—there is no birthright. God does not favor one ethnicity or gender over another. God has no grandchildren. He chooses us individually and unconditionally. God’s love is not infatuation. He is not overcome with our good looks and wonderful personalities. In fact, he created those beautiful and unique qualities that we all have. And he loves us in spite of our lesser qualities. God’s love is not based on our good behavior, righteous deeds, resume, performance, success, prayer life, church attendance, correct theology, or good work ethic. He does not love us because we first loved him. We love because he first loved us. It is all by grace—unmerited, undeserved, unconditinal.
It wasn’t our idea for the Father to send His eternal Son. It wasn’t because of our planning ahead that Jesus lived and died to take away the sin of the world. It wasn’t because of our intelligence, insight, soundness of mind, and good heart that you and I believe the Good News of the Gospel. It was God’s idea, God’s plan, and God’s choice of us. Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” God’s love is radically free. He loves us even though we have no birthright to a relationship with him, he adopts us. Even though we are not as beautiful, handsome, interesting, talented, or successful as we hope to be, he loves us.
That God chose us and we did not choose Him should bring a swift end to our pride and arrogance. It should be a good antidote against our becoming self-righteous. That God chose us is good news! Scripture says that we were chosen before the foundation of the world. God has and has had an eternal plan for us—a plan for our salvation, our good, to adopt us, forgive us, and lead us in the path of life.
If God has been so good to us and chose to love us even when we did not do anything to earn, deserve, or purchase our own salvation—we should love those around us with the same kind of love. We should love them even if they haven’t earned it or deserve it. For our Lord says to us: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”
We are chosen by God—not to be a wall-flower, a trophy on the shelf, or part of an exclusive family—we are chosen by Him to be the instruments of his blessing—conduits of his grace—and ambassadors of his love—we are appointed to bear fruit—so that God may choose, appoint, and draw more people to himself. You and I are the chosen of God—predestined to be the lavish recipients of His love. You and I are the elect—appointed by God—not only receive His love but also to deliver that same lo ve to a world in desperate need—to those hungering and thirsting for this radical, free, and lavish love.
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