When Ananias was told by the Lord Jesus to go and seek out Saul of Tarsus, it was revealed to him the reason he was to do so was because Saul was a ‘chosen vessel’ for the Lord. He would be called to bear the name of Jesus in the world, and he would also suffer for Jesus’ name sake.
According to God’s Word in both the Old Testament and New, all His disciples are chosen. More specifically, we are all chosen vessels. Paul, writing to Timothy, stated that every disciple of Jesus Christ who is cleansed will be a ‘vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work’. And in Thessalonians we find Paul’s exhortation for each saint ‘to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor’.
We’ve been chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him. What a holy calling we have! What an honor to be vessels, chosen by the grace of God, in order that Jesus would be revealed through us. The understanding that we have been chosen by God leaves no room for boasting, only obedience.
Saints, we have been chosen for a purpose. We need to remember that we are ambassadors for Christ, called to be separate from the world, and into fellowship with Him. May each of us, by the grace of God, see afresh the awesome call that we have upon our lives to know Jesus, to serve Jesus, and to share Jesus.
For me ‘to live is Christ’ because He chose to die for me, and I choose to live for Him.
