Chosen by Life
Life is full of difficult decisions. Sometimes you can make it through by consulting with your spouse, close friends, or coworkers. But sometimes difficult decisions have to be made for you, such as in serious health issues, or when you are unreachable, or unable to make a decision. Whether it’s the challenge of weighing up your options, or the worry you might not be able to make the right choice – there is a palpable relief when a friend or loved one steps in to help you with that burden.
The good news is Jesus has come to help us with the most important decision of our lives.
Thousands of years ago God put a choice before the Israelites that defined the essence of what it means to be human.
‘This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life…’ (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV).
This phrase from Deuteronomy, ‘Choose life,’ is a powerful phrase that has been lauded by Christians across the world as the appropriate response to God’s grace. Heaven and earth are watching, so to speak, eager to see the decision we will make.
A literal-minded reading of this passage might cause one to envision a courtroom where heaven and earth are sitting upon the stand as witnesses against us as we pull at our shirt collar in despair. Yet the language here is so much more. It is a way of showing God’s omnipotence and omnipresence — there’s no hiding place from our great and gracious God. Nor need there be.
We have an advocate who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He can counter any damning witness of heaven and earth with his judgment of grace. Jesus chose us and he chose to lay down his life for us so that we might share eternal life with him. We are encouraged to ‘Choose Life,’ to choose the way of living in that grace. To choose to live as forgiven and loved sons and daughters of God. To choose to live in the freedom to love others as Jesus loves us. To choose to share God’s love and life with others because we love them. To choose to be a Great Commission, Great Commandment denomination, congregation, and person. To choose to love the One who loves us.
Today, we can indeed choose life because Jesus, who is the Life, has chosen us. Hallelujah, praise God that decision was made for us.
Presented by Greg Williams
About the presenter:
Greg Williams is President of Grace Communion International and lives in North Carolina, USA. Word of Life each Sunday is taken from ‘Speaking of Life’, (https://www.gci.org/videos/media-speaking-of-life/), a public resource video on the USA website of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
You are welcome to attend one of our local church congregations located throughout the UK and Ireland. For details of your nearest local congregation check on our website, www.gracecom.church under the ‘Churches’ tab, or ring +44 (0)1858 437099.
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church