Tulips
Some of our prominent walking spots in Worcester, England, are carpeted, this March, with crocuses and a whole array of different daffodils. Spring is welcoming us, and there have been few years we have needed the greeting more.
But no carpets of tulips! Perhaps in Holland.
During the Reformation, the word "Tulip" was turned into an acronym to denote a collection of five doctrines widely believed by many, though not all, of the reformers.
The 'T' for example stood for 'total depravity' which meant that mankind was born in sin - every aspect of man was marred by the fall.
And the 'U' stood for Unconditional Election.
Why did God choose Noah?
On a first reading, it may appear that God chose Noah because out of all the men on earth in the days of the flood he was a good man. But later in the story, we learn that even Noah had his flaws (Genesis chapter 9).
No-one in the Bible was chosen because they were 'good'. If the basis of God's choosing was the goodness of the person chosen there would be no hope for anyone of us.
And that's what our 'U' in this A-Z of salvation reminds us of. U stands for 'Unconditional Election.' When God, from all eternity, chose me and you to become one of his children, he did not choose us for something he saw in us, some good or some seeking after God.
He chose us because he loved us and he loved us not for anything lovable in us, but because of sheer grace.
There were no pre-conditions on his love.
Here's our Bible verse for the day, taken from what could be our chapter for the day:
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Romans 9:14)
God alone Chooses
The Scriptures make it very clear that when it comes to who is saved and who is not saved, God makes the decision independently of any redeeming qualities in the persons he chooses.
The Scriptures also make clear that he did not peer down the corridors of time to see if we would respond to his invitation - and then decided to choose us on that basis.
No! He chose us according to his own inscrutable wisdom and set his love upon us. The rest, as we say, was history. From that moment onwards - and that moment was before the creation of the world - he worked to save us. He sent his Son to die for our sins. He sent his Holy Spirit to give us new birth and new life. He sent someone to share the Gospel with us. He caused us to respond to that Gospel, and so it went on - and will go on until we are safely home.
Salvation is from first to last all of God.
Summing it All Up
This truth brings us great comfort. God has not chosen us because we were 'good enough' and he will not abandon us if we let him down.
Loved ones and friends who seem beyond the pale, the sort of people God would never choose, are well within his loving reach. Paul was aware of that when he thought about his own salvation, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." (1 Timothy 1:15)
We are not meant to waste hours pondering who God has chosen and whom God has not chosen and worrying about such high mysteries. We are called to share the Gospel with everyone knowing, we read, that it is not God's will that any should perish. We can never understand God's high counsel.
Let us rejoice that we were chosen and let us pray for all the lost that they would turn in faith and repentance while there is time.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
Our song for the day was written by Robert Murray McCheyne , a godly young pastor who died before his time.
Chosen not for good in me,
Waked from coming wrath to flee,
Hidden in the Savior’s side,
By the Spirit sanctified—
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show
By my love, how much I owe.
2 Oft I walk beneath the cloud,
Dark as midnight’s gloomy shroud:
But, when fear is at the height,
Jesus comes, and all is light;
Blessèd Jesus! bid me show
Doubting saints how much I owe.
3 Oft the nights of sorrow reign—
Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;
But a night Thine anger burns—
Morning comes, and joy returns:
God of comforts! bid me show
To Thy poor how much I owe.
Oft by sin I’m captive led;
Oft I fall, but still arise—
Jesus comes—the tempter flies;
Blessèd Jesus! bid me show
Weary sinners all I owe.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our ever-loving Father,
We shall never know why you set your love on us. We are sinful, foolish and we often go astray.
So we thank you that you chose us and not the other way around. If it had been up to us, we would never have chosen you, so dark were our hearts. Or perhaps we may have unchosen you at some difficult junction on pathway of life.
We thank you for your electing love.
We pray that those who do not yet know you will come to hear the Gospel and respond in faith and repentance, thus demonstrating that you have chosen them.
We ask these things in Jesus Name
Amen
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