John 15:15-27
I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesn't confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proved by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told me.
16 "You didn't choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you.
17 I demand that you love each other,
18 for you get enough hate from the world! But then, it hated me before it hated you.
19 The world would love you if you belonged to it; but you don't--for I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you.
20 Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave isn't greater than his master!' So since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you!
21 The people of the world will persecute you because you belong to me, for they don't know God who sent me.
22 "They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 Anyone hating me is also hating my Father.
24 If I hadn't done such mighty miracles among them they would not be counted guilty. But as it is, they saw these miracles and yet they hated both of us--me and my Father.
25 This has fulfilled what the prophets said concerning the Messiah, 'They hated me without reason.'
26 "But I will send you the Comforter--the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me.
27 And you also must tell everyone about me because you have been with me from the beginning.
Usually when we talk about being chosen, a selection process that follows certain criteria springs to mind. On other occasions there are no rules of selection.
Long before Esau and Jacob were born, God had chosen Jacob to be the ancestor of his people Israel. Despite the fact that Isaac preferred Esau, God's purpose prevailed.
Out of the multitude in the world, God has chosen us to be His own, He called us out and made us His children.
Why did He chose us?
- to make us His friends
- to make us fruitful
- to make us receive answers to our prayers
Are we living in line with these reasons?
When we face difficulties we should remember who we are: the chosen ones.
Remember, we are God's property.