Perspective – John 15: 16a

You did not choose me, but I chose you…

John 15:16 is a summary statement of all that we have been reading so far in this chapter. There is so much in this one verse that I am choosing to break it up into four parts. The first part is “choosing.”

We understand that the context of this verse is Jesus speaking to his disciples. However there is a larger context here: Jesus speaks to us, too. He speaks to us through his disciples’ writings. He speaks through His Holy Spirit given to the disciples after Jesus ascended to be with His Father.

So does this first part of John 15: 16 apply to us as well as the disciples? Who does the choosing? If you believe in Jesus did you choose to believe or do you believe because Jesus chose you and pursued you?

The answer to this question is, in principle, similar to our discussion of John 15: 14. (See “Loveometer”) In that post we talked about how doing what Jesus commands is not a reason for our salvation, but an indication of it. In this case, we choose Jesus not because we are so smart, but because he has chosen us.

The difficulty here is the choosing. Our innate sense of fairness demands that everyone be given the same chance. After all, don’t we all deserve a shot at salvation?

You will be happy to know that Jesus agrees with you. At the beginning of John’s gospel he writes, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.” (John 1: 6-7) The hope is that all might believe.

Unfortunately, the reality is that only some will believe. This is where it becomes difficult for us mortals to comprehend the vastness of God’s knowledge.

We humans are confined to a tiny limited perspective on life. Even if we stand on the top of a mountain, our vision is limited by what we can see clearly. As we gaze out over the valleys and plains around us on our mountaintop, we miss the tiny butterfly that is resting on the flower behind us. Nor can we see the butterfly that dances in the garden of the house in the village miles away. Our vision is very limited.

God, on the other hand, is both near and far at the same time. He knows each butterfly intimately, along with every part of your being. He knows your beginning, and since He exists outside of time, He knows your end. From God’s point of view, He already knows who chooses Him and who chooses to defy Him. From our point of view, we see God saying, “I choose you,” because He knows your heart and He knows your future.

Let’s Discuss: Does it seem plausible that God knows our future before we do?