Chosen, Holy and Dearly Loved!

Have you ever read something and then found as you re-read it, you are impacted differently and more profound? I had that kind of experience awhile ago as I prepared for a sermon. I had selected Colossians 3:12-17 as the text to talk about what Godly qualities look like in our lives. Little did I know the first nine words and an illustration I had chosen would continue to work on me long after the sermon. Verse 12 starts like this…

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved…”

The more I read it…the more it sank in of how special each one of us is to God. He hand picked us. God chose you and me…we are not leftovers. We are hand picked by God because he created us…he knows us intimately. We are holy or set apart for special work. God makes us holy because that is how special his kingdom work is...and if it is special to him...then we need to be special to accomplish it...and that is Holy. And last but definitely not least…we are dearly loved. Not just loved like a favorite ice cream flavor...but dearly… a heart moving kind of love. God desires an intimate relationship with us because he dearly loves us.

As I was wrestling with this renewed view of Colossians 3:12, I came across a story told by a great preacher, Fred Craddock, about Ben Hooper. Ben Hooper was the governor of Tennessee in the early 1900's. Ben was an illegitimate child born in a small town. The identity of his father was common knowledge, but left unspoken in public. Ben's mother was unchurched, but for some reason, Ben felt drawn to attend church. One time Ben attended a revival meeting with a fiery preacher. Ben enjoyed the service, but as usual he tried to slip out after the service so as not to draw attention. As he was leaving, the preacher called to him over the crowd, "Hey, I know you!  I can see the resemblance." Ben was horrified. The preacher must have known his background and was going to embarrass him in front of all these people. “I know you! You're a child of God. Now go and act like who you are." Ben Hooper recognized that night that God had Chosen him, set him apart as Holy and he was Dearly Loved by God.

We all have our issues, but if Ben Hooper can appreciate his heavenly father's love...we could do well to remember that we are his children..CHOSEN, HOLY, and DEARLY LOVED!!!

Verse of the Week:
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-19