“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,” Titus 1:1 ESV
Reflection: who are God’s “elect”, or God’s “chosen” people?
When you really think about it, perhaps one of the most illogical acts one can do in this world is to become a follower of Christ. Illogical from a worldly perspective, and in the flesh, that is. Because you basically give up following what your flesh bound by physical laws says, and instead start following something that is unseen. A spiritual law and reality , something that you just know in your core is correct, even if it goes against the world and our own desires in the flesh. And this decision is not just once; the walk as a follower of Christ becomes a continuous battle against self and against the forces in the world. Now, we have to wonder, what in the world is driving someone to do this? To live a “different” life, a much more difficult life often filled with tribulations and ridicule, really as a personal calling? Jesus said
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”” Matthew 22:14 ESV
What does He mean by that? This idea of being “called”, and then being “chosen” by God is so very strange to think about, “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4 ESV. But this is also so beautiful to ponder, as it gives us deeper insights into who God is. His endless love for us, His creation. Because we have to start with the knowledge that God wants all His creation to be in harmony with Him, with what He has created. The problem is that the flesh of man is corrupted. Like an instrument that is “out of tune”, unable to play beautiful music. Without being tuned, it just sounds awful. God’s “calling” of us is in that metaphor like the most beautiful music we can hear, that we too want to play. But we need to be tuned first.
Only God can tune us.
And, the process of following Christ, sanctification, is God’s “tuning process” of us, so that we can play His music. Play the music that we were created to play. In harmony with God’s music. Interestingly, we have to allow Him to do that, to tune us. It is a choice, as we recognize that by ourselves, we don’t sound so good. And as we really let Him tune us, He also chooses to “play us”, in His orchestra of creation. If you think about it, an instrument that refuses to be tuned, it doesn’t make any sense to use, right? Because the entire orchestra is negatively affected. God doesn’t elect a few people because of some category of gender, race, religion or whatever category man often thinks of. No, God’s elect are those who respond to His calling, to His “music”, and wants to be tuned by Him so that they can play His music.
Paul opens up his letter to his “spiritual son” Titus, by describing his identity and mission. “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,” Titus 1:1 ESV. And, we see here that he describes his mission as exactly that, to bring those who respond to God’s calling to come into “accord with godliness”. Paul wrote in a similar way to the believers in Rome “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” Romans 6:13 ESV
Instruments for righteousness. Playing God’s music.
And, it is not so difficult to watch this “real time”, for any one of us. While we don’t know the hearts of people, we can easily “hear the music they are playing”. Is it the sound of their flesh? Or is it the fruit of the Spirit? God’s elect playing God’s music.