When I was in elementary and junior high school, we would play games that would require teams. At recess, two people would be chosen as team captains and they would pick the kids they wanted to be on their team. Everybody usually knew who the first pick would be, the best athlete; after that, it was just wait for the captain to call your name. The same would be true in the classroom for academic games. The teacher would make a student the leader of each team and allow them to choose who they wanted on their team. Everybody knew who would be picked first, the smartest kid in the class. In both cases, somebody had to be picked last. It was never fun to be the last pick.
People often feel like they get overlooked. It may be true; people will overlook other people. The good news is that God overlooks no one. One of the most well-known verses Bible reminds us of this. John writes, 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Did you catch that? “Whoever believes”, that shows us that people are only left out by their own choice. In Paul’s first letter to young Timothy, he said, 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3, 4). That leaves no doubt. God wants all men to be saved. That leaves out no one!
Don’t ever believe that you have been overlooked. You have been chosen for the most important position one could ever hold – a child of God. Notice Ephesians 1:4, 5– 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. God chose us! Not only did He choose us, He chose us to be holy and blameless before He created the world. Not only did God choose us, but the value He placed on us was the blood of His Son Jesus.
Now God has already chosen us, now it is up to us to decide if we want to be chosen or not. What that means is God has offered salvation and we have to accept it. It is the same as any gift. Someone can hand you a gift in a box wrapped with pretty paper and fancy ribbon, however, if you never open the gift what use is it to you? So, how do we open the gift that God has given us? Jesus said in Mark 16:16– 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. We open the gift of salvation by believing the word and being baptized.
You have been chosen, there is no question about that. God has invited everyone to dwell with Him eternally, yet there are those who will spurn the invitation. Matthew 22:1-14 illustrates that we have a responsibility to accept the invitation and clothe ourselves properly in order to secure our choosing. How do we clothe ourselves in Christ? Galatians 3:27 says, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. The answer is being baptized into Christ.
Salvation is open to all, yet it still is very special to be considered a child of God. He sent Jesus, His perfect Son, to ransom our lost souls. That makes us special!
Read I Peter 2:9-12