“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).
Those that are with Jesus Christ, in the Book of Revelation, are identified as:
- Called
- Chosen
- Faithful
This is the first—and only—time that these three words appear together. In a nutshell, these three simple words highlight the three phases of our spiritual journey. They are three stages of Christian maturity.
Chosen:
Being called doesn’t necessarily mean you are chosen. One must still respond, in faith, and be obedient to the plan of salvation. Everyone has the power to respond. God wants all to come to repentance. It is not His desire that any be lost.
God chooses a person to receive eternal life when such a person accepts the truth, repents, is baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sin, and receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).
Roger Foster said, “They are called to surrender their wills to God—to repent and receive God’s holy Spirit. Because they choose to allow God’s Spirit to guide both their hearts and their conduct they are chosen for salvation—to have a part in His eternal kingdom. They prove their faithfulness by enduring trials and obstacles as evidence of their continued commitment to obey God.”
Many are called or invited, but few respond. Responders show by their lives that they were chosen to salvation. The choice is left up to us. We are freewill moral agents. The Gospel is preached throughout the world, in nation after nation, and in city after city. Yet, few make the necessary steps toward God, giving their lives to Him, yielding to Him, submitting to His desires for us, and obeying His Word. They reject the mercy of God and rather chose, for themselves, the judgment of God.
Those that respond to God’s call are chosen by God to be His disciples and to work with Him in the Church. They are steadfast and unmovable. They adhere to—and keep—the truth. The chosen are “in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) and have “put on the Lord Jesus” (Romans 13:14). Such a person puts God first in his life. He puts God’s Word into daily practice. He abides in Jesus and Jesus abides in him (John 15:4-6). He does not become entangled in the affairs of this life.
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, Emphasis mine).
James Poitras 