“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.
Faithful:
The called and chosen in Revelation stood faithfully in the Lord despite trials, tribulations, sufferings, adversities, afflictions, persecutions, and conflicts. They were trustworthy. They continued in the faith. They were grounded and settled. They refused to move away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23). They would not give a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). They must resist the danger of being swept back into the clutches of the devil. They were over-comers (Revelation 12:11), more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), and triumphant. They proved they were faithful (trustworthy) to Him (1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:2). They could be relied upon. They were fit for spiritual battle. They are the doers of God’s Word (James 1:22). They made their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). Today, we carry on their example and follow in their footsteps. It is only those that endure until the end that will be saved (Matthew 24:13). The choice is ours. It is not a one time thing. It is a decision made day after day. We commit to the choice and persevere to the end. As we remain loyal to God we become the true “called, chosen, and faithful.”
According to Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible victory is assigned to us because of:
- The character of the Lamb: Jesus is the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15), Lord of lords (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalms 136:3; 1 Timothy 6:15), and God of gods (Psalms 136:2; Joshua 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:17). All power in heaven and earth is given to him (Matthew 28:18).
- The character of His followers: They are called, and chosen, and faithful. They are called out by commission to this warfare; they are chosen and fitted for it, and they will be faithful in it. Such an army, under such a commander, will be victorious.
Clarence Jordan earned two doctorate degrees but felt called to poor people. His farm was burned down and many of his friends and followers ran away. The next day, a reporter came to report on the closing of the farm. He asked, “After fourteen years of hard work, all is now gone. How successful have you been?” Clarence replied ’I think you misunderstand, sir. We are not about success. We are about faithfulness.”
Mark Hatfield tells of visiting Calcutta with Mother Teresa and touring the so-called “House of Dying,” where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield asked, “How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?” he asked. Mother Teresa replied, “I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful.”
Clarence Jordan, and Mother Teresa, understood something that hopefully all of us comprehend. It isn’t enough to be called and chosen, we must be faithful.
David Fraser said, “To rule with Christ in his kingdom, we must hear God’s calling, respond to the calling with a changed life and be faithful to that calling until the end of life.”
It is only then that we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
James Poitras 