many are called...

[Christ_empowered]

...few are chosen. It seems like different people have different takes on that. I just skimmed over some commentary, and Wesley wrote something to the effect that there's plenty of people in the visible church, not nearly as many in the invisible church. --shudder--

What have you been taught? What have you come to believe to be true about this rather frightening statement from Our Lord?

Along the lines of Welsey's thoughts, and probably the Calvinist people, too...what would be signs that one is "chosen," and therefore a genuine conversion?

Thanks.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

The verse stems from the parable of the wedding banquet in Mathew 22. In After a king invited many guests for his son's wedding, those invited made excuses and didn't come, others killed the servents of the king. so the king sent an army to deal with those who were murders and sent his servents to the street corners and invited everyone they could to the banquet. To fill the banquet.
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From this, the parable makes sense and I've thought about it being an explanation that Isreal rejected Jesus, so God send out for everyone to be invited and brings the salvation to Gentiles and all nations. However the parable continues, and I too have trouble understanding it.
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Then the king went out to see the guests, and found a man not wearing wedding clothes. He said "how did you get in without wedding clothes?" The man was speechless, so the king ordered his servents to bind up the man and throw him out. And that's then where the verse in Mathew 22:14 say "many are called but few are chosen."

I don't know the meaning of it or the meaning of the wedding clothes. But in a bible study I was in, someone explained that there is context regarding the wedding clothes. It might have been easily understood when Jesus gave this parable. As it was explained to me when people are invited to a king's wedding, they are also given something to wear for the occasion. In that bible study it was compaired to the teaching that those saved will be given white clothes washed by the blood of the Lamb of God. If this is true (I have no idea how to find out if the context of the king providing clothes is right), if it's true then this is an awesome aspect and hope for those of us who are Christian and have faith in Jesus for our hope and our salvation.

But then comes verse 14. "Many are called but few are chosen." And the interloper who sneaked into the banquet without the wedding clothes. I honestly don't know how to understand the parable except in parts. Trying to look at it in it's whole context, I have to question if any Christian might be like the man without wedding clothes. Some how missing the mark. Called but not chosen.

 

[LovethroughDove]

Growing up, I didn't hear stuff like this from priests or any religious authority. I especially didn't know about the narrow path and few find it. I think that would be important for people to know?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Wesley wrote something to the effect that there's plenty of people in the visible church, not nearly as many in the invisible church. --shudder--

I realized this right after I got born again. I was amazed that there was this secret underground group of true Spirit-filled/led believers interspersed among the churches of the world. It was a joy to know I was now a part of it.

what would be signs that one is "chosen," and therefore a genuine conversion?

In the context of where Jesus talks about the few and the many in Matthew 7:13-23 NASB (and Luke 13:23-30 NASB), we see that it is how you treat people that indicates that you are among the chosen few and not just a part of the called:

"12“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:12-14 NASB)

How we treat people is summed up in the fruit of the Spirit. Patient, loving, peaceable, kind, joyful, gentle, faithful, self-controlled, forgiving people show that they are among the elect (the chosen) and not just among the multitude that have been called but have not responded in faith to the gospel.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Peter talks about making your calling and election sure here:

"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10Therefore, my brothers and sisters,a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things (the things listed above), you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-11 NIV bold and underline and parenthesis mine)

And again, we see that obedience as expressed in the qualities of the Spirit is how we can be sure that we have been chosen and not just called.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

s it was explained to me when people are invited to a king's wedding, they are also given something to wear for the occasion. In that bible study it was compaired to the teaching that those saved will be given white clothes washed by the blood of the Lamb of God.

And Revelation points out that this white garment is the righteous deeds of the saints.

7“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:7-8 NASB)

This, again, explains how it is our behavior that indicates whether or not we are among those who have been chosen and not merely called to the Great Banquet. The church has developed this un-Biblical disconnect between receiving the righteousness of Christ apart from works, and the necessity for that righteousness to actually manifest itself in righteous deeds in a person.

Manifest righteousness is not only how we can be sure we have been chosen, it is also the evidence Christ will use at the resurrection as to whether or not we are among the chosen. That's not a works gospel. It simply means that, ultimately, people who have been made righteous on the inside will eventually act righteous on the outside, confirming the righteousness they have received. Our responsibility is to not hinder or suppress that expression of our righteousness in Christ, but rather make every effort to walk in it, thus confirming that we are indeed true chosen children of God made righteous by faith in the forgiveness of sin through Christ. When we do that, that is how we can have peace and assurance that we will pass through the coming Judgment safely because in this world we are like Jesus:

"17 ...love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." (1 John 4:17 NASB)

Being sure that you are among the chosen comes from the evidence in your behavior that you have indeed been chosen by God and not simply called.