“You did not choose me, but I chose you  and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)

The first time King David failed to bring the ark of God back to the city of David where he founded. He discovered afterwards that God had chosen the Levites to carry the ark of God and to minister to him forever rather than had the oxen carry it on the cart. He even demanded all the Levites to consecrate themselves before they were prepared for this ark carrying task.

In our culture most people seemingly perceive that religion is something that they can rely on spiritually or more exactly emotionally. They consider choosing  a religion that fits in their personality or belief system when they gets older or after retirement. Religion becomes a merchandise that they purchase or return at a shopping mall. they like it, they keep it; if they don’t, they exchange it for a new item.

As Christians we are not like religion shoppers who are looking for a new religion to satisfy their desires. We did not choose Christ, but he has chosen us before the creation of the world. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4). In Christ do we find a resting place to which our souls  can be anchored. More importantly, we are chosen to be holy and without fault in God’s eyes. Just like a priest sanctifying himself in order to carry the ark of God, we too need to watch out our motives, attitudes, and values as we serve God.

We Christians do not shop for Christ. We deserve no credit but the wrath of God in the beginning. But due to his saving grace we receive eternal life through Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross and ransom us from eternal condemnation and death.