The Choice

Joshua 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The word of the Lord calls for us to choose. The choice is more than just a mental acknowledgement or a verbal statement. The choice is one of dedication, sacrifice, and commitment.

Deuteronomy 30:19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

We look at God’s love in the wrong way. God’s love is demanding, yes it is freely given but as we receive it we are held accountable with what we do with it.

John 14:15 & 21  If ye love me, keep my commandments.21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

2 John 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

To choose is to surrender our selves to God.

2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

1 Peter 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1 Peter 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Joshua knew that all service that was not free and voluntary could be only deceit and hypocrisy, and that God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Joshua calls upon the people to make their choice, for God himself would not force them the people must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all.

We need to understand that if we don’t chose God we are in effect saying that you have found a better master, and whose service will be more pleasant and profitable:

Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

We need to chose and make the right choice. The choice should not be made on convenience.

Acts 24:24-25  And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.  (25)  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

The choice should not be made on the call of sacrifice of what we may have to surrender.

Matthew 19:16-22  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?  (17)  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  (18)  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,  (19)  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (20)  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  (21)  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  (22)  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

The choice should be made on the basis of eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

To “look” at these things which are seen is to desire them, set our affections on them, and to make the enjoyment of them a man’s main objective.. To look at things that are eternal is seen only by the eye of faith, which is

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

These things, the joys and glories of heaven, “are eternal”; will last for ever, will never end and are worth choosing and the price that has to be paid.

1 Timothy 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

2 Timothy 2:10  Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Salvation is a free gift but it requires a price, the price was the life of Jesus on the cross and the price is our life sold out to him.