One of the most transformative messages in the Bible can be found in a simple verse, John 15:16 NASBS: “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
A few years ago, I had a chance to dive into this verse with a 15-year-old young man who was struggling with his faith. As he was trying to navigate a world full of temptations like pornography and drinking parties, he was also wrestling with the concept of Jesus choosing him.
During one of our discipleship sessions, I introduced him to John 15:16 and he was filled with questions. Excited that I had finally grabbed his attention, I was eager to answer his queries about the verse. But after our meeting, I found myself in an unexpected predicament.
The young man’s mother, a hardworking woman trying to guide her son towards Jesus, was concerned about something I had told her son. She had been consistently telling her son to choose Jesus, but he came home saying he didn’t have to because Jesus had already chosen him. To clear the misunderstanding, I had to explain the verse with care and precision.
Firstly, I told her, it’s important to note that Jesus made the first choice. He chose to love us, to die for us, and to invite us to live with him forever. We are then presented with our choice—to accept or reject his offer. Without his choice, we would have no choice to make.
Unlike other disciples who normally chose their rabbi, Jesus’ disciples were chosen by Him. And they were chosen for a purpose—to bear fruit while abiding in Him and to receive from the Father what they asked in Jesus’ name.
Praying in Jesus’ name is the key to experiencing the promises of God. There is no church, no kingdom of God, no salvation, no healing, no miracles, no comfort in the Lord, no promises fulfilled, no hope, no ministry, and no heaven without praying in Jesus’ name. “In my name,” Jesus said, “you will ask anything and you will receive, while obeying my commandments and abiding in me.”
Secondly, the verse emphasizes that we should go and bear fruit. This means that the purpose of Christ’s choosing people is not merely for their sins to be forgiven and for them to have eternal life, but also for their lives to be fruitful and productive in fulfilling God’s purposes.
Jesus made it clear that such privilege rested not in their own merit, but on His sovereign choice. The relationship between Jesus and His disciples started with selection, moved to servanthood, and grew to friendship. Having chosen the disciples, Jesus commissioned them to bring forth permanent fruit through prayer.
One significant point that stands out to me, which I emphasized to the mother, is that we are called His friends and invited to walk in a close relationship with Him. Our personal response to this call determines whether we are chosen or merely called.
As stated in Matthew 22:14 NASBS, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Many are called, but few respond to this calling, therefore never being elevated to the responsibility of friends who know what’s in God’s heart, who obey, abide, and pray to receive. Many are called, but few respond to go and bear fruit that will last.
In the end, to be chosen is not just about being selected, it’s about responding to that call, growing in faith, and bearing fruit that will remain. It’s about embracing our friendship with Him, a friendship that is not based on our merit, but His love and grace.
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