An Appointment With God

Today we read in Chapter 13:48 that "all who were chosen for eternal life became believers". In the NIV, it says that "all who were appointed for eternal life believed". Have you wondered, as I have, what that means? Why was I chosen? Or, am I chosen?

Apparently there are three ways of interpreting this divine "appointment":

• God makes the appointments, and has predestined some people for eternal life
• Only God in His sovereignty can open our hearts so that we can freely chose to follow Him
• God has a standard - belief in Jesus - as the basis for eternal life. Those who are "appointed" are those who believe in Jesus and meet the standard.

In today's reading, it is apparent that though "almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord", not all of them must have had this divine appointment with God. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous and argued against everything Paul said. But those who had the "appointment", became believers.

How can we understand the difference between those who believe and those that reject the word of the Lord? And what is the correlation to the modern church?

Is it possible that last Sunday, within our sanctuary, there were people in attendance who missed their "appointment"? Like the Jews, were they arguing (at least in their minds) against the message that was preached?

The Jews to whom Paul was preaching missed the very thing they were looking for - The Messiah and His Kingdom. For whatever reason, they rejected the truth that was plainly revealed to them. In the same way, people of our generation can "turn out to hear them preach the word of the Lord", and reject the message.

Why do I believe, and yet my church-going friends and neighbors do not? My simple knowledge of this point tells me just one thing - faith is a gift which is empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit. In Acts, as today, life in Christ is offered as a gift to all people.


Lord Jesus, we do not understand why the act of believing seems so natural for some, and yet looks impossible for others. We DO know that nothing is impossible for You, and yet how can we understand the way the Holy Spirit's voice cannot penetrate the minds and hearts of those around us? Help us to not worry about what is means to be chosen, but to rather focus on the life and hope You alone can give. Use us as You wish to direct others to their appointments with You. Amen.