Choose you this day is a part of one of Billy Graham’s famous sermons but was also declared a few times in Scripture. Let’s take a little closer to the significance of this command.
1 Kings 18:21 (ESV)
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
In this verse, the prophet Elijah implored the Israelites to make a choice whether to serve the God of their fathers or the gods of the Canaanites, namely Baal. This is a pattern throughout the Bible—it is about choices. The free will we enjoy to either choose the gods of the world or the One True God.
It is no different for us today. We are drawn to the many pleasures this world offers us, and often these pleasures prevent us from truly living a life focused on our eternal reward for the instantaneous gratification of what the world can give us now. We see caring for the eternal soul as a long-term goal, one that can be reconciled later in life.
But choices have consequences. As the Rush song called Freewill goes, “if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” If we choose worldly quests to take precedence in our hearts over our Savior, we are in essence choosing the prince of the world over the Eternal King as our master.
There is no in-between. There is no “leaning towards”. If you were to die right now in a state of uncertainty, your decision was just made for you.
Joshua most famously put this same question to Israel and declared that not only he, but his family for generations will faithfully choose the Lord (Joshua 24:15). God demands such a decision for you and me as well.
As Christians, we are commanded to publicly affirm our separateness (2 Corinthians 6:17). Make no arrangements for waiting between your consecration and worldliness—let your light shine before men. Choose this day to bring the lost home, instead of passively sitting in a church pew. You need not have to fill an arena to proclaim the Gospel—seek out the lost at your workplace, or even within your own family and neighborhood.
It is our inaction as Christians where we do the most damage to the cause. When we appear to have no desire to share our faith, the unbelievers around us will see no value in it either. Sometimes I reflect, even as I am writing this, that I could be dead in the next 30 seconds and in that short of a time, be face-to-face with my Creator. Am I ready to give an account? Would you be?
Consider the verses from Matthew 25:31-46. Our Lord makes it clear that our inactions, born from an impenitent heart, on serving others will not go unnoticed.
If you profess to be a Christian but your heart belongs to the world, turn from this now, this very day.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
