Mission Venture Ministries

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:19) 

This passage represents the most fundamental theme of the whole Bible; that is, the Lord seeks to enter into a covenantal relationship with people. He sets before them the terms of the covenant, spells out the consequences of keeping and breaking the covenant, and then lets them choose whether to enter into a covenantal relationship with Him or not. He desires Israel, and ultimately all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, (1 Timothy 2:4) meaning that He wants us to “choose life.” God gives us the choice to love and obey Him or to reject His love. 

Although this was directed to Israel, the choice is still very much the same. God still sets life and death before us. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those who accept Christ by faith will experience eternal life and blessings, while those who reject Him will experience eternal death and destruction (John 3:18). As we see, we have a clear choice which involves eternal consequences. 

As Moses nears the end of his ministry, he counsels God’s people to choose life. He outlines the way to do this: “Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20). 

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). When we choose life we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and dedicate ourselves to following Him and He becomes our life (Colossians 3:4). But disobedience results in the greatest curse of all—death and destruction now and forever as 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 reveals “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.” 

The call to choose life was not only about obeying rules. It was a call to the heart: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). And Jesus issued this same call as the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37–38). 

Loving the Lord is the first step in choosing life. When we love the Lord, we desire to know Him intimately. We hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:3, 27). One feature of the relationship between a shepherd and his flock is that sheep always recognize their shepherd’s voice. As we get to know the Lord intimately, we become aware that He is our Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20). Whenever we might be tempted to turn away to the right or the left, our Shepherd is there, telling us the right way to go (Isaiah 30:21), we should obey and follow the voice of the Lord. 

When we choose life we choose God, who is the giver and sustainer of life (Acts 17:25). The Bible says God breathed the breath of life into the first human (Genesis 2:7) and gave the breath of live to each one of us when we were born. Since our lives are a gift from God (Psalm 139:13; Acts 17:28), our highest aim ought to be to live for Him. Jesus said, if you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give your life up for Me, you will find it (Matthew 10:39). When we choose life by letting go of selfish desires and live for His sake; then we can say like the apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). 

Therefore, to “choose life” we must have a change of heart! And that change can only come through faith in Jesus, who graciously teaches us: “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). 

Humans today, like in the Old Covenant, are confronted with choices. But the choice focuses first not on “Will I obey God or not?” But on “Will I trust in Jesus?” Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Luke 11:23). Jesus is still asking the question, who do you say that I am (Matthew 16:15), and our choice in answering that question determines our eternal destiny. 

God is urging us to make serious and deliberate choices for our eternal destiny. He requires us to commit and make decisions. In matters of morality, remaining neutral is not an option. The issues are sharply defined; obedience opposed to disobedience; life versus death; good vs. evil. 

Jesus said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:9-10), therefore choose life. 

There are many invitations from the Lord with gracious promises to those who come, but note especially the final invitation of the Bible: “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). 

If you have not already made your decision, will you accept Gods invitation to come and walk with Him and gain the eternal blessings He has in store for those who receive Him? 

Remember, the choice is yours! 

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