What type of people did God and Jesus choose to do their will?

Question

1. Where these people, righteous, do good works, do good for other people, feed the poor, be perfect, do not sin; religious leaders of that day?

OR

2. Where they thieves, murders, harlots, sinners and con artist of that day?

If it is question number 1, then why did Jesus choose a tax collector (a sinner) over a religious leader (proclaims to be righteous) in that day?
Mathews 21: 31–32
Jesus said “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.
Luke 18: 9 – 14 (the tax collector and the religious Leader)

If it is question number 2, then why do we act like the religious leaders of that day? We think that we must do good works, be righteous, holy, and say that we believe in God with our lips but not with our hearts, that we do not do his will?
John 6: 28–29 (what works shall we do?)
John 16: 8-9 (of sin; because they do not believe in me)
Mark 16: 15–18 (how do we do the will of God?)

This does not mean that we can sin all day long. There are consequences to your actions and you will pay for those actions, by imprisonment, fines or emotions but where is the faith?

http://www.fcflighthouse.com/healing%20Services.htm

Answer 1

They were sinners.God uses the foolish weak things of this world to confound the wise.
But.... They were obedient !
It all comes down to being obedient. The righteous (Pharisee's) people were the ones who He chastised. Infact He (Jesus) said the were white washed tombs full of dead men's bones. They were Phariseeical hypocrites. Legalistic.

Answer 2

Ok, let's see what I can do with this!

(I know that this is a bit long, but I wanted to give you as complete an answer that I could!)

In regard to your first question:

"1. Where these people, righteous, do good works, do good for other people, feed the poor, be perfect, do not sin; religious leaders of that day?

The answer to this would be NO.The religious leader of that time, didn't really care about the common man-they only cared about themselves, & their high standing. They didn't do good for the people:

Matthew 21:12-13 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society



Jesus at the Temple
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[a] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[b]"

If I'm notmistaken, it was the Jewish leaders that rented space to all of these various venders, (& I'm sure), pocketing what they charged these venders in the process. The vendors, in turn, probably charged unrealistic prices for what the were selling. This could hardly be called "caring" for the people!They sure weren't sinless, pure, or anything else! They were the truest form of hypocrites:

(I'll let you read for yourselves here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=23&version=31&context=chapter

Now, in regard to your second question:

"2. Where they thieves, murders, harlots, sinners and con artist of that day?"

That is EXACTLY who Jesus called to follow Him! (When you think about it-these are the EXACT same kind of people, that the Jewish leaders were!).

Jesus said Himself in:

Luke 5:31-32 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society



31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

So both your questions are really one in the same.

As far as this:

"If it is question number 2, then why do we act like the religious leaders of that day? We think that we must do good works, be righteous, holy, and say that we believe in God with our lips but not with our hearts, that we do not do his will?"

It has to be understood that we ARE still human, even AFTER we come to know Christ. We do still fall prey to human failings, but only when were are NOT being lead by the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Believers are not ALLlike the Jewish leaders of old.. I have seen some very caring ones here on R&S.

Please do not judge us all on the basis of just a few. We only want eeryone to know the same joy that we do.

God Bless.
Bill

Answer 3

God will use anybody He chooses to do His will.

He used people faithful to him, wise people, humble people, great councellors, sheepards, farmers, etc. He even used evil people to do His will, like when he choosed the pagan king of Babylon to punish Israel.

When Jesus said that tax collectors and harlots will enter the kingdom of God before the jew religious leaders He was reffering that they were more open to hear His message and to repent from their sins that the jew religious leaders. This verse does not imply a harlot, a thief, or any type of sinner would enter heaven without asking for Jesus forgivenes and start following Jesus instructions.

Salvation is obtained by faith in Jesuschrist, then demostrated by good works. Works alone can not provide salvation, it was necessary for us that Jesus die for our sins. "Faith" alone neither can provide salvation, true faith produces the desire to do good works in obedience to Jesus, if that is not present in the life of a "believer" then there is a BIG doubt on that "believer" faith.

Hope I provided the answer you need.

Answer 4

God does not chose people by their acts, our righteousness is are but filthy rags to God, there is none that does right all the time, it is the heart that God looks at and it is the humble that he chooses because the humble will give God the glory for what he has done but the proud lift themselves up and take all the credit that only God deserves.

Answer 5

Jesus (God) always picked those with a heart that sought Him.

David
Gideon
Job
Noah
John the Baptist
Peter


John
Paul (Saul)
Stephen

Answer 6

1 and 2 because god chose anyone, ever hear the story of saul becoming paul?

Answer 7

usually the lower class folks. sinners like the rest of us.

Answer 8

he picked a lot of ordinary people. and through the work..they became extraordinary.

Answer 9

He choose me so I knew it was #2 :) IHS Jim

Answer 10

the willing ones..