Do we choose God, or does God choose us? The words “elect” of God means that we are “chosen” by God. Predestined by God means God had “foreknowledge” of whom He would predestine to be His “chosen” people. We see mention of this in God’s “chosen” people Israel. We see mention of this in God’s “chosen” priesthood. We see God chose Zion, we see God chose His holy city. We see God chose Jerusalem; where God also chose to place His name. Don’t you know God’s chosen people are Zion? Don’t you know God’s Holy City, and God’s New Jerusalem are His “chosen” people? As Peter said, we are the “elect” according to the “foreknowledge” of God.
Jeremiah is a good example, whom God said He knew “before” He formed Jeremiah in the womb. And whom God said was sanctified and ordained to be a prophet “before” He was even born. It is the same with Jesus, whom God foreknew, and whom God had chosen before the foundation of the world.
Jesus said in John 6:44 that no one can come to the Son unless the Father “first” draws him.
Jesus also said in John 6:65 “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were “given” unto him of my Father.”
This is election, and being chosen “first” by God to come to His Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in John 6:39 “And this is the Fathers will which has sent me, that of all which He has “given” me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
Did we first create ourselves? Did we give birth to ourselves the first time? If we did not make ourselves and give birth to ourselves the first time, then how can we make ourselves a new creation and give birth to ourselves the second time? To God be the glory! Who makes one tree differ from another? Is it not God who makes all things? Did we earn the grace of God; or was it because God “first” favored us, and “first” loved us? Did we earn “the gift” of faith to believe?
It is written that faith comes BY hearing, and hearing By the Word of God. Did we “make” the ear that hears? No, it is God who makes, and gives us the ears to hear, and the faith to believe; and it is also God who “causes us” to walk the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. To God be the glory! Did we earn, or purchase “the gift” of the Holy Spirit, or was it freely given to us by God to His “chosen” people? Truth is, God knows whom He has chosen, He knows whom His elect are, even before they were born. God knows whose names are written in His book of Life even “before the foundation of the world”.
There is no boasting on our part, for everything we have, we have received from Him; to God belongs all the praise, honor, and glory!
I always like to prove all things by the words of God, so here are a few verses to confirm this message.
God chooses His people = God’s chosen, or elect.
Deuteronomy 7:6
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy “God hath chosen thee” to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:2
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and “the Lord hath chosen thee” to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Deuteronomy 21:5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy “God hath chosen” to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom “he hath chosen” for his own inheritance.
Psalm 89:3 “I have made a covenant with “my chosen”, I have sworn unto David my servant”
Psalm 105:6
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob “his chosen”.
Psalm 105:26
He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom “he had chosen”.
Psalm 132:13
For the Lord hath “chosen” Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psalm 135:4
For the Lord hath “chosen” Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.
Isaiah 41:8
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom “I have chosen”, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Isaiah 44:2
Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom “I have chosen”.
Matthew 12:18
Behold my servant, whom “I have chosen”; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Matthew 20:16
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few “chosen”.
Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are “chosen”.
John 6:70
Jesus answered them, Have not “I chosen you” twelve, and one of you is a devil?
John 13:18
I speak not of you all: I know whom “I have chosen”: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but “I have chosen you”, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but “I have chosen you” out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Acts 1:2
Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles “whom he had chosen:”
Acts 1:24
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two “thou hast chosen”,
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is “a chosen vessel unto me”, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
1 Corinthians 1:27
But
“God hath chosen” the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1 Corinthians 1:28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath
“God chosen”, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
Ephesians 1:4
According as
“he hath chosen us” in him
“before” the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning “chosen you” to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath
“chosen him” to be a soldier.
James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not
“God chosen” the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
1 Peter 2:4
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, “but chosen of God”, and precious,
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a
“chosen generation”, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and
“chosen”, and faithful.
Romans 8:29-33
29 For whom he did “foreknow”, he also did “predestinate” to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom he did “predestinate”, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's “elect?” It is God that justifieth.
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “Before” I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Romans 9:8-26
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being “not yet born”, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to “election” might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,24 Even us, whom “he hath called”, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”
John 17:24
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast
“given me”, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath “chosen us” in him
“before” the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
1 Peter 1:20
Who verily was “foreordained before the foundation of the world”, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Revelation 17:8 “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life “from the foundation of the world”, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised “before” the world began;”
Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; “mine elect”, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isaiah 45:4
For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel “mine elect”, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Isaiah 65:9
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and “mine elect” shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
Isaiah 65:22
They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and “mine elect” shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Matthew 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the “elect's” sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very “elect.”
Matthew 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together “his elect” from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Mark 13:20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for “the elect's” sake, whom he hath “chosen”, he hath shortened the days.
Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even “the elect.”
Mark 13:27
And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together “his elect” from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Luke 18:7
And shall not God avenge “his own elect”, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Romans 8:33
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's “elect?” It is God that justifieth.
Romans 9:11
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according “to election” might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
Romans 11:5
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to “the election of grace”.
Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but “the election” hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Romans 11:28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching “the election,” they are beloved for the father's sakes.
Colossians 3:12
Put on therefore, as “the elect of God”, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
1 Thessalonians 1:4
Knowing, brethren beloved, “your election of God.”
1 Timothy 5:21
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and “the elect” angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore I endure all things for “the elect's” sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Titus 1:1
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of “God's elect”, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
1 Peter 1:2
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
1 Peter 2:6
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, “elect”, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1 Peter 5:13
The church that is at Babylon, “elected” together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
2 Peter 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and “election” sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
God’s chosen people are the “holy city” Jerusalem, where God said He would place His name forever. ( 1 Kings 11:36, 2 Kings 21:4, 2 Kings 21:7, 2 Kings 23:27, 2 Chronicles 6:6, 2 Chronicles 33:4, 33:7, and Revelation 3:12)
