God's Sovereign Choice

God is Not a Man

Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

God has every right to do as He wills because He is God and not a man; He does not need to answer to anyone. No one has a right to question God or to disagree with God because no one is equal to God.

1 Pet 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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.

We were chosen by God to obey, to believe in Jesus Christ, to receive forgiveness of sins. We were not chosen because we were obedient, we did not deserve salvation. God chose us while we were disobedient, our salvation is of grace from beginning to end.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The only people on the earth during the great tribulation who do not worship the antichrist are those who's names have been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Old Testament saints, New Testament saints, Tribulation saints, Kingdom Age saints all have their names written in the book of life sense before God made the world.

Rev 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.

The names written in the book of life have been there since before God created the world, not since they believed.

Josh 11:19-20 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

GOD hardens the heart of some people, and according to his choice. We must remember that these people have already chosen not to seek after God. God is not unkind nor unjust in any way, and He never makes a mistake. Furthermore, because He is sovereign He has a right to do as He wills and we have no right to find fault with Him.

Ps 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

God made each of us according to His plan. He not only made each of us according to His sovereign plan, but He also predestined the days of our lives. As our flesh has been given life by God; so also, our spirits are given eternal life by God. Only God has the ability to create life, both life in the flesh and life in the spirit.

Jer 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

God's chosen people Israel will only come to know Him when He gives them a new heart. The fact is that none of us has a heart for God unless He gives us a heart to know and love Him.

Acts 9:1-5 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Saul was not seeking after God but Jesus Christ came to Saul when he was involved in the most terrible sin of persecuting His Church; and so it is the same for each of us, the Holy Spirit comes along and makes us new creatures in Christ, even while we are busy involved in sin and rebellion against Him.

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:

God chose Saul and He also chooses us. Salvation has nothing to do with our desire, or our free will, it is only according to God's will that we are saved.

Acts 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

God appointed Saul to see the risen Christ and to know His will. Therefore, Paul become an apostle according to God's choice not Paul's choice. Paul's salvation and Apostleship are a demonstration of the abundances of the grace of God toward sinners. Every converted sinner is a demonstration of the grace of God. None of us deserves to be chosen by God.

2 Cor 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Paul was taken to heaven and taught by Jesus Christ Himself. This did not happen to Paul because he desired it, but it was because of God's will. We must remember that God is sovereign and we are not.

Eph 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

God chose us, and predestined us, to be His sons before He ever made the world. According to His will He chose to love us, that we might praise Him for all eternity for His grace toward us. When we recognize that He chose us, then all we can do is praise Him, and we will praise Him for all eternity.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God predestined us because it was His purpose and His will to do so, it had nothing to do with our will.

II Th 2:13-14 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: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God chose us and called us from the beginning, that we might become like Christ and be glorified with Him. It is God's will that we give Him thanks for choosing us. If we do not believe that He chose us, how can we give Him thanks for choosing us for salvation.

Rom 8:29-30 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. 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.

God's plan is to call us, justify us, glorify us, and conform us to the image of His Son. It is all according to His plan and His purpose. It is not according to our will, but His will.

Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Everyone who had been appointed to eternal life believed, God does not fail to save any of His elected ones. Also no one ever believes unless they have been appointed to believe because no one seeks after God.

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.

God has elected to choose some to salvation even during the Great Tribulation. People of all ages are so corrupt that none would be saved unless God elected to choose some. From Adam until the last person born into this world, the only people who will be saved are those whom God has elected.

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.

Jesus Christ made it very clear we did not choose Him but He chose us. If we say that he did not choose us but that we chose Him we are calling Him a liar.

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.

It cannot be made more clear, Jesus Christ chose us, we did not choose Him. The only reason the Christian is not of the world is because God chose him out of the world.

John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

The only ones who belong to Christ are those whom the Father has given to Christ. Only God can receive credit for our salvation. If anyone tries to credit Himself for choosing God, he is robbing God of the glory of His grace.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus Christ said that no one can come to Him of his own free will; therefore, God must draw people to Himself.

John 3:10-18 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The invitation to believe in Jesus Christ is given to everyone but no one will believe of their own free will because we are all corrupt; therefore, God must choose some. The only person who seeks for God is the one that God has chosen to seek for Him, and even that person has no fear of God until God gives him that sense of fear. Matt 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. No self-righteous person will ever be saved unless they repent of their self- righteousness, we must all recognize our unrighteousness in order to receive the righteousness of Christ.

Rom 9:10-13 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (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;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

God chooses to love some and to hate others and He has every right to do so because He is God, and not a man. Furthermore, no one deserves God's love but we all deserve to be hated by God because we are all sinners. If a person does not believe in the sovereignty of God, it is because that person does not want to believe in a God that is greater than himself, he wants to make himself equal with God.

Rom 9:14-18 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 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. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 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. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

God is sovereign and can do as He wills without answering to anyone. Furthermore, God is not unjust when He rejects some and chooses others because no one deserves His mercy. When God hardens a person's heart He is just in doing so, because everyone deserves to be rejected by God, because no one is good and no one seeks for God.

Rom 9:19-21 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 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? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

God made us and has every right to do as He wills to do with us and we have no right to question Him. And yet because He is just, He is not unfair. Every unbeliever rejected God before God rejected him, and everyone deserves to be condemned.

Rom 9:22-24 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: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God has every right to destroy every unbeliever instantly and He would be perfectly just in doing so because they all deserve it, but He does not destroy them so that He can show His mercy to those He has chosen to save, by his grace. God choose us and gave us faith to believe in Jesus Christ, in order to demonstrate His grace toward us.

Rom 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

If it was not for God's mercy we would all be destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. We will praise God for all eternity because he has chosen us to demonstrate His mercy and grace.

Rom 11:5-7 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

God's choice is based on grace; that is, those who are chosen do not deserve to be chosen they are chosen as an unmerited favor from God.

1 Cor 1:26-31 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 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; 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: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

God chose us, we did not choose Him. Therefore, we cannot boast in ourselves before God. We cannot boast at all in ourselves, to do so is to rob God of His glory. We will all boast in the Lord, for all eternity.

1Thes 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

GOD has destined us for salvation and God has never failed to save anyone He has destined to be saved.

Luke 14:16-24 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

In this story we see how God compels some to come to Jesus Christ to be saved, all others are invited but they refuse the invitation.

Matt 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The call is given to everyone but no one responds to the call; therefore, God chooses some to be saved, otherwise no one would be saved. Salvation is all of grace.

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Those who receive Christ are born again not of their own will but of God's will. No one has ever been born again because of who he is, because someone wanted him to be born again, or because he wanted to be born again. It is all according to God's choice not our choice, God's will not our will. To God be the glory.

Our Witness for Jesus Christ

2 Cor 5:14-15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

We witness for Jesus Christ because it is His will that we witness for Him, and we want to do his will because His love for us compels us to do His will. Everyone who loves Jesus Christ loves to be His witness. His love for us and our resulting love for Him is our motive for living for Him and being His witnesses.

1 Cor 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

The only right motive for doing God's will, for being witnesses for Jesus Christ, is our love for Jesus Christ.

Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

He want's us to do His will, and we do His will because He is at work in us to do His will ; therefore, only He gets the glory for all that we do.

2 Cor 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God has made us to be ambassadors for Christ. We are His ambassadors because it is His will that we be ambassadors for Him. God gives us a desire to see people come to Christ, to receive the righteousness of Christ. Furthermore, God gives us great joy when people give Him glory by believing in Jesus Christ.

I can only praise God and thank Him for His mercy and grace towards me, a sinner.

When we get to heaven we will not need to listen to any braggers, we will all be praising God and not ourselves.

All Scripture is taken from the King James Bible