WHO CHOOSES WHOM?

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. (Psalm 14:2; Psalm 53:2) And unfortunately, the answer is no. None of us by nature seek God. “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:11-18)

Most people say, "I chose God." And that's partly true, but we only chose God as a response to Him first choosing us. Christ Jesus concluded the parable about the wedding feast that a king gave for his son by saying, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) God calls every single human being He's ever created or ever will create; Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelations 3:20) He calls everyone, but not everyone will respond to the call; therefore, they are not chosen.

Jesus called each of His twelve disciples individually, and they responded by walking away from whatever they were doing and following Him; And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: (Luke 6:13) But there were many other disciples in the beginning of His ministry; however, ...many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:66-67) Jesus later made it clear to His twelve disciples, You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:16-17) 

Even though Jesus chose each of the twelve disciples individually, He knowingly chose Judas Iscariot also, the one who would betray Him; “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” (John 13:18-20)

This is just like the parable Jesus taught about the wedding feast: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding;... “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14)

The perfect example of this are the children of Israel: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. ... “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. 11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them." (Deuteronomy 7:6-11)

God chose the children of Israel, all of them, just like Jesus chose the twelve disciples, just like He explained in the wedding feast that all the guests were chosen; and included in all those groups were some who would not believe, not obey, not accept the Truth, therefore they were eventually discovered, revealed and destroyed. Jesus explained why this happens in the parable about the wheat and the tares: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him,... ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 15:24-30)

God knows who are His, For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30) God predestined, or predetermined that through His Son, Christ Jesus we could be saved, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. ... In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.(Ephesians 1:4-12)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) If we want to know if we're predestined, chosen or not? Then, all we have to do is accept the call of Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:10-11) But, how do we make sure? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ... For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)