13. How does God chose?
People make choices all the time. They choose which clothes to wear and what to put on their sandwich, they choose an education and who should represent them in their governments. Sometimes peo
ple make choices that will hurt the people around them. You probably have experienced this personally. In Physical Education class, when students had to be split up in teams, you were always chosen last because you weren't very athletic. Or maybe in your elementary school years you were never invited to the birthday parties of your classmates.
In the Bible we read that God makes choices too, but His way of choosing is very different from ours:
1. God's choices are always good, never mean or unfair
For there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts (2 Chronicles 19:7b).
Maybe this is not at all the picture you have of God. Maybe you see God as a cruel tyrant who selects or rejects people at will. But the Bible shows us that God is no tyrant, but a God of love, Who even sent His own Son to earth to save you.
2. God chooses because of His love, not because of anything we have to offer
God doesn't choose people because they're capable of doing things, or because of their good looks. On the contrary. When Moses wrote about the election of Israel, he said:
- The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the LORD loved you (Deuteronomy 7:7 and 8a).
God didn't choose Israel because they were a particularly good or great people. The nation of Israel was very tiny. But the reason for their election was God's love. It's still the same today. God doesn't choose people because of who they are, but because of His love. God chooses people because He loves them. That's the God of the Bible! He is more trustworthy than the most reliable person you have ever known.
God does not have favorites, neither does He exclude people beforehand. All who put their trust in the Lord Jesus (no one excluded) will be saved (Romans 2:11 and Romans 3:22).
A thought to ponder on your own
Read Romans 10:12,13. What beautiful promise is contained in these Bible verses?