Does God choose every person that will follow Him?

Daniel9v9 said:

Sorry, I don't think you entirely get what I'm saying. Perhaps that's my error, in over-emphasizing a point or simply not being clear enough. But to put it as clearly as I can, I'm talking about justification by faith through grace alone. That man, according to his own reason, power or strength cannot, by any works or means, pay for or merit salvation, because salvation is entirely a free gift from God. If we fail to understand this, we fail to understand the Gospel, and it's no longer a Gospel but law.

We can talk about God's grace in many ways, but in context of salvation, I denote only our Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel, for all Scriptures points to Jesus; he is the alpha and omega, and no other name saves.

What I've been talking about specifically in relation to salvation and baptism is this:
God's Word say that the blood of Christ washes away sins. It also say that baptism washes away sins. These are not contrary, or different means for salvation, for they point to the same thing - God's mercy through His son, Jesus Christ. Baptism is therefore not a way around Jesus, for it's a baptism into Jesus, by the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And this is only apprehended through faith. All of which is a free gift from God and not something we work.

Baptism shouldn't be confused with good works, namely, loving God, loving our neighbour and obedience to Christ, for the fruit of the Spirit does not precede faith, but follows and comes out of faith.

It's good to talk about obedience to God through Christ, but part of this obedience is taking baptism at its promise the way that it's revealed to us by God's Word. Consider who instituted baptism. It's not a religious rite made by men, but it was instituted and commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ with the promise of life. It's the power of God.
If he gave us baptism with the promise of forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, life and adoption, why then, should we be skeptical or act against that? Shouldn't we rather rejoice in his word and promise? Again, baptism is not something outside Christ, or a way around Christ, but it's a baptism into Christ, through repentance and faith. Obedience and good work naturally follows from being in Christ. Or as Paul puts it: "we uphold the law!"

Ephesians 4:5 say that we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism - not three different means for salvation, but one: Christ Jesus crucified. Romans 6 explains that through baptism, we were baptized into Christ's death and made alive to God.

I hope this clarifies some, and I would encourage you to read everything the Bible has to say about baptism and being born again. It's not without reason it's written:

Acts 2:38: "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Galatians 3:27: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

John 3:5: "Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

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JoeP222w said:

Man, by his Adamic nature is already condemned. Does God not have the right to with His creation as He chooses? That is the question. Your response seems to indicate that you believe God does not have the right to make vessels for dishonor (i.e. eternal damnation). I see no other way to understand this other than a denial of God's autonomous free will to do with His creation as He so wills. This does not make God the author of evil (nor do I claim that God is the author of evil), but He does have a decretive will. And that will is that some He will save and some will remain condemned because of their sins against Him. That is also not to say that we know who is to be saved or who remains condemned. God has not revealed that to us.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The amazing part about Romans 9 is not that God hated Esau, but rather that He loved Jacob. God is not obliged to save a single person, yet He chooses to. That is what is so wondrous about God's grace. He did have to love any of us, yet He does!

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