I have never done a study on this so I'm not saying I am right and I am not saying I have all the scripture, so please add any I have left out that says "God chose us". But from what I have found I see two verses saying God chose us, but they do not say why.
John 15:16
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.
Ephesians 1:4 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
So some people believe God chose everyone who is his elect and have no idea why because scripture does not say why that I can see. So some people simply choose to believe they won Gods lottery and happened to be a number he picked. I find this funny because there is no question that God's love is far beyond amazing, so I think that right there rules out God had a lottery before he created us. Scripture tells us that God knows all, he can look at any circumstance and know every single possible outcome that could happen with that circumstance. I'm guessing there is a countless number of different choices I could have decided to do today and not only does he know what I would choose to do, but he knows the outcome of everything that would have happened out of the countless number of choices of whatever one I could have chosen. So what is to say that by choosing us he didn't simply know who would follow him and who would not when he put our names in the book of life? Saying he chose us does not mean he forced a few of us to love him and the rest he chose that they would hate him so they could burn in hell, I refuse to believe that. Another thing is it could mean he chose us as human beings, he created us but he could have made us like the animals, born of flesh and no option to be born again. He could have chosen to create anything to be able to be born again, but he created us and chose us to be able to be born again.
One more question. Why is there soooo much scripture warning us of the dangers of hell if we do not follow Jesus? If he chose us and hand picked us then there is no fear of going to hell, he chose us. Why does Jesus warn "many will say Lord, Lord, but few will enter the kingdom of heaven"? Why does Jesus want us to run around spreading his word if he already hand picked us? Why does Jesus tell us all the parables if we have been hand picked?
Best way to study I find is narrow down the possibilities but seeing what others say then doing the study.
I just do not believe that God robotically programed us to obey him and follow him. I don't believe he he created man kind to pick a few for salvation and programed the rest to not accept him so they would only be born of flesh and not spirit so they would burn in hell. I don't believe we are randomly chosen. I find it hard to believe people actually think so highly of themselves that they believe God hand picked them and he leaves the rest to burn like a pile of trash, but some people do believe it. I believe Gods love is beyond amazing, I believe he wants no one to perish, I believe he wants everyone to come to him and love him back, but he knows who will and who will not. He gives everyone the chance to know him and follow him so that we are not robotic. He chose us as man kind to be able to be born again, to have the choice to follow him and love him unlike any other creation he made. He created his scripture to teach us and warn us what will happen if we love the world rather than him. I could go on and on but that is the basics.
John 15:16
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.
Ephesians 1:4 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
So some people believe God chose everyone who is his elect and have no idea why because scripture does not say why that I can see. So some people simply choose to believe they won Gods lottery and happened to be a number he picked. I find this funny because there is no question that God's love is far beyond amazing, so I think that right there rules out God had a lottery before he created us. Scripture tells us that God knows all, he can look at any circumstance and know every single possible outcome that could happen with that circumstance. I'm guessing there is a countless number of different choices I could have decided to do today and not only does he know what I would choose to do, but he knows the outcome of everything that would have happened out of the countless number of choices of whatever one I could have chosen. So what is to say that by choosing us he didn't simply know who would follow him and who would not when he put our names in the book of life? Saying he chose us does not mean he forced a few of us to love him and the rest he chose that they would hate him so they could burn in hell, I refuse to believe that. Another thing is it could mean he chose us as human beings, he created us but he could have made us like the animals, born of flesh and no option to be born again. He could have chosen to create anything to be able to be born again, but he created us and chose us to be able to be born again.
One more question. Why is there soooo much scripture warning us of the dangers of hell if we do not follow Jesus? If he chose us and hand picked us then there is no fear of going to hell, he chose us. Why does Jesus warn "many will say Lord, Lord, but few will enter the kingdom of heaven"? Why does Jesus want us to run around spreading his word if he already hand picked us? Why does Jesus tell us all the parables if we have been hand picked?
Best way to study I find is narrow down the possibilities but seeing what others say then doing the study.
I just do not believe that God robotically programed us to obey him and follow him. I don't believe he he created man kind to pick a few for salvation and programed the rest to not accept him so they would only be born of flesh and not spirit so they would burn in hell. I don't believe we are randomly chosen. I find it hard to believe people actually think so highly of themselves that they believe God hand picked them and he leaves the rest to burn like a pile of trash, but some people do believe it. I believe Gods love is beyond amazing, I believe he wants no one to perish, I believe he wants everyone to come to him and love him back, but he knows who will and who will not. He gives everyone the chance to know him and follow him so that we are not robotic. He chose us as man kind to be able to be born again, to have the choice to follow him and love him unlike any other creation he made. He created his scripture to teach us and warn us what will happen if we love the world rather than him. I could go on and on but that is the basics.
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