Ever wondered if God chooses who gets saved? Or, does He hope that people will? It has everything to do with free will.

1 Does not wisdom [NT- the Gospel] call out Does not understanding raise her voice? 6 “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. 7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her [choosing Christ].”

There are plenty of verses that indicate that the Holy Spirit has to move in a person’s life in order for that person to even want to be saved. Then, the process of salvation is actually the activity of the Spirit in a person’s life. After that, it’s up to the Spirit to keep us until our salvation is complete upon entry into the kingdom of heaven. Here are some verses:

⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44

⁶⁵ He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” John 6:65

²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matthew 11:27

¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. Acts 16:14

So, who gets chosen? Let’s look at a few verses and see:

³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:32

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

What is it that God looks for in a person? We find that answer in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” According to Jesus, we have one job: “The work of God is this: to believe in [trust in, rely on, wholly commit to] the one He has sent [Jesus].” But, if a person cannot come unless God enables him, how is a person saved? “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). So, once a person has heard the message, the Spirit of God takes over. If a person asks God to give him faith to believe in Jesus for salvation, I trust that He will. It’s a confirmation of the Spirit’s presence and participation in that person’s life.

But, not all people take God up on His offer of salvation. We need only to look at the Parable of the Sower to understand the tendency of humanity (read Mark 4:1-20, also Luke 14:15-24).

Our job is to spread the message of Christ. How? By becoming involved in people’s lives and looking for opportunities to share Christ with them. How are you doing in this department? Maybe it’s time we broke out of our protective shells and got busy!

Abba, may I be the first to address this issue in my life. I plan to do it today with Angela, a girl I met yesterday because of an auto accident I witnessed. May I meet her physical needs concerning her car, and then her spiritual needs concerning Jesus. Prime her heart, Lord Jesus. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Amen.

³⁴ Blessed are those who listen to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me find life
    and receive favor from the Lord.
³⁶ But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
    all who hate me love [court] death.”