I should've emphasized that the only reason the children of righteousness are saved (any Christian at all) is simply because of God's grace. There is no other reason. We didn't work harder. We weren't more intellectual. We didn't have greater vibes. We don't make a decision on faith. We don't cooperate.
We are saved only because God was rich in His mercy to choose to open our hearts as He did Lydia's and make us understand the gospel. We have to be born again and only God can birth us. Why He doesn't do this for everyone is unknown and, quite frankly, it's none of our business.
This is a VERY important point. There is not one scrap of anything we have that God has not given us. Let us all remember this, this Lord's day and truly give thanks that He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Exactly. God merely crowns what He has already given us. (St. Augustine). Perhaps if I may, an analogy. If you give me a present, a gift, that is extremely valuable, would you be pleased if I tossed it in the attic, or used it daily, asking you to help me use it and ask for more?
Regards
Amen
We will never know even in the light of glory
Nor should we attempt to know
Nor should we invest man with the free will to chose or not chose salvation in order to answer the question - it does not
Nor does it get God off the hook when He is measured according to our standard of fairness. The attributes of God include the three omni's; so if we search for an answer to what seems to us the unfairness of God in choosing some & not others (Rom 9 always comes to mind) we hit another insurmountable barrier.
God is the Righteous One
Mans only righteous is by For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith Galatians 5:5 (King James Version)
The only answer is trust Him through faith and do not ask