To be called God’s chosen people gives the impression that it is God, in His sovereignty, who chooses humankind. However, we must understand the true meaning of the word “chosen.” We cannot see it from only one side—God’s act of choosing—but must also consider the human side, those who are chosen. In reality, a person’s destiny is also determined by their own decisions and choices. Adam was cast out of the Garden of Eden not because God decreed it so, but because Adam chose to disobey God’s command. He had to bear the consequences of his own choice.
It would make God appear cruel if we assumed that He created the scenario of human downfall and then expelled humanity from the very garden He made. The story recorded in Genesis 1–3 clearly reveals a divine principle of life: human beings are created with free will to determine their own destiny. Whatever a person sows, that is what they will reap. Here we encounter one of life’s great mysteries—difficult to comprehend thoroughly—yet Scripture consistently shows that humans are not creatures entirely controlled by God.
There is a part within every person that makes them responsible for their own life, and this is what defines humanity as a responsible being. Humans are not merely creatures drifting aimlessly along the current of existence. The idea that a person cannot escape a predetermined fate is a mistaken belief. Becoming one of God’s chosen people ultimately depends on each individual’s own choices, decisions, and concrete actions. Therefore, everyone must take real steps to become God’s chosen truly.
In this matter, what often causes failure is a passive attitude. Many fall into the false notion that salvation—or the status of being God’s chosen—is determined solely by God’s absolute decree. Such an understanding is dangerous because it renders people spiritually passive and devoid of responsibility. On the other hand, people are often ruled by desires that lead them away from salvation. These desires do not come from God but from the devil. Even if such desires are not unlawful or harmful to others, if they do not align with God’s plan to restore humanity to His original design, they still become stumbling blocks.
As a result, people live with wrong concepts and misguided desires, trapped in spiritual passivity. Even when active in church activities, many lack genuine steps toward life transformation. They become careless, good people, pious yet uncommitted believers, unwilling to pay the actual cost of discipleship. Many assume they have already “paid the price” by attending services or serving in ministry, yet they may not be fully doing God’s will—because they are the ones who set the limits of the cost, not God.
Ultimately, they live however they please. Outwardly, they may appear righteous, polite, and decent, but before God, they may not be pleasing. Such people will never become truly remarkable in God’s eyes. To be God’s chosen means to be extraordinary—not because of status or knowledge, but because of obedience and a willingness to pay the price. Carelessness and a lack of seriousness in responding to God’s call cause a person to miss the opportunity to become His true chosen one.
On the other hand, there is another equally mistaken view—that God places humans in a position where they cannot refuse His goodness. If that were true, it would also mean that humans could not deny His judgment. This idea is dangerous because it leads people to anger and to blame God, saying, “Why did God create humans only to destroy them and condemn them to eternal punishment?” Such a notion is false, for God never destined humans to perish. Instead, He granted free will so that each person might choose to obey and live according to His design. God does not predestine anyone to damnation; instead, He offers everyone the opportunity to repent and to live according to His will.