Christians have believed for centuries that God has divinely chosen those who to be saved. This is has many people crying foul because it seems unfair and it teaches that God violates our free will. Christians have also taught that we can come to Christ by faith. This may seem confusing considering the Bible teaches that God choses the elect yet the elect must come to God by faith.
Is there a verse in the Bible that teaches God choses yet man must come to faith? Yes. None of the Apostles said. It was Jesus Himself:
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37).
We see the divine sovereignty of God in the first part of the verse, "All that the Father gives me will come to me.." Jesus said later on in John 6 that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). God has given Christ the elect, the ones He has chosen to be saved. Those who are chose will come, however, this is where the free will comes in, "...whoever comes to me I will never cast out." Whoever comes to Christ will never be looked away. Yes, God draws us, but we still must choose Him.
We are not robots. We are made in the image of God who has given us His Son for the redemption of our sin. Yes, God does choose those who are saved, yet we still have the free will not to choose Him.
The good news is those who embrace the call of God to salvation are accepted by the Son of God. A study note from the Reformation Study Bible says:
God leads to faith all whom He plans to redeem. The redemption of the elect is certain. The Son promises acceptance to anyone who truly believes.
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