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"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:1-4
Grace is the divine anchor that keeps us in the love of God. Without grace the entire human race would be doomed, for we all have sinned against God, and the wage for sin is death. But out of the fullness of his grace, God, before time began, decided to reconcile us to Himself through the blood of his Son, according to his own purpose. In eternity past, the Lord God Almighty sovereignly and discretionary willed to redeem and sanctify those He had chosen for his own glory and He predestined them to live a life He had prepared for them, regardless of what they would do. Before the world was created God had already chosen those He would save through his Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
However, the Lord’s choice is not based on the works of those who are saved nor on their being better than the non-elect. As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 1:4-5, “Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us his sons and daughters – this was his pleasure and purpose.” This means we are what we are by the grace of God. We are the objects of his mercy, love and grace.
God chose us to be his before we even came into existence and gifted us with a saving faith. This explains why only the elect, the objects of his mercy, love and grace, have faith in Christ, for God works in their hearts to make them willing to turn to his Son. He does this for his own glory and to display his attributes. Those who are not chosen remain hard-hearted, hateful and rebellious towards God; they reject his Son and are hostile to the Gospel. Faith in Christ is a gift from God.
The Lord has gifted us with a saving faith on his own free will, in order to draw us to his Son. That’s why the Lord Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him to Me; and I will raise him to life on the last day.” In John 15:16 He says to his disciples: “You did not choose Me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures.” Salvation is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.