I agree with Cman.
You believe because you are elect, you don't become elect by believing.
Acts 13:48 "..and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed"
2 Thess 2:13 "..I thank God for you..because God chose you from the beginning for salvation.."
Eph 1:4-11.."He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...in Love he predestined us unto the adoption of sons.."
Israel didn't do anything to become God's chosen people. God did not choose Israel because of any foreseen obedience or faith. In fact, given Israel's history of idolatry, unbelief, and wickedness, I'd say that God's choice of people is unconditional and based on pure love and mercy and grace alone. This is the gospel. God takes enemies, makes them friends, sets his love upon them, and saves them, and he did this without anything good in the people to incline Him towards them. It is free, undeserved mercy and love.
Of Israel, God says "You only have I known among all the nations of the earth" Amos 3:2
]In Due 10:14-1 the author writes:
(14) Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.
(15) Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.
He is saying the Lord owns everything, and out of all that, God set his love upon you alone.
Furthermore, God Himself chose the time for Christ to come and die (Galatians 4:4-5), after thousands of years of history, after millions of people had already perished in total darkness and ignorance. He came in the first century B. C. and revealed the saving mystery of the gospel "which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men" (Ephesians 2:5).
The Jews before this time were given the gospel in the shadowy, prefigured forms of the Old Testament. And as with Abraham (cf. Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-8), anyone who believed the promises of God would be saved. But in God's providence, only the Jews were given access to these promises (cf. Deuteronomy 4:6-8). This explains why Paul said the Jews had a great advantage over the Gentiles (Romans 3:1-2). They were graciously given access to the truth of Scripture while millions of Gentiles around them were perishing, "having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). "[God] declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 147:18-19)
God rescued Israel from paganism and bondage, through Moses. He came to them and said "I will be your God, and rescue you, and give you blessings". He didn't do this to Pharaoh or Egypt.
God interrupted Paul's murderous rampage and converted him on the spot, resulting in the eternal salvation of his soul. Yet he does not do this to everyone. He saved Paul, but not the Pharisees.
Peter and Judas both betrayed Christ. Yet Christ restored Peter, and did not do the same for Judas.
Christ allowed Judas to be taken over by satan, but he did not allow satan to do the same to Peter when satan requested it:
Luk 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
Luk 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.
Jesus specifically intervened and mediated for Peter as the High Priest of all of God's elect, securing Peter's faith and salvation, ensuring that Peter would never fall out of faith, yet allowed Judas to suffer his fate.
In Christ's prayer, he says, "I do not pray for the world, but for those you have given me...I will give them eternal life..it is for their sakes I sanctify myself (on the cross)". (John 17:1-2, 9, 19)
Christ spoke in parables, and the disciples asked him about it:
Mat 13:10-14
(10) Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
(11) And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
(12) For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
(13) This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
(14) Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.
When the apostles tried to go to Mysia to preach the Gospel, God did not allow them (Acts 16:7). A curious decision on God's part if He is trying to spread the gospel to all people and save all people.
Christ was thinking on the fact that many people in Capernaum had not believed his gospel:
Mat 11:25-27
(25) At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
(26) yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
(27) All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Earlier in the passage Christ makes clear that if the works he did in Capernaum would have been done in Sodom, it would have never been destroyed. If the works done in Tyre and Sidon would have been done in Chorazin and Bethsaida, they would have most assuredly repented. (Mat 11:21-23). If Christ was so certain that these towns would have repented if mighty works had been done in them, why didn't God do them? Doesn't God want all men to repent and be saved?
Over and over again we see God's Sovereign decision to reveal His truth to some and withhold it from others. We see that God gives the gifts of repentance and faith to some, but not all. Christ prays and mediates as High Priest for some, but not all. This is His decision. He gives mercy to whom he will, and He passes over - as a form of justice - others. All men are guilty, rebellious sinners, therefore no injustice is done to any.
All of this makes clear that God is not crossing His fingers hoping for a certain outcome. He is Sovereign and as such will most certainly save every single person He has intended to save. He is not going to set himself up for dissapointment for all eternity because some men didn't "make the right choice" or cooperate with God to allow God to save them. God is not a bystander hoping people will - of their own ability - turn to Him. For He knows that all men are fallen and as such as hostile towards Him, finding the gospel foolishness.
Instead of letting the entire human race perish, He directly intervenes and changes the hearts of a great multitide of men, too many to number, bringing them to faith in Christ, eternally saving them. He set His love upon them, out of shere mercy and grace, from all eternity past. This was freely given because there is nothing in sinful man that can cause God to turn towards them in favor.
All of this simply means what every Christian professes to believe: Salvation is FREE! Salvation is of MERCY! Salvation is all of GRACE! And most of all, salvation is entirely of the LORD!
Some of you had said that you become the elect by believing, but this is the exact opposite of what Jesus said. In John 10 he tells us "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I will give them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
In that same chapter, verse 26, some men ask Jesus "If you're the Christ, tell us plainly..do not keep us in doubt". He responds "I already told you...The reason you do not believe is because you are not my sheep"
Earlier in the chapter Christ says "Other sheep I Have that are not yet in the sheepfold, and I must find them, and they will hear my voice and follow me."
This proves that you don't become a sheep by believing, because Christ clearly states that he has sheep that are not yet in the flock. They are still unbelievers, but He will find them, and rescue them and save them.
To clear up any confusion, yes EVERYONE who believes will be saved. Yes, ANYONE who wants to be saved will be saved. Many of you have employed John 3:16 as if it destroys the doctrine of election that the Bible so clearly puts forth (Eph 1, Rom 8-9, etc), but notice that John 3:16 does not say anything about who will believe or who has the ability to believe, it only says that whoever believes will most certainly be saved, and this concept is not at odds with the doctrine of election.
The same Gospel of John actually address who will believe and who has the ability to believe. Go to John 6 where Christ says "No man can come to me unless it were given to him by my Father" John 8 says "You do not understand my words because you are not of God". John 10 states the aforementioned truth that not all men are his sheep because if they were, they would believe. Christ's sheep hear his voice and follow him. Go to John 17 where Christ says "I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me out of the world..it is for their sakes I sanctify myself (on the cross).
Rev 13:8 and 17:8 tells us that our names were written in the book of life from before the foundation of the world.
The Apostle Paul makes it clear that he endured all things "for the elects sake so that they may be saved" 2 Tim 2:10
Some have employed 2nd Peter 3:9 as proof text against the idea of election, but you are taking it out of context. Observe:
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God is patient towards YOU, meaning the recipients of his letter. And wouldn't you know it, Peter specifically addressed his letters to God's elect.
1Pe 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect, exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Pe 3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.
Peter is clear that he is writing to God's elect (he also proves that saving faith is a gift, being that it is obtained) and explaining why the second coming is being delayed. The reason is that God is patiently waiting for all of His sheep to enter the fold. Every single one of God's elect will repent and be saved, and then Christ will come, just as 2nd Peter 3:9 states.
God is patient towards YOU, the elect, not wishing that any perish, but that all come to repentance.
Follow the pronouns:
2Pe 3:1-18
(1) This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
(2) that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
(3) knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
(4) They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."
(5) For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
(6) and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
(7) But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
(8) But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
(9) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
(10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
(11) Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
(12) waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
(13) But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
(14) Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
(15) And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
(16) as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
(17) You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
(18) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
It is clear that 2nd Peter 3:9 is not a passage about salvation at all, but a passage about the 2nd coming of Christ. Peter is explaining that the scoffers will come, questioning His coming, but Peter tells us that God is patiently waiting for all of God's elect to repent and come to faith. This is the reason for the delay. Far from being from a passage that speaks of God trying to save everyone, it instead specifically tells us that God will most certainly save all of His elect!
As for the assertion that Romans 9 is talking about national privileges, I disagree because Paul specifically tells us at the beginning of the chapter that he is writing to explain why "Not all Israel is Israel...it is the children of the promise that are Abraham's Seed", and in Romans 8 Paul labors to explain the predestinating purposes of God). Your assertion doesn't really change anything. Nations are made of individuals, and if one nation gets a blessing that the other doesn't, this still proves that God's blessings and being chosen for grace is unconditional, not conditional.
Paul uses the OT example of Jacob and Esau as proof that salvation for one individual over another is based purely on God's king pleasure, not man's will.
Rom 9:17-24
(17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
(18) So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
(19) You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
(20) But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
(21) Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
(22) What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
(23) in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory--
(24) even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Notice that the vessels of mercy were "before prepared for Glory", and Paul calls us "The called.."
1Co 1:26-31
(26) For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
(27) But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
(28) God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
(29) so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
(30) And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
(31) so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
