Chosen people

God's elect is nothing new in the Bible. And it certainly does not mean the unelected were not loved and deserving of God's grace. But some would have you think only certain people will go to heaven because they are the "chosen" people of God. God played favoritism throughout the narrative of Judeo-Christian history. He favored Abel over Cain, Jacob over Essau, Issac over Ishmael, David over Saul. He did so because Christ was on His mind and the shadow of His son was in each favored character. God made the Israelite His people not because they were more righteous but to tell the world of His gospel plan through their story. But in it God loves each and every one of His children, and shed His blood for all.

Israel probably thought they were the only special people to be saved by God, and not the Gentiles. But God's love went beyond their understanding when Christ went to the cross for both the Jews and the Gentiles. Joseph had a special love for Benjamin, but he did not forget his other brothers and took cared of them as well. Now that the Gentiles are the "chosen" favorites and body of Christ, they reject others who are not part of the elect, the bride of Christ, and eagerly accept their fate in hell. Many see that as divine justice and even uphold the logic of damnation.

But Christ warned of such pompous self-righteous attitudes many times in the Bible. He especially had contempt for the pharisees who profess to know God, love God and obey God to the point where they reject all they see as sinners unworthy of their holy standards. These Jesus will deny knowing in the days of His coming. Yet, the church is full of teachings that exult the self-righteous and look down upon sinners not fit to step into the inner sanctuary of God. Many who are forgiven forgives not others and insist on their fate to burn forever in hell. They defend the Justice of hell with even more fervor than the love of God.

We will be judged not by how much we profess to love and obey God, but how much He lives in us in our love and forgiveness of one another. It is then that even if damnation is inevitable we protest earnestly in the heart and shed tears for the brothers of such fate, and believing that the God we love will somehow justify not the punishment of sins but the forgiveness in love, for He is above all else -- love. Amen.
James