Suppose you found an ad in the paper that went out to everyone. The ad said “Hi! If you’re reading this ad, you have been called to receive a free prize on Friday. All you need to do from now until then is highlight the ad with a red highlighter, then come to the local mall at two o’clock with the ad highlighted in red. At 2:05, a bell will sound alerting the workers to give the prize. You will receive the prize due to meeting the call and its conditions in the ad.”
Now here’s the question: What was chosen/predestined?
Was it all the people who showed up at the mall?
Or was it the ad and its conditions, as well as the prize?
Clearly, what was chosen/predestined was the “plan”. The plan of how to receive the free prize, neither of which was deserved or earned. That was by grace. The result of meeting the conditions was the free prize. Both was not of works. It was based on grace. The “ad” describing how to receive the prize went out to everyone, but only those who “answered” the ad received the prize.
The plan (the ad and its conditions) and the result (receiving the prize) was foreknown, predestined, and ordained by the mall. The mall did not predestine or ordain man’s response to the call/plan/ad. The people at the mall foreknew not all would come, but they left it up to all to make their choice. Their foreknowledge did not cause anyone to come or not come. The plan and result was fixed before anyone responded.
Just as the mall predestined what would happen to whoever showed up, God predestined what would happen to whoever is in Christ—they will be adopted, justified, conformed, and glorified. And that’s the way it is with the gospel plan of salvation. God gave us the way to be saved through Jesus and the gospel. The gospel call goes out to and is for everyone (Rms. 1:16). The way to be saved through Christ (obedience to the gospel call and following Him, Acts 2:38-39; 2 Thess. 2:14; Heb. 5:9; Jn. 10:27-28) and the result (promise of salvation, eternal life, the eternal inheritance) is what has been foreknown, predestined, ordained (Eph. 1:11; 1 Peter 1:1-5; Titus 1:1-2). Man’s response, however, was not. God did not predestine, ordain or predetermine man’s response to the gospel. He left that up to man to decide (2 Tim. 2:21-22). God foreknew not everyone would come to Jesus to be saved (Mt. 7:21), so many are called by the gospel denote all kinds of people and ethnicity: Jew/Gentile, rich, poor, male, female slave, free (Acts 2:17-18; Gal. 3:28). But because not everyone chooses to answer the gospel call (2 Thess. 2:14; Acts 2:39 that is for all humanity (Mk. 16:15) few are chosen.
For those who have answered and responded to the gospel call of salvation, it has been foreknown and predestined that those who done so would be conformed to the image of His Son, as well as justified, and glorified. Those who are called were called by the gospel, and those who He called are Christians/the church/the body of believers. He has predestined, elected and conformed the church to be the image of His Son, as the church is the fulness of Jesus (Eph. 1:23). The result of being a Christian is what was elected/foreknown/predestined, which is adoption as sons by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). The result of answering the call to be the chosen in God’s elect—Jesus (1 Peter 2:6; Isaiah 42:1) is to be holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph. 1:4).
