Dear Phoneman777,
God's Word clearly says that Christ will save all mankind. I quoted just three of the scriptures that state so.
In this age, Christ is only saving those people who have been blessed to be saved early. That is why they are called the "First Fruits" (James 1:18) of Christ's harvest of mankind.
Also, by saying that the Elect are chosen by God because God "foreknew" who would accept Christ and who would reject Him is very insulting to God.
Scripture says that God "chose" the Elect to satisfy His own purposes. The Elect have no works from which they can boast concerning their salvation. God did not look into the future like a fortuneteller and then claim that He chose them after finding out who is going to accept Christ. That makes God out to be a liar and a deceiver.
Here is the truth that God's Word teaches:
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.
As for what scripture teaches about God's foreknowledge, it says that His foreknowledge comes from the CERTAINTY that God always accomplishes what He says will do.
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Also, God's Word teaches that carnal mankind will never come to Christ of their own accord:
Rom 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
1Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
So what changes for a person when they decide to accept Jesus as Lord?
What changes for a person is that Christ (from His own choosing) comes to them and gives them the Early Rain of the Spirit. Without the Early Rain of the Spirit, they would never call Jesus "Lord":
1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
The Early Rain of the Spirit is what the Apostles received when they walked with Christ and it is what Paul received on the Damascus Road.
If a person does not have faith in Christ, it is because Christ has not come to them and given them the Holy Spirit.
In this age, most people will not be given the Early Rain of the Spirit and they will remain unbelievers until they die. However, "many" will be given the Early Rain of the Spirit. It is they who Christ calls into the church.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Then, from the group of many who enter the church, Christ will give a "few" of them the Latter Rain of the Spirit. They are the Elect and are the only people who will be saved in this age since salvation requires both the Early and Latter Rains:
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the EARLY and LATTER RAIN. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
To understand why the "many" who are given only the Early Rain of the Spirit are not saved, we must look at other scripture (here a little and there a little, Isa 28:9-12).
When an unbeliever is given the Early Rain of the Spirit, they will be given a "measure of faith" - however, they will still remain spiritually blind (Mark 8:15-25). Because of their blindness, Christ will remain veiled from their understanding. Satan will then come to the new believer and easily deceive them via the spirit of anti-Christ (Mat 12:43-45). This is what caused the apostasy of the church shortly after the death of Paul (Acts 20:29-31).
When the spirit of anti-Christ enters a new believer, the Abomination of Desolation will occur within that person (God's temple). This unclean spirit will deceive them into accepting Satan's "another gospel" (2Cor 11:4) which mixes man's works with faith. When they commit this "sin that leads to death" (1John 5:16), they will "fall away" (Heb 6:1-8) and lose their salvation.
In this "worse than the first" spiritual condition (Mat 12:43-45), they will become a "man of sin". They will remain in this lost condition until they die or until Christ "comes again" and pours out the Latter Rain of the Spirit upon them. The Latter Rain of the Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), because with the Latter Rain, the believer's spiritual blindness will be healed. After the fallen away believer's eyes are opened, they will "see" the Abomination of Desolation (Mat 24:15-16) which had previously occurred within them. Because of this knowledge, judgment will fall on them and remove the spirit of anti-Christ & the Great Harlot (Mat 24:40-41). After this judgment is complete, the believer will be converted and saved.
The Early Rain of the Spirit calls many into the church but only the people who are chosen will also be given the Latter Rain. This is how Christ differentiates the "many" called from the "few" who are called & chosen.
In the final age, Christ will judge the balance of mankind. When He does, He will not forget to administer "justice, mercy and faith" during their judgment:
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Justice is satisfied by the destruction of the child of the devil. Mercy and faith are satisfied by the new birth of a child of God.
In the end, all mankind will be saved, just as the Word of God proclaims.
Joe
