There are always two parts to this – one is God’s choice and the other is our choice.
God chose Abraham and his descendants to be the chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). However, not every one of the Israelites believed.
The Bible says: “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:16-19)
So even though the first generation of the Israelites who came out of Egypt saw the miracles performed by God, they did not trust or believe Him. They refused to go possess the Promised Land when the time came, because they were afraid of the inhabitants. Because they kept doing wrong and refused to trust God, they did not enter the Promised Land or heaven, even though they were the chosen people. It was their children who entered.
Therefore, even if someone is chosen by God, if that person refuses to trust God for salvation, then he is not saved.
However, God shows abundant mercy to His chosen. From God’s dealings with the Israelites, we see that God led them with a cloud by day and a fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22).
With such great grace shown them, if they still chose to not trust God, then they have rejected salvation themselves.
God says: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)
God did everything in His power to be gracious to the Israelites. He chose the Israelites because He wanted to have compassion on Abraham’s descendants. And He wanted to bless all nations through Abraham by sending Jesus from Israel to be the Savior of all people.
However, being part of the chosen people does not guarantee salvation. Each person (while having a great promise and with everything going for him/her) should not take God’s choice in vain like some of the Israelites did.
We are responsible for also reciprocating God’s love by choosing Him and trusting Him.
Today, we are also chosen by God: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
We know we are chosen because we heard the gospel and believed. Therefore, we do not take God’s choice in vain, but trust God and learn to follow Him.
Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37)
We have come to Jesus and we are chosen by the Father. So on God’s part, He will not cast us out.
On our part, we should not cast God out. Jesus said: “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:9-10)
So we should learn to obey God because we are called by His name. Therefore, if we say we believe, we need to act like it and not be lip-service Christians only.
It is not that we are saved by obeying commandments. On the contrary, no one is saved by works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Good works cannot cancel out any bad deeds we have done. So if we rely on our deeds, one bad deed would send us to eternal punishment no matter how many good deeds we do.
Therefore, salvation is by Jesus’ blood alone. If we believe this, we are saved. But if we believe, we would also repent of our sins and try to follow Jesus from now on.
If we fall short, we can ask for God’s forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
But at least we should not knowingly behave like hypocrites. This is the bare minimum. To repent (this means to turn away from sins and with prayer and reliance on God, work together with Him to overcome sins and do His will).
The Bible says: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19). If we say we believe but act like the devil or demons, then we haven’t truly believed. Demons know God exists, but they practice evil continually. We should not be like them.
The apostle Paul summarized his preaching by saying: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21)
True repentance is a decision to turn away from sins and follow Christ.
Or, a different way of saying this is: Believing is having faith in Jesus and learning to be faithful to Him.
So if you’ve decided to follow Christ and are working with God to obey Him, then you are a true Christian and are saved. God chose you and you have chosen Him.