Romans 11:5-6 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
The above scripture is referring to the time when Elijah cried out to God against Israel. He was a discouraged prophet thinking that all of Israel had turned their backs on God by bowing down to other gods. He said he was the only one left who served God!
There may be times when you might think like that. But God said to Elijah that He had reserved a remnant of 7000 people who had not bowed down to other gods. And Paul is saying a similar thing to us, that there is a remnant of people around the world today, who do not bow to the gods of this world but bow down to the Most High God. Paul says they have been “chosen by grace”!
What does it mean to be chosen by grace!
Ephesians 1:4: God chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless.
To be chosen by grace means that your salvation and righteousness (or right standing before God) is not because of what you have done, but all because of what God has done for you. It’s not through your own good works, or efforts; it’s not through your own choosing that you are now righteous and able to stand before God. It was through God’s choosing and the finished work of Christ at the cross, that you can now stand before God.
At school, I was a good debater. Now it wasn’t because I was quick or witty or able to cut holes in the arguments of others. It was because I was convincing and my charisma drew people to my side of an argument. I remember one day debating with another Christian: “Did I choose God or did God choose me”?
I was so adamant that “I chose God”. I told him, “Yes, Christ died for me but I still had to choose to accept Him. So there you have it. I chose God”.
I’m so glad that the Lord is a gracious and loving Heavenly Father and that He took His time to teach me, rather than strike me down with a bolt of lightning. I’m also glad that this other Christian brother, was also gracious and kind-hearted toward me and quietly went away and said: “Lord, teach him the truth one day”.
Well, the good news is that the Lord did reveal the truth to me. And now I understand that it was the Lord who chose me! Ephesians reveals to me that even before I was born; even before the creation of the world existed, God has chosen me to be in Christ.
And when it comes to your righteousness, and your ability to stand in the presence of God, this is not your own choosing or your own doing. You stand before God “in Christ”. If you take Christ out of the picture, you have no righteousness and you cannot stand before God, by faith. But because we have all been chosen by grace, we can give our sin to Jesus and receive His precious gift of righteousness.