Hello sonofone
Your post caused me to to consider the following scriptures:
Luke 3:6
And all mankind shall see, behold and understand and at last acknowledge the salvation of God, the deliverance from death decreed by God.Some will be first and some will be last.
Matt 20 :
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. (Will that happen between the falsely assuming to be the few chosen and many called where the falsely assuming to be the few chosen resent that the many called and lost are saved too?)
11. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man pf the house, 12. Saying, these LAST have wrought but one hour, and you have made them equal to us which have borne the burden and heat of the day. (Sounds like they ignorantly assumed that it was far worse to suffer being chosen and killed for Christ rather than lost and found by HIM and then cleaned up in the LOF)
13 but he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do you no wrong, did not you agree with me for a penny? 14 Take what belongs to you and go, I choose to give to this LAST even as to you. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good? This for me deals with spiritual pride, the topic of this Thread. We should be proud of nothing! We should not be like the son who staying at home is grieved that his wayward brother gets the party and big celebration because he returned home. We too were once dead but now we live because Christ lives in us.
So there really should be no pride in the error of assuming that we are either called or chosen. I believe it is justified that we should desire to be chosen and made worthy to stand before the Son of man when He comes. Jesus Christ will bring the reward and prize when He returns. What if it is just a penny?
Will we be disappointed and told by Jesus to "go our way!" and that He has done us no wrong and that our pride came as a result and consequence of our ignorant, foolish and arrogant pride.....all because of a false assumption that we can merit or deserve anything!
It is a humbling thought to think and ponder on the fact that all will be saved from FIRST TO LAST!
This is not a savory or palatable doctrine for those who teach heresy and lies yet it is the truth that saves us from puffed up egos and assumptions that the first will be first and the last will be last. God does not teach that!
Peace be to you
Arcturus