Two types of election
The first type of Biblical election is one of service and is based on God's choice. God chose Israel for a purpose. We cannot pick our gifts nor our purpose in God's plan for our service.
Romans 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came
Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
I Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
The second type of election is to salvation which is our choice based on our faith not on our works of service. Which is what the Jews refused to accept then and Calvinists reject today.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
The argument that the Jews used against the Gospel was that they were already God's chosen people, they had the Word of God, and their service saved them.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
John 8:33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
John 9:28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples.
Calvinists take verses about service and gifts of service to prove that our salvation is God's choice and not our own; John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you" is about service, not salvation, as is clearly indicated in John 6:70, "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?' 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve." Judas was chosen to be an apostle but, obviously, not chosen to be saved.
