Who Are “The Elect” Of God In The Bible?

Galatians 3:28-29, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

God has chosen to save all those who choose to be saved. That is what "elect" means. The "elect" refers to the saved, Jews and Gentiles alike. God in the Old Testament chose the nation of Israel to be ambassadors of the Gospel to the world...

Isaiah 45:4, "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me."

The promise was conditional upon their obedience to God...

Exodus 19:5-6, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

The Jews rebelled against God, so He divorced Israel...

Jeremiah 3:8, "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."

God turned to the Gentiles instead to preach the Gospel to the world, to provoke Israel to jealousy. Israel was destroyed in 722 BC (Samaria - northern kingdom), and 586 BC (Judaea - southern kingdom). The PROMISE to Israel was always a line of faith, as we read in Exodus 19:5-6. Also, Deuteronomy chapter 28. At no time did any unsaved Jew ever go to Heaven. The Bible teaches that unsaved Jews are not heirs of the promise...

Romans 2:28-29​,​ "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

So a biological Jew (ethnically) is NOT a Jew the Bible says. A saved Jew is a true Jew in God's sight! The promise of salvation by faith was given to the Jews first, but was afterwards also extended to the Gentiles (all non Jews)...

Galatians 3:14-16, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."

The church does NOT replace Israel. Even though God divorced the Jews (cut them off), the Bible says that Jews can still obtain the promise BY FAITH. ...

Romans 11:23-24, "And they also​ [THE JEWS]​, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?"

Jews today can still have the blessings God made to them in the Old Testament, but only BY FAITH in Jesus Christ. That same promise is given to any Gentile who believes in Jesus. The Apostle Peter wrote the following to the Jews, which is a quote from the Old Testament, but it 100% also applies to the Gentiles, to all who BELIEVE in Jesus...

1​st ​Pe​ter ​2:7​-10,​ ​"​Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.​"​

The unsaved Jews in the Old Testament were NOT God's children...

Romans 9:8, "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

Only those Jews who HAD FAITH were counted for the seed. The promise was never made to the Jews, but to CHRIST. The promise was to the seed (singular), not to seeds (plural). ...

​​Galatians 3:16, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."

God the Father promised Jesus before the world began (Titus 1:2), that anyone who believed in Him would be saved.

​Galatians 3:16, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." 

That's what the Bible says. God had already made the promise of salvation by faith before the world began. God shared that promise with Abraham, beginning with the Jews, and later to the Gentiles. That great promise is salvation through faith in Christ. 

Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."

​God has chosen to save all those who choose to be saved! That is what "elect" means. Physical Jews have never been the elect of God, only those who had faith. And the Bible says in Galatians 3:28-29 that whether Jew or Gentile, we are all of the seed and promise of Abraham through faith in Christ. There has always been only one plan of salvation, by faith alone. Pastor Ralph "Yankee" Arnold preached a helpful sermon called: "Understanding The Elect Of God." God has chosen to save all those who choose to be saved! That is what "elect" means.