in this verse of Scripture Jesus concludes His discourse to His most
staunch opposers, the chief priests and Pharisees, posing to them
another parable concerning the wide difference between " the called "
and " the chosen "... though through the Abraham covenant they
believed they were.

aimed at the heart of their hypocritical and arrogant pride, Jesus
subtly teaches them through His parable that simply because they were
the sons of Abraham and that they outwardly show service to God, have
great knowledge of the Scriptures, and sit in the seat of shepherds of
the flock, they are yet, not of God.

the Apostle John makes mention of this when he succinctly mirror's
Jesus teaching in Matt. 22 saying " who were born not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Jn.1:12,13

this lesson speaks, in other words, of what the Word of God spoke
all through the Bible... that service to God in any form does not
automatically prove election to salvation and neither does being in
the lineage of Abraham.

the Psalmist understood this and writes that the Lord God's
magnificent power attracts close attendants who do not know Him but
yet these show some outward signs of reverence to Him...

" How awesome are Thy works! Because of the greatness of Thy power
Thine enemies will give feigned obedience to Thee. " Ps. 66:3

here we have the reason for the existence of every religion that was
and is in the world, who recognize the God of the Bible as the Supreme
Being... because of the greatness of His power.

this feigned obedience comes in many forms. in all it's forms the
deciding factor is Bible doctrine. the elect of God are given the
faith of Jesus and know His will by the Scripture through the direct
teaching of Holy Spirit.

David, for example, was elected to salvation while yet a fetus.
this proves that election to salvation is unconditional, for the will
of man John speaks of has nothing to do with receiving Christ.
Joh. 1:12,13

David, had Uriah the Hittite killed so David could take his wife.
by outward appearance David was not seen as elect unto God having done
this. yet, the doctrine he professed clearly shows David to be elect
of God to salvation while yet a fetus. Ps. 139

in like manner, the Pharisees, being of the blood of Abraham,
knowledgeable in the Scriptures, shepherds of the flock, by outward
appearance looked righteous... but not to the elect Mt. 3:7

since the " mouth speaks from that which fills his heart " ( Lk.
6:45 ) the called but not chosen will always profess a gospel foreign
to the Word of God simply because they " know not the Scriptures nor
the power of God " Mt. 22:29

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salvation by the will of man pervades much of Christainity today.
whether in the form of salvation by ceremony or by keeping the Law as
the Pharisees or by ' making a decision for Christ ' or any number of
conditions to fill, salvation by the will of man pervades
Christianity.

the greatness of God's power draws the ' called ', but salvation by
the will of God draws the ' chosen ' to Christ. Joh. 6:44

there is simply no other salvation under heaven than that which is
by the will of God as Eph. 1:3-14 makes clear. no conditions to be
filled by will worship as in the gospel of the ' called ' but not
chosen. will worship excludes grace.

professing a gospel inwhich man chooses Christ is that calling of
feigned obedience since receiving Christ is not by the will of man.
( Joh. 1:12,13 ) and is in direct conflict with Joh. 15:16... " You
have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you... "

to openly offer such a gospel based on the will of man as the means
to salvation when the choosing is strictly God's choice by grace
alone, is open blasphemy, and reveals being called, but not chosen.