In order to better understand the answer to this question, we need to examine what the head of the church taught on this subject. Christ mentioned that his church would be small in number and that God, the Father, is not calling all of mankind at this time.

For many are called but few are chosen (Mt. 22:14, RNT; cf. Jn. 6:44-45, 65).

And the disciples drew near and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered and said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. ¹²For whoever has, to him it shall be given, and in abundance; but whoever does not have, what he has shall also be taken up from him. ¹³Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor understand. ¹⁴And to them the prophecy of Isaiah is filled up which says, ‘Hearing you hear, but you will not understand; and seeing you see, but you will not perceive; ¹⁵For the heart of the people has become thick-skinned, and with the ears, they scarcely hear, and they have shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand in their heart and return, and I should heal them.’ ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷For Amen, I say to you, that many prophets and righteous ones desired to look at what you see, and did not see, and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it (Mt. 13:10-17, RNT).

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom (Lk. 12:32, NASB; emphasis added).

For those who willingly obey God’s Holy Days the plan of salvation is revealed, and it shows that He is calling people in a progressive manner (1Cor. 15:22-24). Each of the annual Feasts reveal through symbolism the resurrections starting with Christ (1Cor. 15:20, 23) and the entire plan of salvation.

In Romans 2:4, the process of calling an individual commences with the action of the Father leading them to His truth, resulting in repentance (2Tim. 2:25). Once someone is called, they have to make a decision based on the understanding that they have transgressed God’s law (1Jn. 3:4) having earned the wages of death (Rom. 6:23). When sinners are truly repentant (2Cor. 7:10) and deeply desire to begin living in accordance with God’s written word, they have reached the point of repentance (2Pet. 3:9). When one reaches this point, they realize the need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. The next step is baptism (Ac. 2:38; 3:19) symbolizing the death and burial of the old way of living, which was contrary to God’s law (Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 3:9-10); this is why a person is to be totally immersed in water (Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10). Then begins a new life in harmony with God’s will (Rom. 6:4). God’s church does not baptize by sprinkling a person with water because it cannot picture the complete death and burial of the person’s former way of living (Rom. 6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9; 1Pet. 3:21).

The next step in the process of conversion involves God the Father giving the newly converted person to His son (Jn. 6:37; 10:29; 17:2, 6, 12, 24). Jesus Christ then teaches the newly converted person and intercedes for them when they fall short (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-16; Rom. 7:24). There would be no need for Christ to continue interceding on our behalf if God’s law had been abolished because sin could not then be imputed. King David had God’s holy spirit (Ps. 51:11), was a man after God’s own heart (1Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22) and yet sinned (Ps. 51). Therefore he required forgiveness on an ongoing basis, receiving God’s mercy upon repentance (2Sam. 12:13). Repentance is not a onetime experience (See section below), rather, it is part of an individual’s ongoing spiritual growth (Eph. 4:15; 1Pet. 2:2; 2Pet. 3:18).

It is interesting to note that Christ addressed individuals who were trying to convert others but were not willing to obey his father’s law (Mt. 7:21-23).

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