December 8: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. 1 Cor. 1:27-28

We might naturally suppose that this special call, if restricted at all, would be restricted to the very finest specimens of the fallen race—the most noble, the most virtuous, the most talented; but the Apostle contradicts this thought… The reason for this condition of things the Apostle explains to be God's intention that no man should be able to boast that he had in any sense or degree merited the great blessings to be conferred. The whole matter is intended to be both to angels [F89] and to man an illustration of the power of God to transform characters from base and despised to noble and pure, not by force, but by the transforming power of the truth—working, in the called ones, through the promises and hopes set before them, both to will and to do his good pleasure. This divine arrangement will result not only in the Father's glory, but also in the humility and everlasting good of those whom he will bless. We find, reiterated throughout the New Testament, various statements of the fact that this call and the salvation under it are not of man, nor by his power, but by the grace of God. F88