If God has already chosen his people, why preach the gospel?

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Ephesians 1:3-6

Yea, verily, we who are Jesus’ sheep have been his since before the foundation of the world.

So, why, then, did God make those who are not his sheep, if he knew they would not make it into his kingdom?

As it is written,

“The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”

Proverbs 16:4

And again,

“Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

Romans 9:19-24

Of a truth, there is very much that could be said about this matter…but suffice it to say that God will be glorified in the destruction of the wicked, just as he will be in the salvation of the righteous; and both are necessary in order to have a holy nation of righteous men and women who will have served him in the midst of trials and tribulations, and shown ourselves worthy to serve him in his kingdom.

If there were no wicked men, then from whence would the trials of our faith come? or patience? or how would we learn to overcome?

And so, then, if God has chosen his own, why do we need to preach the gospel?

Well, as it is written again:

“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?“

Romans 10:6-14

We who are Jesus’ sheep were born under the curse of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12); and therefore blind and dead in trespasses and sins as we lived out our existences in the darkness.