If human nature is totally depraved, how is it possible for anyone to choose or seek after God?

The prophet Jeremiah described the fallen condition of man: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Paul echoed this truth in Romans 3:10: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Verse 12 adds, “There is none that doeth good.” Before salvation, every person is in a state of depravity. This does not mean that people are incapable of doing anything morally right, but that no one is righteous before God—all are in need of salvation.
In Romans 3, Paul addressed the Jews, showing that they had no advantage over the Gentiles, because all were equally under sin. Without salvation, everyone falls short of God’s holiness. In verse 11, Paul states: “There is none that seeketh after God.”
This raises the question again: How can a sinner in a depraved state seek God? Jesus answered this directly: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). It takes the Spirit’s drawing to bring an unregenerate person to a place of decision. No one seeks God apart from this grace. But the good news is that this drawing grace reaches all people.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit was sent to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).
He also declared: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). John 1:9 describes Jesus as “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” This convicting and drawing grace is not limited to a predestined group—it extends to all, even the vilest sinner. Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost”
(Luke 19:10).
God is the initiator. He calls, convicts, enlightens, and draws. Yet the sinner must respond in faith or resist this grace. While no one seeks God on their own, everyone is drawn, and thus the responsibility to respond lies with each soul. Even the smallest desire for God is not from within ourselves—it is evidence of His drawing grace.

If Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” does that mean we don’t have a choice in salvation?

No. Salvation is freely offered, but it is never forced on anyone. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).
The scripture in question is John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.” The word chosen here is derived from the same root as elect. Context is very important when studying God’s Word.
In this passage, Jesus was speaking specifically to His disciples. It was Christ who called and ordained them to go and preach the gospel. Their callings and spiritual giftings were not from themselves—they were from God. While there is a universal call to salvation, this verse refers specifically to the disciples’ call to ministry and service—not to a denial of human choice in salvation.

Does Romans 9 teach that God chooses who will be saved and who will be lost?

No. Romans 9 emphasizes God’s sovereign right to bless whom He wills and to carry out His redemptive plan. It does not teach arbitrary salvation. When God said, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (v.13), He was not speaking of Jacob and Esau as individuals, but of their descendants. He was referring to nations and their roles in His purpose—not individual salvation. Just as God, in His sovereignty, chose to bless the descendants of Jacob above all nations, so He has the authority and right to open the plan of salvation to the Gentiles. The elect are no longer determined by Jewish birth, but by spiritual birth.
“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (v.15) declares that mercy is God’s to give. Yet other scriptures show that He offers mercy and salvation to all people. When Paul writes, “It is not of him that willeth…” (v.16), he is underscoring that salvation is not earned by human effort—it is by grace. Romans 9 affirms God’s right to extend mercy on His terms—yet those terms still invite all to respond in faith.
This passage also contains a warning: when someone persistantly rejects God’s dealings and He withdraws His Spirit’s conviction, the heart will grow hard.