All of us are guilty before God because of our sins. There is a penalty that God demands for sin. Eternal punishment in hell. God, in His mercy, wanted to save an elect or chosen few to share the riches of heaven eternally. These elect are sinners like everyone else.
Someone has to pay for their sins.
This is what Jesus did at the cross. He took the sins of the elect upon Himself and God poured out His wrath and punishment on Jesus for the sins of the elect. God is sovereign and saves each elect person sometime in their life. He gives them a new resurrected soul and they now find their greatest happiness in being obedient to God as they learn about His will and laws in the Bible. These are those that God loves.