Chosen
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 10, 2018
This sermon expounds the doctrine of divine election and predestination from Ephesians 1:4-6, emphasizing that being chosen by God is an immeasurable spiritual blessing rooted entirely in His love and grace. It also explains why sound doctrine is an indispensable foundation for practical Christian living.
The sermon opens with the provocative question, "Doctrine! Who needs doctrine?" The pastor uses Ephesians 1:3-14 as his foundation, pointing out that the Apostle Paul repeats the phrase "in Christ" at least twelve times to establish that all spiritual blessings flow from being in Him. Doctrine is compared to theorems in mathematics or physics — an unchanging foundation that determines what we believe and therefore shapes our attitudes, words, and actions in daily life.
The sermon presents three biblical truths about salvation that may seem contradictory at first glance: (1) God desires all people to be saved (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4); (2) human beings possess genuine freedom of choice (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15; Matthew 11:28); (3) God has predestined and chosen certain people to be saved and to be in Christ (John 15:16; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Acts 13:48; Ephesians 1:4-6; Romans 8:28-30). The pastor promises to explain why these three truths are not contradictory.
To illustrate what it means to be chosen, the pastor uses the example of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle — two commoners chosen by Princes William and Harry to become members of the British royal family. If being chosen by a prince is such a great blessing, how much greater is it to be chosen by God Himself to become His adopted children in Christ? The critical point is that the princes chose their wives partly because of beauty and talent, but God chose us solely because of His love and grace, with nothing in us as the cause.
The pastor explains humanity's sinful nature through the analogy of a dog naturally choosing a plate of meat over vegetables, as well as Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2:1-3 that by nature humans are "children of wrath." Psalm 51:5 and the story of Cain killing Abel are cited to demonstrate that sinfulness is innate to human nature. Therefore, when a person hears the Gospel and prays to receive Christ, this is the work of the Holy Spirit — evidence that the person has been called and chosen by God from before the foundation of the world.
The sermon concludes that properly understanding the doctrine of election and predestination enables believers to live with deep gratitude, without boasting, and to serve God from a motivation of genuine love rather than obligation or burden. Romans 8:28-30 is quoted as the closing text, confirming that those whom God called He also predestined, justified, and glorified.