Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.09UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.05UNLIKELY
Fear
0.06UNLIKELY
Joy
0.66LIKELY
Sadness
0.5LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.85LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.15UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.93LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.84LIKELY
Extraversion
0.19UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.72LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.66LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Chosen In Him
Just as - Meaning such as or for example.
So now Paul begins to brake down or explain these spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
And what better place to begin than with the blessings of grace that God poured out before the foundation of the world.
This is in the eternal now, before time, where God exist.
What did God do?
He chose us in Him (Christ).
This divine choice is the spring head from which flows every other blessing.
So the question is, what is the choice.
There are three main views which I’ll share along with which view I personally hold.
The first view
That this choice is God the Father choosing Christ and subsequently all those who are “in Christ” are chosen.
In this view God did not chose individuals to be in Christ.
He chose Christ and all who chose Christ by faith are in Christ and therefore chosen.
The second view
God choses individuals but he does so by His foreknowledge that they will by faith chose Christ.
So God choses us because we will chose Him.
The third view and my own view
God sovereignly chose individuals before the foundation of the world that they would be in Christ.
That this choice is unconditional grace and therefore is not based on any merit in the one chosen.
So let’s begin with the first view and see if we can compare scripture with scripture to shed light on this.
First view God choose Christ not individuals.
1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (NKJV)
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
God has chosen
the foolish
the weak
the base
the despised
the things that are nothing
The purpose -that no flesh should glory in His presence.
But of Him that is because of Him (God) you are in Christ.
So that he who boast let him boast in the Lord.
These are clearly individuals that are chosen not Christ that are chosen and it is also clear that God’s choice is the cause of individuals being in Christ not the other way around.
The second common view of election is that God choses us as individuals before the foundation of the world but he does so based on His foreknowledge that we will chose Him.
To consider this theory lets look at Rom 9:1-13
Here Paul tells us that God’s choosing is specifically not based on foreknowledge of the individuals.
Surely God has foreknowledge and knows us, our responses to Him our acceptance of Christ or not our repentance or not.
However, His choosing us is not based on any of that His purpose according to election might stand.
To say that God’s choice is based on His foreknowledge of my choice prioritises my choice over God’s choice even though His choice was before the foundations of the world.
It makes my choice sovereign not God’s.
This view is attractive because it help us to eliminate the great mystery of why God choses some and not others.
Unfortunately it is based on our rationalisation of this great mystery rather than on God’s Word.
In case we think that maybe we have misunderstood what Paul was saying in Romans chapter 9 we can continue reading and find that this is exactly what Paul has said.
God’s choice is sovereign and it is grace our choice is subservient to God’s choice, not the other way around.
However, this does not mean that our choice is irrelevant.
We must chose Christ but if we do know this, That God chose you first before that foundations of the world.
What were we chosen for
Holy - meaning pure, consecrated, a saint.
without blame - faultless without spot, blameless.
So how should we receive this truth?
If you have not yet repented of your sins and given your life to Christ but you are here and the Father is drawing, teaching you, then God has chosen you to receive the abundant riches of His grace.
It is your calling to follow Christ so give your life to Him and fulfil your calling.
If you have seen the Son of God and have believed in Him then we stand in awe of His glory and grace and we praise Him who choses because He is worthy.
This is a hard teaching for a lot of people but I assure you that it is not radical.
It is not a new teaching.
It has been greatly ignored and avoided but it is as old as Christianity.
Some will fine it difficult and will wrestle with it.
We all must at some point.
Some will just reject it because they cannot rationalise it.
Others will accept it and rejoice in it, resting in the peace of God’s sovereign grace and praising God for his many blessings.
Those who have ears to hear let them hear.
And worship God blessing His name.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9