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Sunday, February 06, 2022

Choosing the Chosen

Sermon for the fifth Sunday after Epiphany

If you are lucky enough to live in a democratic country then you might be looking forward to the next election. That way you get some say in how things are run. Or else you might enjoy the drama of the build-up to the vote. On election night there's always a lot of celebration by the winning candidate. Why? What's to celebrate? 

[PAUSE]

We elect someone for some purpose. If we elect a politician then we usually do so because we agree in some way with their vision of how things should be run and trust them to have your interests at heart. There is some appeal that they have which influences our decision. Of course, some people vote at random and others don't vote at all. Still others are undecided but will put a big cross in the box against the name of someone they really don't like, just to let the counters know. There is always a reason why someone is elected and there is also a purpose too.

We aren't the only ones who vote in elections. Our Lord says to His disciples they did not choose Him but He chose them and they will bear fruit that shall last. What does this mean? Does God choose the people who will enjoy eternity? Does He choose the people who will go to Heaven? Does He choose the people who will not?

[PAUSE]

Yes. As far as salvation is concerned, God is the only one registered to vote. He has that right because He is our Creator. We do know that He wants everyone to be saved as St Paul tells St Timothy. Not everyone will be saved as Our Lord makes clear to those goats who depart on His left. St Paul tells the Ephesians that God's choice is made before the world begins. What he means is that, as far as God is concerned, our life is present to Him all at once. He sees all the choices that we make. He sees us live our lives all at once, where we succeed, where we fail, where we sin. And He chooses us based on how we receive His grace and live with it in lives of repentance and worship - how we respond in faith to the love He first shows us.

St Paul tells us that we are elected to show to the world in our lives how to be merciful, kind, humble, meek, patient, forgiving and loving. In short, we have been chosen in order to reflect God to a world that is separated from Him. We do not get to choose our salvation; we get to choose to be someone whom God can save.

[PAUSE]

Elections can be very traumatic processes as the candidates present themselves and their ideas to the voters. There is usually much argument and, these days, a great deal of unpleasantness, especially when people don't get the outcome they expect.

With God, we can trust His judgement completely and know that He will always make the right choice. Since He has created you and given you His Grace to know Him, you have been chosen to reflect Him in your life. Do so, with your hand in His, and you will have His vote into eternity.



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