Chosen By God | 1 Peter 1: 1-2 | Oshkosh | August 23, 2026

The sermon “Chosen By God” examines the biblical doctrine of predestination while emphasizing that it should be considered an open-handed, non-salvific belief because Scripture does not answer every aspect of it with complete clarity. The message distinguishes predestination from predetermination, teaching that God has established an eternal destiny for believers while still allowing genuine human choice and responsibility. Using passages from 1 Peter, Romans, Ephesians, John, and other Scriptures, the sermon explains that God knows beforehand who will respond to Him, but does not force that response. It presents the concept of prevenient grace, meaning God’s grace reaches out first, awakens the human heart, and makes it possible for people to respond to Him, while salvation still requires a willing response of repentance and faith. This is described through the pattern: God seeks us, the Holy Spirit convicts us, grace awakens us, we choose to seek God, we repent and believe, and God saves us. The sermon also stresses that God desires all people to be saved and that salvation is genuinely offered to everyone, although not everyone accepts it. Ultimately, the teaching encourages believers to approach difficult theological questions with humility, context, prayer, Scripture, and charity toward others, rather than allowing disagreements over predestination to divide the church. Its central message is one of grace and peace: God is reaching out to humanity, salvation is offered to all, and people are responsible for responding to God’s invitation.