CHOSEN FOR SALVATION

FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2022

Apostle Paul wrote a second epistle to the Thessalonian Christians known as Pros Thessalonikeis B, commending them on their faithfulness and exceeding growth in faith regardless of their trials and persecutions. He also reminded them of the truth that God chose them from the beginning prior to their existence - for salvation and to partake of His future glory. For this reason, Paul often gave thanks to God on their behalf and boasted about them in the Lord even among other churches.

Reference: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 New King James Version (NKJV) "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

Beloved, God chose us as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through our belief in the truth. How did God accomplish His purpose of choosing us? By calling us through the glorious gospel, that we might share in Christ's glory. In the context of the above Scripture, this is apostle Paul dealing with the central matter of a misunderstanding stirred by a false doctrine regarding the coming day of the Lord.

Acknowledging that God chose us for salvation from the very beginning before the foundation of this world personally gives me unspeakable joy. When I think about it, I ask myself a question: What if I was omitted from God's choice. I look at it this way: Out of over "seven billion" people on earth, I was handpicked by God as one of the chosen ones for salvation. By this surety, it means that I'm of a superior kind and quality; I'm quite expensive and it can't be otherwise. Why should every Christian acknowledge and embrace this truth? This is because one of the schemes of the enemy is to attack our identity and uniqueness as the people of God. Therefore we must allow this truth to penetrate our inmost being and saturate our conscious mind.

As born again Christians, we can recognise that we are living in an era which is increasingly hostile toward God and the things of the Spirit. However, like apostle Paul, this is exactly the reason we ought always to thank God that He chose us out of the world as brothers and sisters sacrificially loved by His Son and purchased by His grace. No one could ever consider being born again apart from God and His grace electing and positioning him or her in Christ. Therefore we must stand firm in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and ultimately walk, think, talk and live for Him because He is the revelation from God that established us as God's perfect choice.

Christ did not merely bring a message to the world; He is the message and the salvation. The Bible says, "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 NLT). The name of Jesus is raised to the highest significance as the symbol of divine grace; and by today's knowledge, we can rightly say that the "chosen" heathens who are yet to obtain their salvation are already saved by the Name of the Lord, even without their knowledge that they were chosen before they began to exist.

What else are we to thank God for? We should always thank God because of the sanctification of the Spirit and our firm belief in the truth. The sanctification of the Spirit is beyond the work of deliverance of man's soul from sin. It is the Holy Spirit's inner working in us, renewing us to conform to the image of Christ and producing the "God" kind of faith in us. Then our belief in the truth denotes that we have the right belief system because we are standing on the truth and are being raised by the truth, which is the Word of God. Therefore, as a born again Christian, learn to thank God often for choosing you unto salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; Romans 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

Guided Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for choosing me for the salvation in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the earth were laid. It is a thing of joy that I'm delivered and freed from the consequence of sin, thereby embracing the perfect peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. Daily, I have a favourable opportunity to introduce and extend the doctrine of grace to others in my world by sharing the gospel of truth with them. By doing so, the chosen ones come to the knowledge of Christ and live the Kingdom life to share in your glory in Jesus' Name, Amen!