READ 1 Thessalonians 1:4

The word ''church'' in 1:1 means ''a called-out people.'' 

If we are children of God that's exactly what we are. 

We have been called by God to be a part of His family, His body, His bride. 

Paul wanted the Thessalonian believers to understand their calling. He says, ''Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”  

There is a word that has caused much confusion and even division in the church. 

This division has occurred historically, and it endures to this day. 

In fact, I believe the enemy tries his best to get us hung up on the mechanics of salvation so that we fail to share the message of salvation. 

Don't be afraid of the word, ''elect'' or ''election.'' It's a Bible word. 

Just because one camp has co-opted the words, sovereignty, election, and predestination doesn't mean we need to shy away from those words. 

These are Bible words, and we need to understand them as best we can, humanly speaking. We simply don't interpret those words the same way they do.

John Phillips says: God makes choices. So do we. The Holy Spirit makes perfectly clear that divine election is based solidly on God's foreknowledge. 1 Peter 1:2 states we are, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit…”  Our lives are conditioned by the fact that we live in a space, time, and matter universe. We express our mode of being in three tenses of time-''I was, I am, I will be.'' God is not thus confined. He lives and moves and has His being in eternity. He expresses His mode of being. However, as existing in the eternal present tense-''I AM'' (Exod. 3:14). When challenged, Jesus maintained His deity in the same way. He said, ''Before Abraham was, I am'' (John 8:57-59). God gathers all time into the present tense. Thus, the exact moment we choose Christ is the same exact moment God chooses us. As far as God is concerned, the two acts are simultaneous. We cannot say that God has endowed us with a will and then say that we cannot exercise our will in relation to our salvation. God created people, not puppets, and people have wills of their own.

Romans 8:29-30 states, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” 

Salvation begins with God's divine ''foreknowledge.'' Through His ''foreknowledge'' we are ''predestined'' and then we are ''called'' for the purpose of godliness. 

Just because we can't understand it, doesn't mean it doesn't make sense to God. 

Anyone who tries to simplify salvation into five points or a man-made philosophy is missing the point of this great ''mystery.'' 

If you are in Christ, you have been ''chosen'' and called out to follow Him, serve Him, and tell others about Him. 

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

MEDITATIONS

1.  How can you know you are chosen by God?

2.  How meaningful is God's election of you?  To what can you compare this choice?

3.  Has anything happened this past week that caused you to value your election?  Explain your answer.