THE CHOSEN OF GOD

2 Thess 2:13-15 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: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions, which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Paul, and his fellow laborers in Christ, were bound to give thanks alway to God for the Christians of Thessalonica, because they were brethren beloved of the Lord. With these godly men as our example, we can say with assurance, that all Christians today have the same binding obligation, to continually thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Those whom God loves, we must also love, and always be thankful for them. As they were in that day, we, too, must be thankful when our brethren are not deceived by, or become victims of, the false teaching of the man of sin - the son of perdition,asnoted above in verse three. We must thank God always for these first century Christian examples, as well as all faithful Christians that we are privileged to fellowship with today. They are our brethren, and they, also, are beloved of the Lord.

Christians, obedient followers of Christ, are the chosen of God. From the beginning of time, they were chosen to salvation. Paul wrote, at other times that Christians, both Jew and Gentile, were chosen by God before the foundation of the world ...(God) predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Eph. 1:4-5). Predestination, as spoken of in this quotation, does not mean that God foreordained certain individual souls to damnation and others to salvation. It was the hope of eternal salvation that was predestined, and God made it available, by His promise, to the entire world. The apostle, Peter, assured us of this when he wrote that the Lord is not slack concerning His promise; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).

Friends, faithful obedience assures salvation to all people of the world. God's call to salvation went out to men and women during all ages of the world. In the New Testament era He called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9). It was by God's own purpose and grace that salvation came to mankind. This is the spiritual blessing that was predestined for all men and women of the world. It was promised to all that hear His calling, and obediently come to Him through His Son, Christ Jesus. Salvation, then, is promised to all that are in Christ Jesus - all that have been baptized for the remission of their sins. Then, and only then, are they in Christ Jesus, because at the time they were baptized, God added them to His body, the church of Christ. From the beginning, God's obedient children were predestined, or chosen, to inherit salvation.

The means by which the saved became God's chosen people is through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Both are necessary for salvation. One cannot be sanctified without belief in the truths found in His holy word. That is, one cannot be consecrated to God, and set apart from the world, without hearing, believing, accepting Jesus as their Savior, and obeying all truths that are found in His holy word. At the close of life here on earth, all that desire to live for eternity with their Heavenly Father must be found in Christ Jesus. This we know from Jesus' truthful teaching when He said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me (John 14:6).

God continuously calls all men and women of the world unto His kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12). He calls us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 5:10). He calls us through the Holy Spirit-inspired gospel of Christ, as taught by the apostle Paul, and all other apostles, and inspired writers of God's word. On Judgment Day, it will be by His holy word, that God, through Christ Jesus, shall judge all people of the world (Rom. 2:16). Indeed, the obedient children of God are the chosen of God. They are the ones that are in Christ Jesus. They are the ones that have been baptized into the body of Christ. They are the ones that are predestined, by His promise, to inherit an eternal home in heaven. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions, which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.