◄ What Does 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Mean? ►

As in so many of his epistles, Paul contrasts the way of the wicked, who reject God's gracious gift of salvation and the final devastating outcome of their choice, with those who have accepted His call to trust in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection. And in this passage, Paul give a précis of the past, present, and future glories of those that are saved by the blood of the Lamb, and the wonders that await them.

And so after having outlined the shocking end that awaits the Antichrist and his wicked followers, Paul contrasts the beautiful destiny of these Christians in Thessalonica (and of all who will trust in the only begotten Son of God), and gives them a lovely reminder that they were chosen by God for salvation.

The clear teaching of Scripture is that God chose each one for salvation based on the choices He knew we would one day make, in respect of His offer of salvation, which is by grace through faith in Christ.

It is not God's will that any should perish but that all should come to faith in Him, but in His omniscience God knew the choice we would make before we were even conceived in our mother's womb, and how we thank God that He chose us from before the foundation of the world, based on that freewill choice.

Thank God that there is nothing in Scripture that teaches that he indiscriminately chooses to send some to hell, as some people like to teach, for God loves His creation and it is His desire for all men to be saved. Nor does the Bible teach that everyone will be saved, whether or not they trust in Christ, as others like to suggest, for this would render the Cross irrelevant. No! God bases his 'choosing' on the freewill choices that each individual will make in respect of God's individual offer of salvation to them: "That whoever believes on the name of the only begotten Son of God will not perish but have everlasting life."

But from the beginning of the world, God knew the salvation choices each of us would make. And from the moment that we accepted Christ as Saviour, God's foreknowledge became a reality in our life. And from that moment on, as from the foundation of the world, we were part of the 'chosen' in Christ.

Because we are His children and chosen by God, we are members of His family and will be part of that great Body of believers who will hear the trumpet sound and be raised incorruptible as the first-fruit of the harvest of souls that have a spiritual inheritance, which is kept for us in heaven.

Thank God that He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to be our Redeemer, and thank God that He has chosen us for salvation simply because we trusted in Christ's finished work on our behalf. Let us never forget to thank Him for His goodness and grace towards us, for we read: "He who believes on Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe on Christ is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

How we praise God that the Holy Spirit searched us out when we were dead in our trespasses and sins and convicted us of "sin, of righteousness and of judgement." How we thank God that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and sent His Holy Spirit into the world to convict us of our guilt before a righteous God and of the need to turn from our sins and accept His gracious offer of salvation.

How we praise and thank God, and glorify His holy name that by grace through faith in Him we were positioned in Christ, set apart unto Him, and brought into His heavenly family, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In His mercy and grace, God chose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit, by trusting the Word of God, hearing the truth, and believing it.

Heavenly Father, I thank You that I am part of that great body of believers that were chosen before the foundation of the world, because You knew that by grace through faith in Christ I would accept Your gracious offer of salvation. Thank You for all my brothers and sisters in Christ who like me were chosen from the beginning to be saved, by faith. And thank You that we have all been set apart unto God, by Your Holy Spirit, simply because we believed in the truth of the glorious gospel of grace. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.