Tag: beloved

Romans 16:8 – My Beloved Brother

Posted on by Will

Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Some people were specially honored by the Apostle Paul.

Behind the Words

“Amplias” is a shortened form of the Latin name Ampliatus, meaning “enlarged.” Some Greek manuscripts have the full name rather than the shortened form.

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos, which is based on agape, meaning “a perfect self-sacrificing love.” There are two different Greek verbs translated “love” in the New Testament. The first is Phileō, referring to a “brotherly love” or “fondness” as expressed between good friends. The other is agapaō, which indicates more than just emotion. It implies action which is directed toward the benefit of the beloved even at the expense of personal sacrifice on the part of the loving one.

Meaning Explained

Paul spends the entire first half of this final chapter of the letter to the church at Rome giving greetings to specific people who are associated with the church. Each one of these people is someone whom Paul considers worthy of greeting. In some cases he tells us a little about the person (or persons) but in others, like Amplias in today’s verse, he tells us almost nothing.

What we do know about Amplias is that Paul considers him beloved in the Lord. In other words, he considers Amplias more than just a friend. We don’t know what Amplias did to earn such an esteemed position in Paul’s mind, but whatever it was, Paul expresses a level of affection for this person that he offers to few others; in fact, of all those greeted in this letter only four are referred to as beloved by Paul. They are Epaenetus (Romans 16:5), Amplias (Romans 16:8), Stachys (Romans 16:9), and Persis (Romans 16:12).

Though Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, well known by virtually everyone in the church throughout the known world at that time, he did not consider himself above others in the church, especially those who labored fervently for God. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul referred to himself as the chief of all sinners:

Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1Timothy 1:15)

In this passage in 1Timothy, Paul has recounted some of the despicable things he did before he got saved. And yet, in 1Timothy 1:15 he does not say, “of whom I was chief,” he said, “of whom I am chief.”

The Apostle Paul does not think of himself as better than other Christians. He is well aware that apart from God’s grace he is destined for hell just like the rest of us. And, out of his humility he gives recognition to a number of unknown people who give their all for their Savior. In today’s verse we see him giving recognition to one of his dearly beloved friends, Amplias.

Application

Imagine how honoring it must have been for a simple Christian man like Amplias to receive recognition in a church letter from the Apostle Paul. What would be even better would be to receive recognition from our Lord as He ushers us into heaven with, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Will God say that about you? Remember, how you serve Him now will have eternal consequences.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:28 – Not Your Enemies

Posted on by Will

With regard to the gospel they are enemies, but with regard to the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

Truth to Learn

The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are God’s beloved people whom He will rescue one day.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated, “concerning” is the Greek word kata, which primarily means “down.” However, this word has many nuances that imply position or relation. As it is used in this sentence it expresses “the relation in which one thing stands towards another.” So, we could translate it as “with respect to” or “as it relates to.”

“Enemies” is translated from the Greek word, echthros, which is based on the verb echthō, meaning “to hate.” Thus, echthros means “one who is hateful or odious, an enemy.” In this verse it refers to those who are odious in the sight of God. God is not saying that the Jews are His enemies, but that they are enemies of the gospel message.

The word translated “election” is eklogen, based on the verb eklegō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and legō, meaning “to choose.” Thus, eklogen refers to the act of choosing or the selecting a select few out of a larger collection.

“Beloved” is from the Greek word agapētos, which is based on the verb agapaō, meaning “to love in a social or moral sense.” It means to be ultimately concerned for the welfare of the one who is loved. Agapētos refers to the one who is loved.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been explaining that it was the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews that occasioned the gospel (good news) to be proclaimed to the Gentiles. Remember, also, that Paul is talking in generalities about groups of people, not specific individuals. He starts off the current verse with, “With regard to the gospel, they are enemies.” He is not saying that the Jews are the enemies of Christians. He is saying that the Jews are enemies of the gospel message; they are hateful of the message regarding Jesus being the Messiah and that salvation and the righteousness of God is obtained by believing that Jesus died to pay for the sins of all mankind.

But, Paul goes on to say, with respect to God’s selecting who are righteous and who aren’t, they are beloved because of God’s covenant with the patriarchs. This may be a reference to a passage in Deuteronomy which says,

The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 10:15)

The point is that God choose the Israelites as His special people and though they rejected their Messiah, God will one day turn back to them and restore their position of blessedness because of the covenant (the one sided contract) that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Application

We should not hate the Jewish people even though they are hateful of the gospel message. Instead, we should recognize that they, as a nation, are loved by God. Sometime in the future He will remove Christians from the earth and once again bless the Jewish people when their Messiah comes as their conquering king.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:25 – His Beloved Children

Posted on by Will

As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved."

Truth to Learn

God chooses people, not nations, and all of His chosen ones are His beloved children.

 

Behind the Words

The word “people” is from laos, which refers to “a people, nation, or a number of people joined together by common bonds.” Another word translated “people” is nēmos, which refers to one’s own populace. Paul is showing that God’s people are not just a single nation or ethnic group, but His own select group of people united in Him.

“Beloved” is from a form of agapaō which means “to esteem or love, indicating a commitment of the will and of finding one's joy in something or someone.” It is the kind of self-sacrificing love in which the lover is focused on the best possible good for the beloved rather than self.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul turned a corner in his dissertation on the doctrine of election. He left off his discussion as to why and how His choosing is true. He now goes on to show the Jewish Christians in Rome the fact that God has always had a plan for non-Jews (Gentiles) as well as the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jews).

As we already pointed out, the Jewish Christians in the early years of the church believed that the Jews were a called nation. That is, the sons of Jacob had a special privilege in their relationship with God simply because God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since this previous verse would come as a shock to many of these Jewish Christians, Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophets to show that it has always been God’s plan to select from the Gentiles as well as from the Jews.

The quotation in this verse is from the book of the prophet Hosea in which he says

And I will have mercy on No-mercy. And I will say to Not-my-people, You are My people. And they shall say, My God. (Hosea 2:23)

Since the Jewish believers were so proud of the fact that to them had been entrusted the Oracles of God (see Romans 3:2), and they believed, as we do, that these Holy Scriptures contained the very words of God, this becomes a very powerful demonstration to these Jewish Christians that the church is to be made up of both Jews and Gentiles. Peter discovered this in a miraculous way in chapter 10 of the book of Acts. Paul makes a very powerful argument to the Gentile members of the church in the book of Ephesians that the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross broke down the wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles.

But now in Christ Jesus you who then were far off became near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, He having made us both one, and having broken down the middle wall of partition between us, (Ephesians 2:13-14)

 

Application

We who are not descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob can rejoice in the fact that He chooses individuals to his family. And, as individuals we are to serve Him in joyful thanksgiving because He has chosen us to be His own children. Are you a true child of God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:7 – The Called Saints

Posted on by Will

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

All Christians have been called by God, and we are all saints.

 

Behind the Words

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos, meaning “one who is loved.” It is from the verb agapaō, which means “to love with a self-sacrificing love.”

The word “called” is from the Greek word klētos, meaning “someone who is called, or invited.” It is not a verb, but an adjective. In other words, Paul is not saying that the Romans are referred to as saints, but that they are saints who have been invited.

The word translated “saints” is the Greek word hagios, which means “something which is pure and set-apart for God’s use.”

 

Meaning Explained

As I said when we looked at the first verse of this letter, it is customary for such a letter to contain a salutation in the opening portion identifying both the sender and the intended audience. Paul identifies himself right away, but not until verse seven does he identify his intended recipients. This epistle was written to the Christian believers who were at that time living in the city of Rome, center of the great Roman Empire. This letter was written around the year 58 AD, which would be very early in the reign of Nero (the Christian hater) as Emperor.

From the English translation it appears that Paul is saying that he is writing to everyone in Rome, proclaiming them to be beloved of God and to be given the title of saints. That’s not what the Greek sentence construction says, however. It says, “to the ones who are in Rome, who are beloved of God, who are saints that are called ones.” In other words, the letter is to those people in Rome who are both beloved of God and who are called. This is the same calling that is referred to in the previous verse.

For those of you who don’t believe in the doctrines of election and eternal security, I want to be very clear. The Apostle Paul believed in both of these doctrines and taught them as truth. He believed that genuine Christians are those who were “chosen in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him” (Ephesians 1:4). We are not Christians because we did something; we are Christians because God did something. For that reason, Paul says that we are “saints” who have been called by God.

And yes, every Christian is a saint! It does not require special canonization by the church for us to be saints. The Bible teaches very clearly that all believers are saints. I want to emphasize, as we pointed out in the previous verse, that Paul is not saying that the beloved of God are referred to as saints, rather that we are called by God to be saints.

Paul then completes this verse with a standard blessing of grace and peace from both God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Application

The thing I want us all to take away from today’s verse is the privilege and honor we have as Christians that we have been specifically selected by God and called to a life of holiness and service to the King of Kings. What a great honor! Anything less than complete submission and obedience to Him does not meet His expectation of us and is a waste of time and effort.

Humbling, isn’t it? Are you up to the challenge?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 1:4 – Chosen and Loved

Posted on by Will

knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are chosen by and loved by God.

 

Behind the Words

The word “knowing” is from the Greek verb oida, which means “to see with perception,” that is, “to be aware of.” It is expressed here as a casual participle, so it could be translated as “since we know.”

“Beloved” is a form of the verb agape, a self-sacrificing love which is spoken almost exclusively of God. Therefore, we could refer to them as “brothers who are loved by God.”

“Election” is translated from the noun form of the verb eklegō. This verb is composed of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and the verb legō, meaning “to choose” or “to select.” As used here it means “someone who has been selected, or chosen, by God.”

 

Meaning Explained

We have been talking about the fact that Paul and his two companions, Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, regularly and unceasingly pray for and praise the Christians in the church at Thessalonica. Paul adds here that the Thessalonica Christians have been chosen by God and therefore, are among those who are loved by God with an everlasting, self-sacrificing love.

Election is one of those theological concepts that many Christians love to hate. Opponents of the concept say, “How can a loving God choose some and send others to Hell? That’s just not fair and God wouldn’t do that.” First of all, God does not choose anyone to go to Hell. It’s what we all deserve because we are all unrighteous sinners, and God’s holiness and righteousness demand that all sinners must be judged since we are all deserving of death:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Jesus, Himself, told his disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, (John 15:16a).

And, Apostles Peter and Paul clearly teach that God chooses whom He decides (Romans 9:11; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:7, 8; Ephesians 1:4; 2Peter 1:10). And Paul argues very strongly that God loved Jacob and hated Esau, arguing that God is not unrighteous in doing so. After all, as Paul says, doesn’t the potter (God) have power over the clay (you and me), from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? This is stated very clearly in Romans 9:10-21.

In today’s verse Paul is telling his readers that he and those with him know (they have seen and perceived) the election of the Christians in Thessalonica. And from the previous verse we see that it is the deeds of faith and labor of love that demonstrate the election of these saints.

 

Application

None of us deserves God’s grace. We didn’t deserve to be chosen and we don’t know why He chose us. What we do know is that all Christians have been given a gift of immeasurable worth that we didn’t earn and we don’t deserve. Let’s show our gratitude by serving Him faithfully.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 6:21 – The Beloved Waiter

Posted on by Will

But that you also might know the things concerning me and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you;

Truth to Learn

God gives recognition to those who serve humbly.

 

Behind the Words

The words “that you … might know” are translated from the verb eidō, which technically means “to see.” However, as in English, it is used in the sense of seeing with the mind, or knowing something. It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating the possibility or probability of knowing.

“The things concerning me” is translated from ta kat eme, which refers to the events surrounding Paul and his ministry.

The word “doing” is from prassō, which refers to “something done repeatedly or continually.” It is sometimes translated as “practice,” but here it refers to the general activities of daily living.

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos. This is based on the verb agape, which refers to “a self-sacrificing love.” It is a stronger expression than phileō, meaning “brotherly love.” Paul expressed it here with the definite article, so it is translated as “the beloved.”

“Minister” is from the Greek word diakonos. This is derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run errands.” It is the word used to describe someone who serves others while they are eating, what we would call “a waiter.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul has finished his teaching in this letter to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. He now concludes with a very brief salutation. Paul has a singularity of purpose in his letters to the various churches, that of proclaiming the doctrines of the Christian faith. He spends almost no time at all telling about himself. Instead, he suggests that his dear friends talk to Tychicus about what is happening to him.

What do we know about Tychicus? He is first mentioned in Acts 20:4 where we learn two things about him. The first is that he was from Asia (modern day Turkey) of which Ephesus was the capitol city. The second thing we learn about him is that he was faithful to the Apostle, having accompanied him during part of his travels. It is possible that he became a Christian as a result of Paul’s two year ministry in Ephesus, although we are not told that anywhere.

Another thing that we learn about this man, based on today’s verse, is that he has spent much time with Paul in the Roman prison. Because of this, he is able to tell the brothers and sisters in Ephesus all about what has been happening with Paul. The Apostle refers to Tychicus as “the beloved brother.” This indicates that not only was he a very special friend to Paul, but he was well known among the Ephesians. Finally, we learn that this man was a faithful minister. In other words, he was not hung-up on how great he was. Rather, he was a humble servant, willing to do whatever the Apostle needed him to do.

 

Application

Most often, those who are called out as special are those who have accomplished some great feat. Not so with Tychicus. He was special because he was a humble servant. What would your pastor say about you? Does he even know who you are?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:1 – Imitators, Not Actors

Posted on by Will

Then become imitators of God as beloved children.

Truth to Learn

We need to live the part that God has given us.

 

Behind the Words

“Then” is translated from oun, which indicates a connection of two thoughts, sometimes indicating an affect from the previous thought, but often just a link between the two. It is sometimes translated as “Therefore” and sometimes as “Then.” I believe the best translation in this case is “Then.”

“Become” is the command form of ginomai, which we saw in yesterday’s verse. It means “become.” The implication is that we are not simply to stay the same, we are to move forward and actively become more like our loving God.

The word translated “imitators” is mimētēs, from which we get our English word “mimic,” meaning “to imitate or copy in action and speech.”

 “Beloved” is translated from agapētos, which is based on the verb agapaō, meaning “to love with a perfect, self-sacrificing love.” Agapētos refers to someone who is loved with that kind of love. All Christians are loved by God with this perfect, self-sacrificing love.

 

Meaning Explained

Nearly everyone has someone to whom they look with respect and admiration, in many cases wishing they could be just like them. Some people go so far as to imitate the clothing style of the one they admire, combing their hair the same way, and even talking like their idol. In fact, there are those who go to the extreme, having plastic surgery so that they even physically resemble the one whom they revere so much. Sort of crazy, huh? The Apostle Paul tells us that being imitators is a good thing, as long as the one we’re imitating is God.

In chapter four of this letter to the Christians in the church of Ephesus, Paul instructed them (and us) to take off the old man and put on the new man. In effect, he told us to quit behaving like our sin nature and begin behaving like our new nature. He even went so far as to instruct us in some of the characteristics of the old man (things we are to avoid) and some of the characteristics of the new man (things we are to do). Now, he gives us some practical insight into how we can put on the new man.

We’ve all seen an actor who, even though we know his or her real identity, portrays a character so completely that we perceive the character they’re playing rather than the actor. And, when we think of that actor, we often think of him or her as one of the characters they have portrayed. In reality, however, we all know that they are just acting like someone else; they’re not really the character they imitate. The Greek word for a professional actor is hupokritēs (hypocrite), indicating someone who is acting in a role that is not who he or she really is.

Unlike professional actors, we need to become more than just pretenders. God doesn’t want us to be hypocrites and just pretend that we’re His children. We are His children! And He wants us to live like His children are supposed to live. While professional actors portray the character on the outside, we need to become the character on the inside.

 

Application

“I don’t want to be a phony, acting like someone I’m not,” you may say. Well, you don’t have to. If you are a born-again Christian, then you are a child of God. By learning how to think and behave like a child of God you become the new character that God has made you to be. If you learn the part well enough, others will see God in you. Now, that’s something to think about!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:6 – Amazing Grace

Posted on by Will

to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He favored us in the Beloved One.

Truth to Learn

Because of His grace, God loves us with the same love He has for Jesus Christ.

 

Behind the Words

The word “praise” is translated from epainos, composed of epi, meaning “upon” or “on” and ainos, meaning “praise given for benefits received.” Epainos refers to applause or commendation given in recognition of something that was done.

“Glory” is from doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think or suppose.” Doxa primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable opinion.” In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.”

“Grace” is from charis which we looked at back in verse two. It refers to “favor, good will, or kindness, especially that which causes joy and gratification.”

The expression “favored us” is from charitoō, which is a verb form of charis. It means “to endue with special honor” or “to greatly favor.”

“Beloved” is translated from agapaō, meaning “to love with a perfect, self-sacrificing love.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis in on the effect. That is, God perfectly loved the Second Person of the Godhead (His Son) in the past, and the result is that He is His beloved Son.

 

Meaning Explained

The opening phrase of this verse, “to the praise of the glory of His grace” is a Hebraism, that is, a method of thought of the Hebrew people. The meaning they would ascribe to this phrase is “to His glorious grace!” In other words, by His choosing us and determining beforehand that we will be adopted as His children, God is shining the spotlight fully on His amazing grace. God did not have to choose us and He did not have to legally make us His children. We do not deserve to be chosen by Him, and we certainly do not deserve to be adopted into His family. And, He did not do these things for our benefit; He did them to show to all of creation how magnificent His grace is.

Were it not for God’s holiness and righteousness, we wouldn’t need His grace. Because He is holy, he is completely separated from all sin and sinfulness. Therefore, but for His grace, He could not fellowship with us. Because He is righteous, He always does what is right, and He must judge (condemn) every sin and every sinner. Therefore, but for His grace, we are condemned as sinners and destined for Hell.

In the second chapter of this letter, Paul will get into a deeper explanation of this marvelous grace of His. For now, he tells us that by this grace, “He graced us in the beloved.” In other words, He showed great favor and bestowed great honor on us by placing us in His beloved Son. In Him we possess all that the Father loves in His Son. Thus, we are perfectly loved!

 

Application

What a blessing to know that God sees His beloved Son every time He looks at a Christian. The Father loves you and me with the same love with which He has always loved the Son. By His grace, He does not see us in our sin and sinfulness. Instead, He loves us with the love of Christ! How great is that?!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

 

James 1:16 – Perfect Love

Posted on by Will

Do not be led astray, my beloved brethren.

Truth to Learn

Seek the truth and do not let yourself be led astray, because God loves you with a perfect love.

Behind the Words

The word translated “be led astray” is a form of planaō which means “to cause to roam or wander about.” This verb is in the passive voice indicating action that is being done to the subject (my beloved brethren). Also, this verb is in the imperative mood, indicating a command. In the Book of the Revelation this word is used with regard to Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet, leading people astray from the true faith unto idolatry (Revelation 12:9; 19:20; 20:3).

In the Greek text the word order of this verse is “Do not be led astray brethren of mine, beloved ones.” Paul is not saying that his Christian brethren in Galatia are beloved by him (though they surely are), but that they are beloved by God. The reason for this is two-fold. First, is the fact that the word “beloved” comes from the Greek word agapē which is a self-sacrificing type of love. This is the word the apostle John used to describe what God is in 1 John 4:9. The second reason is the fact that in the next verse Paul will talk about the gifts that are bestowed by God; gifts that flow out of God’s love for us.

Meaning Explained

James has just been talking about trials and temptations. In verse thirteen he told his readers:

Let no one being tempted say, "I am tempted by God"; for God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

He then went on to inform us that the source of these temptations is our own desires which have gotten out of control. He now returns to his comments about God. Believing that God tempts us to sin is heresy and James wants to make a strong point of the fact that not only does God not tempt us, but He loves us and is the source of all good things for us.

When we go through trying times, it is easy to roam from God, to get “weary in well doing,” to blame God, and to basically quit trying. James is encouraging us to hang in there during such times, not allowing ourselves to be led astray, because as brothers and sisters in Christ we are all loved by God.

This epistle (letter) is clearly addressing all of us who have been born again and who are loved by God. This agapē love has as its focus the good of the one being loved. God wants the best for us. He is not a mean ogre who wants to trick us into sinning. After all, that breaks our fellowship with Him. He wants us to grow from our trials so that we will be more like His Son, Jesus.

Application

I encourage you my brothers and sisters in Christ, in spite of whatever trials and tribulations you are going through right now, continue to walk facing God, keeping your focus on Him alone. When we are in the middle of trials one of the best pieces of advice we can receive is what James tells us later in this letter;

     Be humbled before the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 1:4 – Chosen and Loved

Posted on by Will

knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are chosen by and loved by God.

Behind the Words

The word “knowing” is from the Greek verb oida, which means “to see with perception,” that is, “to be aware of.” It is expressed here as a casual participle, so it could be translated as “since we know.”

“Beloved” is a form of the verb agape, a self-sacrificing love which is spoken almost exclusively of God. Therefore, we could refer to them as “brothers who are loved by God.”

“Election” is translated from the noun form of the verb eklegō. This verb is composed of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and the verb legō, meaning “to choose” or “to select.” As used here it means “someone who has been selected, or chosen, by God.”

Meaning Explained

We have been talking about the fact that Paul and his two companions, Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, regularly and unceasingly pray for and praise the Christians in the church at Thessalonica. Paul adds here that the Thessalonica Christians have been chosen by God and, therefore, are among those who are loved by God with an everlasting, self-sacrificing love.

Election is one of those theological concepts that many Christians love to hate. Opponents of the concept say, “How can a loving God choose some and send others to Hell? That’s just not fair and God wouldn’t do that.” First of all, God does not choose anyone to go to Hell. It’s what we all deserve because we are all unrighteous sinners, and God’s holiness and righteousness demand that all sinners must be judged since we are all deserving of death:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Jesus, Himself, told his disciples:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, (John 15:16a).

And, Apostles Peter and Paul clearly teach that God chooses whom He decides (Romans 9:11; Romans 11:5; Romans 11:7, 8; Ephesians 1:4; 2Peter 1:10). And Paul argues very strongly that God loved Jacob and hated Esau, arguing that God is not unrighteous in doing so. After all, as Paul says, doesn’t the potter (God) have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? This is stated very clearly in Romans 9:10-21.

In today’s verse Paul is telling his readers that he and those with him know (they have seen and perceived) the election of the Christians in Thessalonica. And from the previous verse we see that it is the deeds of faith and labor of love that demonstrate the election of these saints.

Application

None of us deserves God’s grace. We didn’t deserve to be chosen and we don’t know why He chose us. What we do know is that all Christians have been given a gift of immeasurable worth that we didn’t earn and we don’t deserve. Let’s show our gratitude by serving Him faithfully.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved