25 March - Chosen Firstfruits
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Have you ever been so grateful for something that you could not stop thanking God for it? It is indeed right and proper to be grateful to God and to thank him for it. Paul’s prayer exemplifies this attitude. His prayer also reveals him to be other-person centred. He is not just concerned with receiving praises for serving people or gaining a sense of self-fulfilment for having achieved some ministerial responsibility. Paul is passionately concerned for people and is elated when they grow in godliness as they hear the word of God and respond to it rightly. And if our thanksgiving is proportionate to how important something is to us, then his Christian brothers’ growth must have been incredibly dear to him for he gives thanks for them unceasingly (v.13). Here is a Christian brother who is deeply concerned for the spiritual well-being of others.
The context helps us understand his joy. In chapter 1, he warns the Thessalonians about the reality of God’s judgment, and in 2 Thessalonians 2:12, mentions that it is those who do not believe the truth and delight in wickedness who will suffer this judgment. But unlike the ‘man of lawlessness’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3), the future is bright for the Thessalonian Christians. They are those who are loved by the Lord Jesus and chosen by God from the beginning of the world (The word ‘firstfruits’ in the NIV is probably better translated as ‘the beginning’. See Matthew 19:4 for an example of this translation). They were chosen to be saved from their sins by God who set them apart (sanctified them) for himself through his Holy Spirit and through their believing the word of truth – the gospel of the Lord Jesus that was brought to them by Paul. And God did all this so that they might share in the glory of the Lord Jesus, which will be visibly manifested when he returns for his people.
PONDER
Scriptures remind us repeatedly that God is holy and just and will not tolerate sin. It is something that we need to remember. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Yet this season reminds us that he loves us so incredibly much that he would send his Son to die for us. What amazing grace! It is only as we remember his wrath and mercy that we would be driven with Paul to be grateful to God for choosing to save us.
We also learned that to love others is to desire their growth as Christians through responding correctly to the word that they are taught. This then impresses on us the importance of wanting to encourage others by helping them know God through his word, praying that the word would take root in their hearts and gratefully giving thanks to God when he grants that.
PROMISE
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Praise God for his promise that all who are appointed to eternal life will believe.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank you for choosing us and enabling us through your Spirit to trust in the gospel of the Lord Jesus for our salvation. We thank you for those who have laboured in teaching us your word and have prayed for us to grow in it. Please help us to hold firmly to the truth of the gospel. Please help us to love others enough to take seriously the need to help them grow in the knowledge of your word and to pray for them unceasingly as we wait for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Article by the Reverend Nick Loi is the Pastor of Christ Church, Ipoh.