Three ways that show you are elected by God
There are three ways that the Thessalonians showed that they had been elected by God to be His. These are the characteristics are true in any person that calls himself or herself a follower of Christ. As you read them think of how true they are in your life. If they are not, take some time to acknowledge that to God and ask him to make you his true follower.
1. Receiving the gospel through the Holy Spirit vv. 4-5
“For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.” (NIV)
It was “our” gospel or good news that Paul shared. He knew that this gospel was something real that He had experienced. It cannot be shared if it is not something that is real in the life of the preacher.
For the Thessalonians to believe, there had to be someone to share the gospel with them. God used Paul. In Acts 17:2-3 we find that Paul taught them with the scriptures (the Old Testament) that Christ was the promised Messiah. This gospel was entrusted to Paul by God to share to the Gentiles.
“It came to you” means that it came to them because it was the Lord who commanded him.
The message that he shared was not human work. A person’s eloquence or non-eloquence cannot change anyone. Although words are necessary (the idea that if necessary you have to use words is wrong), it is not just words. The power that led them to receive the gospel was the Holy Spirit (v. 5b)
Only the power of the gospel, which is the power of God, transforms and turns people into followers of Christ. When the gospel is shared, God works through the Holy Spirit in the person’s life. This gospel is preached in “full certainty” or trust because it comes from God and it is God who works in the lives of the people who hear it.
Paul’s motivation was love for them (v. 5c).
Apart from the messenger who shares the message, from the power of the Holy Spirit acting, the motivation of those who preach it is important. Paul’s only motivation was to share with them the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did it not to plant a church, win their favor, or profit from them. He did so because he wanted them to know the Lord of glory, and the way he behaved before them was a living example of the transformation of the gospel.
The three elements in preaching the gospel are important: sharing the message with conviction with words, the power of the Spirit working in the messenger and those who listen, and the life of the messenger showing himself as an example.
Not only did the fact that they received the gospel preached by Paul through the Holy Spirit prove that they were converted but also
2. Believing the gospel with joy v. 6
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”
The Thessalonians believed the gospel. We see it in three results.
They followed the example of Paul and the Lord (v. 7a).
The Thessalonians, after believing in the gospel they followed Paul’s example in his life as a follower of Jesus. It is natural for the disciple who comes to believe through the “missionary”, to imitate him. That’s how discipleship works. It must be like this. Paul not only shared the gospel but was an example with his life to those who believed. Paul said he was a an imitator of Christ. The disciple imitates the Lord in his life and the disciples imitate him. This is the natural process. Therefore, both are imitating the Lord.
How many believers today have not been discipled, and there are others who have, but have been shown a bad example or learned the wrong teachings.
Received the word in the midst of tribulation v. 7b.
The second result that the Thessalonians were believers is that they received the word Paul taught them “in the midst of great tribulation.” In other words, by believing in Christ they experienced persecution from unbelieving Jews and others, but this affirmed even more in their faith.
It is one thing to believe in an environment full of acceptance and to believe in an environment that is antagonistic to the faith. Believers in countries where there is persecution understand exactly this. They experience persecution but remain faithful to the Lord. The believer is expected to experience persecution.
Received the word “with joy of the Holy Spirit” (v. 7c).
Not only did they believe in the midst of “great tribulation” or hardship, but they did so “with joy of the Holy Spirit.” It means that the Holy Spirit gave them joy in the midst of these difficult circumstances. This was another proof that they were truly converted to Christ. Only the converted to Christ has the power of the Holy Spirit to receive everything with joy, including persecution. The paradoxical thing is that the more tribulation the believer passes, the more joy he has and the more similarity to the Lord. The religious leaves his religion for his comfort when affliction or tribulation comes.
The Thessalonians proved that they were chosen by God because they received and believed the message of the gospel and finally,
3. Being an example to others in the way we believe (v. 7).
The way they accepted and believed the gospel was exemplary. Their testimony was an example (model) in other provinces. They had imitated Paul and his team, but now they, as a church, were a model for other believers. This implies that they were also active in communicating the gospel to others and their lives showed true faith, sacrificial love for others, and hope at the coming of Christ. What an amazing church!
We must pray that we become this kind of believer in Christ, that we become this type of church. I admit that I am often disappointed by the Church in general. Our testimony is appalling. People do not see that we are converted to the Lord because frankly, many are not. Many pretend or are not growing. People go to our worship meetings find inside what they do not lack in the world: lack of love, rivalry, gossip, selfishness, and even immorality. In spite of this, I am thankful that we have many that live the truth of God and are genuinely converted to Christ.
