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Grace Bible Church 4000 E. Collins
Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717
(307) 686-1516 - Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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THE BLESSING OF BEING CHOSEN AND CALLED 2Th 2:13 (04/15/12) Grace Bible
Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl
Hilbert I.
PROTECTION FROM FALSE TEACHING (2Th 2:1-2) II. PRECURSORS TO
THE DAY OF THE LORD: THE APOSTACY (2Th 2:3) III. PERSON AND
PROGRAM OF THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS (2Th 2:4-12) IV. PRONOUNCEMENT
OF BLESSING UPON THE THESSALONIANS A. They were
Chosen from the Beginning for Salvation (13) 1. Paul
emphatically felt they “should” (present infinitive - ophei,lō
- obligated or indebted) continually give thanks to God for the Thessalonians. 2. They were to give thanks first because the Thessalonians were “beloved” (perfect passive participle - agapa,ō) by the Lord. 3. The reason they were beloved of the Lord was because they were chosen by God “for salvation” (ei,s sōtęri,an - unto or for the purpose of salvation). The Greek word for “chosen” is hei,lato, aorist middle - haire,ō which means to “prefer to take or choose for oneself” in the middle voice in the NT. a) Moses chose
for himself ill-treatment rather than sin (Heb 11:25) b) Joshua
exhorted the people to choose for themselves (LXX Jos 24:15). c) Paul was not
sure what to choose for himself (Phil 1:22). 4. The Concept of
God’s Election a) From the Greek word haire,omai = God’s choice by Himself in preference. (1) God chose Israel to be His people from His own preference (perfect middle - prohaire,ō, LXX, Deut 7:6; cp. Deut 26:18) b) From the Greek word ekle,gomai = God’s choice by Himself in selecting out from among others (Joh 15:16, 19; Act 15:22). (1) God “set His love” (prohaire,omai) on Israel and chose” (ekle,gomai) them to be His people (LXX, Deut 7:7-8). (2) God’s choice
is based on glorifying Him and not man (1Co 1:27-28). c) From the Greek
word eklektos = the elect
recipients of God’s choice for Himself. (1) The elect are
those who are selected by God from the world (Mat 22:14). (2) The elect are
those who will obtain salvation by God’s selection (2Ti 2:10; Rom 8:33). (3) The elect are
those who come to the truth by God’s selection (2Jo 1:1). 5. God’s Election
for Salvation was from the Beginning a) The Thessalonians
were chosen from the “beginning” (aparchę,n). The Greek word is normally translated “first-fruits”
but since they were not the first-fruits of Paul’s converts, the meaning is
better rendered “from the beginning” (as
in ap, archęs). b) This is a
concept consistent with Paul’s teaching in Eph 1:4, which contains the word ekle,gomai (“select
out”). It shows that God’s choice is independent from man because it took
place “from the foundation of the world.” 6. God’s Election
is brought about by the Spirit. a) God’s election
is made certain by the “Spirit” in
the work of sanctification. b) “Sanctification” is the process by
which the Spirit saves (Heb 10:10), grows (Joh 17:17; 2Ti 2:21), perseveres
(Eph 4:30), and perfects the believer in heaven (Eph 5:27). 7. God’s Election
is the cause of the Believer’s Faith. a) God’s election provides the grace of “faith” in Christ’s work on the cross
(Eph 2:5). b) The believer
is saved only when he exercises his faith by God’s grace “in the truth” of Christ’s atonement
(Eph 2:8). V.
OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS A. God’s election should make the believer stable and secure in his faith. (last week resurrection 1Co 15:58) B. Believers are
to be so grounded in the grace of God that they are never discouraged from
continuing in ministering in word and deed. C. Understanding and teaching the doctrine of salvation is to be of utmost importance in the church. |
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