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THE BLESSING OF BEING CHOSEN AND CALLED (Pt. 2)
2Th 2:14-17 (04/22/12)
Grace Bible
Church, Gillette, Wyoming
Pastor Daryl
Hilbert
- CHOSEN FROM THE
BEGINNING FOR SALVATION (13)
A. Paul
emphatically felt they “should” (present infinitive - ophei,lō
- obligated or indebted) continually give thanks to God for the Thessalonians.
B. They were to give thanks first because the
Thessalonians were “beloved” (perfect passive participle - agapa,ō) by
the Lord.
C. The reason they were beloved of the Lord was because
they were chosen by God “for salvation”
(ei,s
sōtêri,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.
1. Moses chose
for himself ill-treatment rather than sin (Heb 11:25)
2. Joshua
exhorted the people to choose for themselves (LXX Jos 24:15).
3. Paul was not
sure what to choose for himself (Phil 1:22).
4. God chose
Israel to be His people and set His love on them from His own preference (perfect middle - prohaire,ō, LXX,
Deut 7:6-7; cp. Deut 26:18)
D. God’s
Election for Salvation was from the Beginning
1. The
Thessalonians were chosen from the “beginning”
(aparchê,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, archês).
2. 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.”
E. God’s
Election is brought about by the Spirit.
1. God’s
election is made certain by the “Spirit”
in the work of sanctification.
2. “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).
F. God’s
Election is the cause of the Believer’s Faith.
1. God’s election provides the grace of “faith” in Christ’s work on the cross
(Eph 2:5).
2. The believer
is saved only when he exercises his faith by God’s grace “in the truth” of Christ’s atonement
(Eph 2:8).
- CALLED EFFECTUALLY
FOR GLORY IN CHRIST (14)
A. God works out
that which He has predestined from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:11). If
He chose the elect to salvation, then He would indeed “call” (aorist active -
kale,ō) them effectually and draw them
(called” - Rom 8:30; 1Co 1:26; 1Th 5:24; 2Pe 1:3; Jud 1:1; “draw” - Joh 6:37, 44).
1. … Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby
convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge
of Christ and renewing our wills, He persuades and enables us to embrace
Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel (WSC 31).
2. The Bible
teaches a general call to all men (Mat 22:14; Joh 3:16) but also an effectual
call which by definition means that this call will have God’s desired effect
of salvation (1Co 1:23-24; 1Pe 2:9).
3. Effectual
Calling
a) God
effectually called the elect into a complete salvation (Ro 8:30).
b) God’s
effectual call is not based on the merits of man (1Co 1:26).
c) God’s
effectual call is efficacious and cannot be resisted (1Th 5:24).
d) God’s
effectual call results in a changed life (1Pe 1:15; 2Pe 1:3).
e) God
effectually called those He chose to love and keep (Jude 1:1)
(1) . This, as every time the divine call is
mentioned in the NT, refers to God’s effectual call of His chosen ones to
salvation ... The God who calls will also bring those whom He calls to glory
and none will be lost. (MacArthur Study Bible in 1Th 5:24)
B. It is “through [the] gospel” that God calls
the elect. The elect hear the gospel and believe because they are divinely
called by Him and no one can thwart Him.
C. God not only
effectually calls the elect for salvation, but He does so that they persevere
to the end that they “gain glory”
(i.e. are glorified). This is called the “perseverance of the saints” or
“eternal security” and is demonstratively taught in Scripture
1. God completes the work in the elect. (Phil 1:6)
2. None of the elect will be lost. (Joh 6:37, 39, 44)
3. No one is able to remove the elect from God. (Joh
10:28-29)
4. Nothing is able to sever the elect from God (Rom
8:28- 39)
5. The Father keeps the elect. (Jude 1:1, 24)
6. The Son is the Advocate of the elect. (1Jo 2:1)
7. The Spirit seals the elect. (Eph 4:30)
- COMMANDED TO STAND
FIRM IN THE TRUTH (15)
A. Since God has
chosen them, called them, and secured them, the Thessalonians were to “stand firm” (present imperative - stêkō - stand, stand firm, be steadfast; lit. “you must keep on
standing firm”).
B. They were to
keep holding to the “traditions” (paradosis - hand over or hand down, i.e. teaching
and instruction), not the traditions of men but traditional orthodox
teaching “taught” by the apostles.
This traditional orthodox teaching was handed down by “word of mouth” (apostles teaching in person) or by a “letter” (epistolê
- Eng. “epistle”, i.e. The epistle to the Thessalonians etc.) from the
apostles.
- COMFORTED ETRNALLY
BY THE GRACE OF CHRIST (16)
A. In a
prayerful benediction Paul prays that “the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself” (emphatic
auto,s) and “God the
Father” will give them eternal comfort. This is another example of the
deity of Christ who divinely dispenses eternal comfort as only God can.
B. The reference
to “who loved us” would support
the idea of God choosing for Himself and setting His love upon them.
C. “Eternal comfort” (para,klêsin aiōni,an) is the comfort a believer receives eternally in heaven
after being glorified. But this hope begins the moment the drawn believer to
trust in Christ. If a believer could lose his salvation, if the Father could
not keep him secure in Christ, then it would not be an eternal hope.
D. For this
reason it is the believer’s “good
hope,” (elpi,da agathê,n) a hope that
is real and comes to eternal fruition because of God’s saving “grace.”
- COMFORTED IN HEART
AND STRENGTHENED IN GOOD WORKS (17)
A. It is Paul’s
prayer that such hope would literally “comfort
their hearts” (“comfort” - parakale,ō - called alongside, i.e encourage; “the hearts of
them”- humō,n ta,s kardi,as)
B. In addition,
such hope would literally “strengthen (stêri,zō - set up or fix immovable) them in every good work and word.”
C. In essence,
the prayer is for the Thessalonians to be so grounded in the grace of God
that they are never discouraged from continuing in ministering in word and
deed.
D. In spite of
persecution and rumors that the Day of the Lord had already come, their
election and security was to bring them comfort and strength.
VI.
OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
A.
God’s
election should make the believer stable and secure in his faith no matter
what circumstances he is experiencing (trials, persecutions, false teaching,
etc.)
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 (cp. 1Co 15:58).
C.
Understanding
and teaching the doctrine of salvation is to be of utmost importance in the
Church not only for salvation but for the encouragement and stability in
ministry.
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