Chosen

“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 ESV)

 

Because the Lord is God, and because he’s all-powerful, it is clear to us that he is sovereign. It’s clear to us that no one can impose his will upon him. And it’s clear that he is in control of all things.

 

This is true also when it comes to our eternal destiny. Scripture similarly speaks to us of predestination. It tells us that we, as believers, have been chosen by God to obtain his blessings. It tells us that we have been chosen by God as recipients of his salvation.

 

This, however, raises some questions, especially when it comes to his redemption. It raises some questions as Scripture is clear that God desires for all to be saved. And it’s clear that he is the propitiation, or that he’s the atoning sacrifice, for the sin of the whole world.

 

This being true, God cannot arbitrarily choose some to be saved and others to be damned. He cannot ordain that some will spend eternity in hell with no chance of obtaining forgiveness.  How, then, are those truths reconciled?

 

This confusion is explained away in the above passage. Paul says that he chose us as the first fruits of those who are being saved. Here, we see the element of God’s sovereignty and his divine will. But we’re told also how we are chosen. It’s explained to us on what basis we are chosen.

 

He tells us, first of all, that we are chosen through sanctification by the Spirit. And to be sanctified means to be made holy. So, we are chosen as we are made holy by the Holy Spirit.

 

This reminds us that we play no role in our salvation. It tells us that the work necessary for our salvation is performed by God. And it leads us to trust not in ourselves, but in God, for this great blessing.

 

He tells us also that we are chosen to be saved through belief in the truth. As most of us know, we receive the grace of God through faith in Jesus. And our faith is the basis of God’s choice.

 

What I mean is this: God has chosen for salvation those who trust in Christ. He has chosen for salvation those who believe the gospel. He has chosen for salvation those who, in this way, receive the blessings he’s graciously made available to all people.