Day 10: Grateful for the Greatest Gift of All!
13As for us, we always thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth. 14He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Did you notice that as Paul wrote these words to the Christians at Thessalonica that he gave thanks for two realities? First, he thanked God for the Thessalonian Christians, themselves. They were partners in the work, and “children” in the faith, as Paul and his “team” were the ones who had shared the Good News of Jesus with them. He also gave thanks that God chose the Thessalonian Christians to be among the first to experience salvation. While the first believers were Jews who lived in and around Jerusalem, the Thessalonian Christians were for the most part, “gentiles,” that is they were of non-Jewish origin. These believers were not second-class Christians, because they hadn’t been Jews before their conversion. Indeed, Paul reminds us that their salvation, “came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth.” Notice that the Holy Spirit has the primary role in our sanctification, that is in our becoming like Jesus, but they also had to believe in the truth. As I’ve often said when it comes to salvation—God does His part, and we do our part. We can’t will the Holy Spirit to come into our lives. We can only ask for Him to come, and when He comes, He transforms us into holy people. And yet, we must believe in the truth. Otherwise, we will never be transformed at all! We are, thus, grateful for the greatest gift of all—salvation—AND we are called to continue to grow in our belief in God’s truth. As we go about today, may we take the time to remember WHOSE we are—Jesus’—and give thanks for that amazing reality, and then let’s live into that reality by not only believing, but also living the truth.
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
When you think of God’s Church universal, for whom are you most thankful as Paul was thankful for the Thessalonian believers?
Take some time right now to ask God to fill you anew with the Holy Spirit that you may be holy and that your belief in the truth may grow ever deeper and stronger.