1 Thessalonians1:4

4 "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,..."

Paul addresses the Thessalonian believers as brothers. Does this mean that he was only speaking to male recipients of his letter? Not at all. The Greek word used for brother (adelphoi) is used to refer to the brothers and sisters in a family. Since it is plural, there's no reason to doubt that Paul is addressing ALL of the believers in the Thessalonian church. But why call these people brothers or sisters? Were any of them actually related to Paul, Silas, or Timothy. I don't think we can know, but it is reasonable to assume that ALL of them were not their physical brothers and sisters. So what gives? Even though Paul is not teaching directly about God's family in this verse, it DOES tell us a little something about it. All who have trusted in Christ as the Lord of their lives are adelphoi  [brothers and sisters] in the family of God. If God has saved YOU, then you are a brother or sister of EVERYONE He has saved! John 1:9-13ESV tells us,

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in this name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

All "who believed in his name" are now the children of God. My immediate family is relatively small. My extended family is huge (dad is one of 11 and mom is one of 9). Either way, I rejoice because the family I have as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is as many as the sand on the seashore! (cf. Gen 22:17) Even though I hail from sunny Southern California, and I have no physical siblings in the cities I've lived in outside of California, I have brothers and sisters in Christ from Louisville and Cincy who love me the same! We have the same Father in heaven! The same Savior and God! What a blessing God has given His children!

And Paul goes on to tell these brothers that they are "loved by God." I will most likely post on God's love in the future, but for now, it almost goes without saying that God loves people. Most Christians call Love His chief attribute. Just about everyone knows John 3:16, "For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His one and only Son...." So Paul is reminding the Thessalonian believers that they are the beloved children of God.

[sound of "can of worms" opening]

Verse 4 of 1 Thess. 1 says, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,...."

In case I didn't mention it before, I have been quoting from the ESV. NASB says, "...his choice of you." HCSB says, "...knowing your election...." NKJV says, "Knowing, beloved brethren, your election...." NIV reads, "...he has chosen you...."   The Greek word is eklogen, and means choice, selection, election. So, why would this be opening a can of worms? What does it mean that God has chosen someone? Does God chose anyone? When the Bible speaks of election, it is speaking of God choosing people for salvation. The reason this becomes a "can of worms" is that God doesn't choose everyone for salvation.
 This may be very difficult for some to accept, but it IS taught in the Holy Bible. Look at Eph1, Rom 8 and 9, John 6, and many, many other passages. What I will do is finish some thoughts on 1 Thess 1:4 and then take a detour for the purpose of giving more explanation of God's election.

Paul tells his readers that he and his co-authors know that God has chosen them. The following verses tell us why this is so. For now, remember that if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have repented of your sin, YOU are a BROTHER or SISTER to everyone who has done the same! Know, also, that you are loved by God! And as we shall see in an upcoming post, God has chosen you for this great salvation!
Remember, God is all Sovereign and stuff...

1 Thessalonians1:1-3

1 "Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
      To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace."

As we have already seen, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are listed first as the authors of this letter which is addressed to the Thessalonians. The church of the Thessalonians is said to be "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." What does this mean? Are churches today "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?" There are countless churches and denominations that exist today. But only a body of believers who embrace the fullness of the Gospel and all that the Bible teaches can be said to truly be "in God" or "in Christ." As we continue reading in this letter, we will see some of the evidence that Paul bases this statement on. To believe the Gospel unites believers in a special way with God the Father and with the Lord Jesus Christ- and Paul tells us in v. 5 that the Holy Spirit is all part of this too. So believers have a special union with the Triune God. We are In God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ, all by the power of the Holy Spirit!
Then Paul gives one of his customary greetings: "Grace to you and peace." Both grace and peace are spiritual blessings from God. Paul is expressing his desire that God's unmerited favor (grace) and God's peace (not being at war with God) be with the recipients of his letter. If you have believed in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have received God's grace! AND you are no longer at war with God (yes, apart from Christ, humans are at war with God- they are His enemies)- so as a believer you are at peace with God (Rom 8:1). This is all part of the Good News that we call the Gospel!

2 "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now Paul starts his encouragement of the Thessalonian believers. He and Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy give thanks to God for them. They tell them that they have kept them in their prayers and that they remember their work of faith, labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in the Lord. Do you remember hearing these three attributes listed together anywhere else? It's in another of the New Testament letters written by Paul. Yes, 1 Corinthians 13! Paul spoke to the Corinthian believers of the great way of love in this chapter and he ends by saying, "So now faith, hope and love abide (remain), these three; but the greatest of these is love" (v.13). Basically, Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians that he has seen in them the greatest gifts/attributes that Christians can have. Now I will ask myself this as I ask you: can others say this of you (me)? That is, do you (do I) excel at loving God and others? Do you (do I) have faith in God by believing all that He has revealed to us in the Scriptures and do you and I have faith in Him that he lovingly controls every aspect of our lives? Do you (do I) have a certainty that God will bring all things to their appointed end in order to bring glory to Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ? That last question is a question about hope; is your (my) hope in God?
Please don't gloss over these questions lightly. I must not gloss over them either. These are godly attributes that Paul and his companions saw working powerfully in the lives of the Thessalonians. These are godly attributes that Paul had challenged the Corinthians to excel in. And by extension, these are godly attributes that WE must excel in. These qualities are cultivated in us as God sanctifies us (as He makes us more and more like His Son, Jesus). When Jesus prayed for believers (and all who would become believers -you and me) in John17, He asked the Father, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (v.17).

So how can we begin to even scratch the surface of becoming godly in the way that Paul describes here? We must immerse ourselves in the Word of God! His word is truth. In it, we have all that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...."

As we begin our study of 1 Thessalonians, let us be encouraged to live lives of holiness to God. As Paul instructs his readers, let us be instructed as well. In this, we will be spending time in the Truth that God uses to sanctify us.

Introduction to 1 Thessalonians

I have begun a study on First Thessalonians for personal growth. I'm not promising any new insights or even anything particularly deep; I just plan on thinking and studying through this book in a public forum.

So who wrote this letter? The first line of the letter tells us, "Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy." Simple enough. Paul wrote much of the New Testament and Silvanus (or Silas) and Timothy were his close associates. All were servants or disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Timothy was like a son to Paul and is included as a co-author of sorts in other letters (Philippians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians) and there are two letters addressed to him that bear his name (1 & 2 Timothy). Silas was a close companion of Paul and traveled with him on his missionary journeys. He is also included as co-author of 2 Thessalonians.  But why would Paul include Silvanus and Timothy as co-authors of 1 & 2 Thessalonians?

Timothy had been a frequent travelling companion of Paul and may have been with Paul and Silas when they ministered in Thessalonica. Acts 16 tells us that Timothy joined Paul in Lystra. Shortly after this, Paul received a vision from the Holy Spirit to minister in Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). Soon, Paul and Silas spent time in a Philippian Jail. After their release, they made their way through many cities and found themselves in Thessalonica. Although Timothy is not mentioned as part of their group, it is possible that he was with them. Acts 17 tells us that Paul and Silas reasoned with the Jews in the city for "three Sabbath days." Some Jews believed in Jesus as well as "a great many of the devout Greeks." God blessed their ministry there as many people began to follow the Lord. The Jews who did not believe opposed them there and stirred up trouble for them so that Paul and Silas were "sent away" by the believers, most likely to protect them. In answer to my question, Paul most likely included Timothy and Silas as co-authors because the Thessalonian believers would have known them and the two may have contributed in some way to the writing of the letter (and Paul often wrote using a scribe).

Why did Paul write to this group of believers? We will see as we journey through this letter that Paul wanted to encourage them in the faith. He had sent Timothy to visit and strengthen them in the faith (1 Thess 3:1-6) and to find out how they were doing. He thanks God for them and instructs them in many matters. A major theme in this letter is the coming of the Lord.

With this brief introduction, let's start digging into God's word! Feel free to post comments if something seems unclear or if you think I haven't addressed something. I may not be able to respond right away, but I'll always make an effort to answer any questions.

Oh, just so you know- I have a couple of sources for my study: cross references in my Bible (using Scripture to interpret Scripture); the ESV Study Bible; the New Geneva Study Bible; Matthew Henry's Commentary; the Bible Knowledge Commentary; various online resources...[John Calvin's commentaries, John Gill's commentaries, sermons from various teachers]

I pray that God will draw me closer to Himself as I study His holy word. As you read and study along, may He do the same for you.

God Working in our Lives

 Have you ever made plans in life and things not turn out the way you think they should have? Silly question, I know. We've all had this experience. Sometimes the things we plan for our lives are huge desires that we think would make everything just perfect. So why do these plans so often fail? Doesn't God tell us, "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." (Ps. 37:4 NAS)?? If I had a dollar for every time MY DESIRES were NOT given to me!!

 So WHY doesn't God give us all of our desires? Based on the above verse, there is a prerequisite to God giving us the desires of our hearts: "DELIGHT yourself in the LORD." How many times can you say that you have truly DELIGHTED in God?? I can't count on one hand for myself. That is, most of the time I delight in things OTHER than GOD all the while wondering why I haven't been given my heart's desires. Don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that this verse contains a magical formula where all you have to do is "delight" in God and BAM! you've got a new car or a new job! The Apostle John said that if we ask according to His will, He hears us(1 Jn 5:14) But how do we know His will? Oh boy, I may have opened a can of worms here. Let me just say that YES, God has a plan. But it is not our job to KNOW every single detail of it. He has revealed much to us IN THE SCRIPTURES. But he has not made known to most of us what will happen tomorrow or next week in our particular situations. Moses told us in Deuteronomy 29:29 , "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever..." (NAS). Bottom line: What God has clearly revealed to us (i.e. THE BIBLE) is for us to know. Those things that have not been revealed to us (the secret things) are for the Lord to know and for HIM to work out.
 Friends, trust the Lord in all of your life. Especially when things aren't going the way you had hoped. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Ephesians 1:11 says, "...we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will..." So even though your life may not seem to be going well, rest assured: God is working out His plan. If you love God and are called according to His purpose ( that is, you've believed and embraced the Gospel), then God is working all of the things in your life for good.

Remember, God is all Sovereign and stuff...

Just an SMS text test...

I'm playing with the SMS feature so I can post from my phone. Not sure how often I'll use this since I'm limited to 160 characters. But it's worth a try...

A Kid with a big heart gives a lesson in Prayer

I was driving home from work last night listening to the radio. I listen to all kinds of stuff on the radio, but last night Iwas listening to CCM. The DJ played a call he got from a young listener. The boy must have been between 11 and 15 from the sound of his voice. He was by no means eloquent. Yet, his call revealed that he has a big heart. He called to ask for prayer for a friend. His friend is going through hard times. The friend's father is in the military deployed in combat. The mom just lost her job and now they are about to lose their house. The friend is distraught, and this boy cared enough to call a Christian radio station to ask for prayer. The DJ asked him if he'd like to pray for his friend and he did. So this young, caring, believing, non-eloquent young man prayed for his friend on-air. It really touched my heart.

It made me think about how many times my friends ask me for prayer and I tell them that I will gladly pray for them- and then I forget! God has told us to come to Him in prayer. Hebrews tells us that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence." Jesus told us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. I share all of this to encourage you to be people of prayer. The Lord who made the heavens and the earth cares. He INVITES us to approach Him. If you have placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will hear you. No request is too insignificant. Remember, God is all Sovereign and stuff...

God is all Sovereign...

I've always wanted to start a blog. But the main thing stopping me has always been the thought: "who cares what I think!!!"  Well, I'm still of the same mindset, but I've decided to blog anyways in order to publically think through life, God, and all things.

Why the name, "God is all Sovereign?" This is essentially my motto in life. As I've studied the Bible throughout the years, one truth keeps screaming at me- namely the truth that God is Sovereign over ALL things. That means that life,death, good, evil, happiness, sorrow, wealth, poverty, good times,  bad times, natural disasters,...EVERYTHING...all things happen according to the will of God. My random ramblings are all part of His plan. This does not excuse ANYONE from responsiblilty for their actions- certainly not me. I am a sinful man redeemed by God's amazing grace. I make mistakes and they are MY mistakes. I sin and it is MY sin. I call myself a "supralapsarian baptist." Those of you with a theological background shouldn't automatically assume that I am a hyper-calvinist. I am not. I share the gospel, and I know that the Bible commands me to share the gospel with Everyone. I know that I will post more on this topic in the future, so I will move on for now.

[Edit 4/25/2019: I am not a hyper-calvinist in the sense that most would intend the term. Most would mean someone who doesn't share the gospel or someone who believes in a sort of fate. But I believe that God is absolutely over All. That includes evil. Not ONE thing happens apart from God's will. I accept equal-ultimacy as biblical. God has never "permitted" anything. He has decreed every single thing that comes to pass. That I believe this way may cause some to label me as "hyper." So be it. But please do not build up a straw man. I will always go to the Word as the final authority. -rA]

I'm planning to post things from every aspect of life on this blog, but because the Bible and Jesus Christ are so much a part of who I am, I wouldn't be surprised to see most of my posts centered on the Bible and Jesus Christ.

When you question what in the world is going on in this world, remember: God is all Sovereign and stuff...