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HIS chapter has a phrase in it that caught me off guard as I read it today. Read it for yourself, "We give thanks to Gad always for you... knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God" (1st Thessalonians 1:2-4). Many times, I have been guilty of saying that I don't know who is saved and who isn't. I've heard other preachers say the same thing. And, while our motive may be honest & humble, the statement is not altogether biblical. What we should say is that there are some people who claim to be saved; who fool themselves (and others) about their spiritual condition but are as lost as the devil himself. What we could say is that we may doubt some people’s salvation, yet they are as secure as Samson, Samuel or David; as genuine as Peter, Paul or John. However, if we are to take Paul's words at face value, there are believers who have such strong outward evidence of their inward faith that we actually & honestly do not wonder at all about their election. Like Paul said concerning the Thessalonians, sometime you just know. You can know that you are saved. And, according to Paul, you can know if I'm saved too.
This letter came from Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. These three ministers of the gospel obviously felt completely confident concerning the conversion of the Thessalonians. Their "work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope" was unmistakable and unforgettable. The power of God and the presence of the Spirit of God were evident in their lives (1st Thessalonians 1:5).
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