Do you stream or watch reality competitions? I’m thinking of sports, athletic competitions, survival, baking, or cooking shows. For some inexplicable reason, I like cooking competitions. Maybe it’s because I learn about exotic foods or food trends. (It’s not because I cook.) My favorite programs are the ones in which professional chefs have to create restaurant-quality dishes in a limited amount of time with a limited number of assigned ingredients. And of those, the most interesting to me are those where the chef has to make one ingredient the “star” of the dish. That ingredient has to be most prominent in the finished entree. Some chefs make the mistake of highlighting other ingredients while others add too many and the dish becomes confusing. Where am I going with this? As believers, adopted by God and made beloved Christ-centered creatures, we are called to make the gospel the “star” of our lives—in our speech, conduct, desires, choices, and relationships. In other words, the gospel is to be the most important thing about us, that others will see, experience, and desire for themselves. But, to do that, we must remember that we are made new by the gospel, live by it, and share the gospel blessing with others. God makes the gospel known externally through preaching and teaching and internally through the work of the Holy Spirit for repentance. At conversion, we are completely reconciled to God, enjoying our unity with Christ through God’s grace and mercy alone. The most important takeaway from this year’s devotions must be that we remember and live the gospel despite all the distractions and “other ingredients” in this life. We know this, but do we remember?
What We Know
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a)” The apostle calls the Gospel “our Gospel,” not because he and his fellow ministers were the authors of it; for in this respect it is solely of God, being the produce of his wisdom and grace, and by the revelation of Jesus Christ, hence he calls it the Gospel of God in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 nor because they were the subject of it, for they preached not themselves, but a crucified Christ, and him only, though it was a stumbling-block to some, and foolishness to others…it came to them not in word only; it did come in word, it could not come without words, there is no interpreting of Scripture, no preaching of the Gospel, nor hearing of it without words, without articulate sounds [and]…The apostle was a powerful preacher, and his ministry was confirmed by signs and wonders and mighty deeds; but from neither of these could he conclude the election of these people: but the preaching of the Gospel was accompanied with the powerful efficacy of the grace of God, working by it upon them; so that it became the power of God unto salvation to them; it came to them in the demonstration of the Spirit of God, and of power, quickening them who were dead in trespasses, and sin, enlightening their dark understandings, unstopping their deaf ears, softening their hard hearts, and delivering them from the slavery of sin and Satan; from whence it clearly appeared that they were the chosen of God, and precious: and in the Holy Ghost; the Gospel was not only preached under the influence, and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and attended with his extraordinary gifts for the confirmation of it…but it came by the power of the Holy Spirit to their souls, working and implanting his graces in them.” (1) “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4) “This gracious act on God’s part results in [our] ‘belief in the truth’ and works itself out in [our] lives. According to Paul, the elect will not continue to live in a godless fashion after they are converted.” (2) God adopts us and makes us beloved Christ-centered creatures through the preaching of the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit, eternally forgiven and reconciled to Him. But do we remember that we are made new by the gospel? Do we live by and share the gospel blessing with others? Do we participate in Christ’s joy to see God’s family grow?
God Preserves the Gospel in Us
” 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.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) “When we hear of the apostasy of many, it is a great comfort and joy, that there is a remnant according to the election of grace, which does and shall persevere; especially we should rejoice, if we have reason to hope that we are of that number. The preservation of the saints is because God loved them with an everlasting love, from the beginning of the world. The end and the means must not be separated. Faith and holiness must be joined together as well as holiness and happiness. The outward call of God is by the gospel; and this is rendered effectual by the inward working of the Spirit. The belief of the truth brings the sinner to rely on Christ, and so to love and obey him; it is sealed by the Holy Spirit upon his heart…Let us then stand fast in the doctrines taught by the apostles, and reject all additions, and vain traditions.” (3) The “inward” call of God is “sometimes referred to as “irresistible grace”…[it] is irresistible in the sense that God sovereignly brings about its desired result…This sovereign work of grace is resistible in the sense that we can and do resist it in our fallen nature, but irresistible in the sense that God’s grace prevails over our natural resistance to it…Effectual calling refers to a call of God…[refers to] the secret work of quickening or regeneration accomplished in the souls of the elect by the immediate supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit. It effects or works the inward change of the disposition, inclination, and desire of the soul…Everyone who is effectually called is now disposed to God and responds in faith. We see, then, that faith itself is a gift from God, having been given in the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. The preaching of the gospel represents the outward call of God. This call is heard audibly by both the elect and the nonelect. Human beings have the ability to resist and refuse the outward call. He will not respond to the outward call in faith unless or until the outward call is accompanied by the effectual inward call of the Holy Spirit…by which we are brought to spiritual life.” (4)
New Creations, New Life
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians (5:17-19) “This radically altered view of people is a revolution the New Order brings about, this New Order which is both God’s doing and characteristic of God Himself. He is the one who in His love for others was reconciling the world to Himself, and who has ordained the proclamation of this reconciliation through us His messengers…the old order has gone and the new order has come, i.e. there is a partial realization of the hope of new heavens and new earth. In this context, the new is specifically seen in the changed outlook on people, and the change from self-interest to life-for-others.” (5) “Because Christ is the “last Adam,” the one in whom humanity is re-created and who inaugurates the new age of messianic blessing, the believer’s spiritual union with Christ is nothing less than participation in the “new creation” (Gal. 6:15).” (6) God adopts us and makes us beloved Christ-centered creatures through the preaching of the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit, eternally forgiven and reconciled to Him. We do well to remember that we are made new by the gospel, without anything added to it (such as our works). Do we live by and share the gospel blessing with others joyfully as God’s family grows? God combines all the “ingredients” of the gospel—redemption, atonement, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification—to be the shining, winning “star” of our Christian lives. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)
Related Scripture: Psalm 32:2; Isaiah 43:18-19; 45:3; 65:17; Ezekiel 37:23; Zechariah 4:6; Romans 4:8; 6:4; 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 2:4; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:10; Colossians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 5:5–11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 20:12-15.
Notes
1. Gill, John, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/geb/1-thessalonians-1.html
2. The Reformation Study Bible, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.
3. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, —2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/2-thessalonians-2.html
4. Reformation Study Bible, “Effectual Calling” Article, Ibid.
5. Zondervan Bible Commentary, F. F. Bruce General Editor, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, One-Volume Illustrated Digital Edition.
6. Reformation Study Bible Notes, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Ibid.
May 30, 2024
Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin 