Tuesday, May 30, 2006
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
CALLED THROUGH THE GOSPEL
"Hey, stop what you're doing!" Many a parent has spoken these words while the child is running wildly through the house throwing toys around to the destruction of other things in the room. But children aren't the only ones who run around wildly leaving a damage trail in their wake. Adults do it too. Ask the Apostle Paul who once helped to kill God's preacher Stephen. Ask Zacchaeus who once was a thief and a cheat.
The fact is, every one of us from birth was running wild through the world -- wild in our sins. We can all say along with King David, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). Someone had to call to us too. Someone had to say, "Hey, stop what you're doing!" And someone did.
The Holy Spirit called to you. Using the voice of the Scriptures He said, "Stop! Come to Jesus and find rest for your souls!" The Spirit told us the answer to our sinful lives. It is the Christ whose death and resurrection cleanses us from all unrighteousness before God. The Holy Spirit called us out of the darkness of our unbelief to a life of faith and hope in our Savior -- that we too might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
