How does 1 Thessalonians 1:4 connect with Ephesians 1:4 on being chosen? our secure standing: “He has chosen you” (1 Thessalonians 1:4) • “Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you” • Paul speaks of a real, objective act of God—no guesswork, no mere wish. • “Chosen” (eklogē) points to God’s deliberate selection, not human self-appointment. before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) • “For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love” • Ephesians supplies the time-frame and purpose: – Time: before creation began. – Sphere: “in Him,” bound to Christ. – Goal: holiness and blamelessness. • Together, the two verses show the same choosing—1 Thessalonians stresses its certainty, Ephesians stresses its eternity. connecting threads between the letters 1. Divine initiative – John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” – Romans 9:16 “So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” 2. Covenant love – Both verses link election with love (“beloved by God,” “in love”). 3. Purposeful transformation – 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “God chose you as firstfruits to be saved, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” – Election is never bare theology; it produces visible holiness (1 Thessalonians 1:3 “work of faith, labor of love, endurance of hope”). evidence that confirms the call (1 Thessalonians 1:5–6) • Powerful gospel preaching in the Spirit. • Joyful reception amid affliction. • Changed lives that echo Christ’s example. These fruits reassure the Thessalonians—and us—that the eternal choice of Ephesians 1:4 is active and observable now. father, son, and spirit in election • The Father plans (Ephesians 1:4). • The Son secures (“in Him”). • The Spirit applies (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:2). living in the comfort of being chosen • Rest: our salvation roots in God’s timeless decision, not shifting feelings. • Responsibility: holiness is the designed outcome; living otherwise contradicts our identity. • Reassurance: visible growth and perseverance testify that the choice is real (Philippians 1:6). summary list: how 1 Thessalonians 1:4 and Ephesians 1:4 fit together – Same chooser: God the Father. – Same subjects: beloved believers. – Same sphere: in Christ. – Same timing: before creation (stated in Eph, assumed in 1 Th). – Same confirmation: holy living through the Spirit. |
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