“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10, ESV)
Beloved,
Perhaps no other area of modern faith life deserves more attention than the area of God’s work in salvation. Virtually every area of systematic theology must intersect this singular tenant in some fashion. God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are the initiators, providers and finishers of salvation. The Scriptures speak to salvation’s reality. Anthropology shows the utter falleness of mankind resulting in the need for salvation while one’s view of salvation will influence who is or is not the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The doctrines of salvation are the warp and woof of God’s revelation of Himself to His creation. The richness of the Apostles words to the Thessalonians speaks of the deepest depths of God’s Eternal Covenant, Christ’s penal substitution and the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, but all are brought to bear on the hearts of those who once served dead idols. Now, by the grace of God they have abandoned their previous folly and live to serve the one, true, living God. Not only this but the accept everyday’s struggle with the expectation of what God has in store for them not only in this temporal frame but in the last day. The focus is not the evacuation of the believer but rather the grace necessary to face the “giants” in the land. Listen to the words of holy writ,
“And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:6–9, ESV)
Joshua and Caleb did not disagree with the report of the other spies. The land was abundant, the people were fierce but God had promised. This is the power of God’s salvation. It is the power to change not circumstances but the one who faces those circumstances. The power not to take away all vestiges of fear but strengthen the one who is fearful to act with courage. This is what Paul meant when he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”(Romans 1:16–17, ESV)
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