2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 brings together what the Lord has done for us, our response,
and what His expectation for us is as Kingdom Labourers.
(NKJV)
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for
you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for
salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you
by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren,
stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or
our epistle.
(TLB)
13 But we must forever give thanks to God for you, our
brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose from the very first to give you
salvation, cleansing you by the work of the Holy Spirit and by your
trusting in the Truth. 14 Through
us he told you the Good News. Through us he called you to share in the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 With all
these things in mind, dear brothers, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the
truth that we taught you in our letters and during the time we were with you.
Prayer
As Kingdom Labourers, we need a revelation of being God's divine choice for salvation so that we would not be careless with what He wants to achieve through us.
- Thank God for making us His choice for salvation.
- Thank Him for loving us and for setting us apart for sanctification.
- Thank Him for the faithfulness to complete our sanctification – spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
His
work of mercy brought the truth to us and caused us to believe. It is also His
work of mercy that will establish us in it and help us to stand firm and keep a
strong grip on the truth we have been taught.
- Thank him for His mercy that brought the truth of the gospel to us.
- Pray that what mercy has started, mercy will complete; that God will establish us in this truth and make us stand fast.
God has called us through the gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through us, He wants to do His work – which is to reconcile men to God, to bring many sons to glory.
- Pray that we would not miss the reason why He set us apart unto the truth of the gospel. Instead we will share in His glory.
- Ask Him to help us carry His life us as real Kingdom Labourers and to co-operate with His plan, because of the glory He has in store for us.
To be His divine choice is not a matter to be taking lightly. It’s ‘according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved’ ( Ephesians 1:5-6) so we must not be careless with it. When the gospel came to Paul by revelation, this was his response:
Galatians 1:15-24 (NKJV)
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
… 24 And they glorified God in me.
- Ask the Lord to Reveal His Son in us afresh and equip us with a scope for the revival labour He has called us into by mercy, so that we are not careless with the revelation of the truth.
- Ask for grace to be fruitful and to multiply the life of Christ in those in our field of labour and that God will be glorified in us.
