1 Thess.1:3] Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
[4] Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
[5] For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
[6] And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
Oftentimes, around this time of year, many people are preparing to cast their votes in upcoming elections. They have candidates they desire to vote for, agendas they want fulfilled, and political views they want represented. They carefully consider which candidate will best meet their expectations, goals, and interests. That is the candidate they desire to elect into office.
But when it comes to the Kingdom of God, or should I say, the government of God, there is an election that ought to be of far greater concern to us as believers. That is our election of God and what it means to be the elect of God.
The question we must consider is this: Are we giving the same attention to our heavenly election that so many people give to earthly elections?
Oftentimes, many Christians do not fully recognize or understand the significance of their election in Christ. Their attention is primarily focused on the fact that they have been justified unto eternal life, saved from the debt and penalty of sin, and are no longer in Adam but now in Christ.
These are wonderful and essential truths. However, there is a life that God desires us to live in Christ beyond simply understanding that we have been delivered from the penalty of sin.
God desires that we “may know what is the hope of His calling,” and bring forth fruit, glory, and honor unto Him as His sons and daughters in Christ.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Our election is not something that should merely occupy our understanding concerning only salvation. It ought to influence the way we live, the things we desire, the things we pursue, and where we set our affection.
1. Understanding the Importance of Our Heavenly Election
1 Thessalonians 1:4
“For we know, brethren beloved, your election of God.” — KJV
Notice the language of the Apostle Paul: “Your election of God.”
Paul was not simply addressing the fact that these believers had received the gospel. He goes on in the following verses to speak about the ‘proving’ of their faith, their labor of love, their patience of hope, and their example to others.
This helps us understand that our calling in Christ has practical implications for the life we ought to live.
Moreover, we ought to recognize that God has a purpose for His people. We are not merely called to understand what we have been saved from; we must also understand what we have been called unto.
As the elect of God, our lives ought to reflect His character, His love, His purpose, and His glory.
2. Set Your Affection on Things Above
Colossians 3:1–2
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” — KJV
Notice that Paul directs the attention of believers toward things above.
If we have been raised with Christ, our interests, desires, and affections ought to be directed toward the things that are associated with our heavenly position in Him.
This does not mean that we ignore every earthly responsibility. Rather, it means that earthly interests and “the affairs of this life” must never become greater than our Father’s purpose and government in heavenly places.
Our affection ought to be governed by the Spiritual things of God alone.
We must ask ourselves:
What occupies our thoughts? It ought to be the Word alone.
What are we pursuing? It ought to be “reaching forth” unto the prize: the Life of Christ
What governs our decisions? We ought to be “subject” unto the power of the “Law of God.”
Are our affections centered on earthly interests or heavenly things?
As the elect of God, we must learn to look beyond the temporary affairs of this present world and recognize the eternal things that God desires us to pursue.
3. Our Hope Must Be in the Things We Do Not See
Romans 8:23–24
Paul teaches us that believers about the redemption of our bodies from the bondage of corruption, and that we are waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
He further explains:
“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” — Romans 8:24, KJV
Our hope is not limited to what we can presently see or experience.
There are things God has promised that have not yet been manifested in their fullness. Therefore, we must learn to live with an ‘expectation’ of hope that extends beyond our present circumstances.
The elect of God must not allow what they presently see to determine the entirety of their Spiritual outlook.
We are called to look forward with hope toward the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
Our hope must be established in what God has promised, not merely in what this present world can offer.
4. Looking Beyond the Things Which Are Seen
N2 Corinthians 4:18
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” — KJV
Here Paul establishes an important distinction between the temporal and the eternal.
The things we see around us are temporary. Governments change. Political administrations change. Circumstances change. The things people place their confidence in today may not even exist tomorrow.
But the Spiritual things of God are eternal.
This is why our attention must not become consumed by the temporary affairs of this world.
We must learn to look through the things that are seen and recognize the greater glory associated with the things that are eternal.
Our heavenly calling must have greater influence over our lives than the changing conditions of this present world.
5. Our Election Concerns Bringing Forth Fruit and Glory Unto God
Being the elect of God ought to be reflected in the way we live.
Our election concerns:
Bringing forth fruit unto God.
Living for His glory and honor.
Serving others with selfless love.
Developing a spiritual mind.
Walking in godliness.
Demonstrating the character of Christ in our lives.
We must understand that God desires more than a people who simply acknowledge that they are saved. He desires a people whose lives bring forth evidence of His Word working effectually within them.
Colossians 1:10
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” — KJV
Notice the emphasis on walking worthy, being fruitful, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
This is the kind of life we ought to desire as believers.
Our service, love, conduct, and spiritual development should reflect the purpose of our heavenly calling.
6. Our Concern Must Be the Government of Our Father in Heaven
When we consider the contrast between earthly elections and our election in Christ, we must understand where our ‘ultimate allegiance’ belongs.
The only government that should have ultimate authority over our hearts and Spiritual direction is the government of our Father in heavenly places.
Our greatest concern should be the things associated with His Government, His righteousness, His love, and His purpose.
However, we must be careful not to become so entangled with the affairs of this life that we neglect the Spiritual things of our heavenly calling as the elect.
2 Timothy 2:4
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” — KJV
Paul reminds Timothy that a good soldier of Jesus Christ must remain focused on pleasing the one who has called him.
Likewise, we must not allow the affairs of this present life to distract us from the purpose for which God has called us.
Our earthly responsibilities must never replace our heavenly priorities.
6. Christ Must Be Our Focus, Regardless of Who Holds Earthly Office
We must always understand that it does not matter who occupies an office in our human government; our identity and spiritual position must remain established in Christ.
We are in Christ, and we ought to have Christ formed in us.
Our confidence must not be determined by who wins an election, who holds political office, or what political agenda is being advanced.
Our confidence must be established in the Lord.
Philippians 3:19–20
Paul contrasts those whose minds are occupied with earthly things with those whose citizenship is in heaven.
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we look for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is an important reminder of where our true spiritual identity and expectation belong.
We must not allow earthly circumstances to determine our Spiritual direction.
Regardless of what takes place around us, Christ must remain the center of our affection, our hope, and our pursuit.
Conclusion: Knowing, Beloved Brethren, Your Election of God
As believers, we must come to understand that our election in Christ involves a life that God desires us to live.
We are not to spend our entire Christian lives looking only at what we have been delivered from. We must also recognize what God desires to accomplish in us and through us.
We are called to bring forth fruit, to walk in godliness, to serve with selfless love, to develop a Spiritual mind, and to live for the glory and honor of our Father.
The world may be occupied with earthly elections, earthly candidates, earthly agendas, and earthly governments.
But we must remember that our greatest concern is the government of our Father in heavenly places.
We must set our affection on things above.
We must hope for the Spiritual things we do not see.
We must look beyond the things that are temporary and direct our attention toward the things that are eternal.
And regardless of who occupies an earthly office, we must remain established in Christ.
We must not lose sight of our heavenly election. Let us understand the life God desires us to live as His elect, and let our lives bring forth fruit, glory, and honor unto Him.
Our greatest concern must not be who governs the affairs of this present world, but whether we are walking in the purpose, love, and government of our Father in heavenly places.
Rod Jones