4 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

5 He predestined us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

— Ephesians 1:4-5

15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.

17 For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

— Romans 1:15-17

4 Brothers who are beloved by God, we know that He has chosen you,

5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.

9b and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

10 and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

— 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6, 9b, 10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

What a blessing and privilege that we, the beloved and chosen by God before the foundation of the world, have had the gospel of Christ preached to us in God’s power and in the Holy Spirit! By His mercy and working, God sent people to preach gospel to us, we were convicted by the Spirit and welcomed the gospel message with joy. This gospel that reveals God’s righteousness is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We believe the gospel, are righteous in God’s eye and live by faith!

The truth of the gospel that we believed and received centers around and is indeed a person – God’s Son, Jesus Christ! He has come from heaven to the earth the first time to shed His precious blood to redeem whoever believes in Him from sin and death and to turn them from serving idols to serving the living and true God. Hallelujah! While we believers await the second coming of God’s Son Jesus Christ who was raised from death by God, we are confident that we have been delivered them from the coming wrath of the righteous God.