The Gospel Calls – January 17, 2024

01/17/24 • 3 min

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:14

The Gospel Calls

Daily Devotion – January 17, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:14
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20240117dev.mp3
See series: Devotions

There are some calls you get that make your day. The doctor calls with the test results of your biopsy. “I’ve got good news! The test came back negative!” The supervisor calls after the interview. “You got the job!” The wife calls her husband while he’s at work because she can’t contain her excitement. “I’m pregnant! We’re having a baby!”

But when things in your life are going well, do you sometimes start bracing yourself for something bad to happen? We’ve learned that no good thing lasts forever in this world. We might convince ourselves that if things are going too well, that a fall is imminent. That’s not a very fun way to go through life. Yet, it’s true to a degree. In this world, we will have trouble and, eventually, bad news will come knocking on our door. The doctor calls with the biopsy results. “It’s positive....” The supervisor calls and says, “I’m sorry. Your position got eliminated.” The pregnancy test is negative again. So, the wife doesn’t bother calling her husband. We crave good news but are all too familiar with bad news.

But God’s good news, his gospel, is different. God’s good news isn’t something that lifts our spirits temporarily as we wait for more bad news to hit. God’s good news calls us into something permanent. We are called into a verdict of forgiveness because Jesus died to take away our sins. God’s good news calls us into the peace of knowing that we are at peace with God, our Creator. God’s good news has effects that stretch into eternity. We are called to salvation through the gospel so that we get to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus. In other words, we get to have eternal life in the glories of heaven.

God’s good news of our salvation in Christ calls us into a life that can face whatever bad news comes our way.

Prayer:
Merciful Father, you have shared the best news with me that Jesus is my Savior from sin and bad news. Help me to share this good news with others so they, too, can share in your glory. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:14

The Gospel Calls

Daily Devotion – January 17, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:14
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20240117dev.mp3
See series: Devotions

God’s good news of our salvation in Christ calls us into a life that can face whatever bad news comes our way.

Previous Episode

God Put You in His Cart – January 16, 2024

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:13

God Put You in His Cart

Daily Devotion – January 16, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:13
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20240116dev.mp3
See series: Devotions

When you go shopping online, do you ever look at the reviews for products before buying them? If you came across an item that only got one-star reviews, would you choose to put it in your cart? No, you’d find something better.

God knows you. He knows everything about you. Yes, everything. He knows how many times you’ve sinned against him. He knows all the one-star reviews other people might have given you about the way you treated them. It would seem God knows too much about you to ever choose to put you in his “salvation” cart.

However, God put you in his cart anyway! He chose you to be his own. Jesus made the payment on the cross for you to be his own. God chose you, warts and all, to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and belief in the truth.

God putting you in his salvation cart had nothing to do with who you were and everything to do with who he is. He is a merciful and gracious God. He sent the Holy Spirit to you through his Word to plant the truth of the good news of Jesus in your heart. And, by grace, you believe in what God has done for you!

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, thank you for choosing me and saving me by your Holy Spirit’s work. Amen.

Next Episode

Hold on Tight – January 18, 2024

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
2 Thessalonians 2:15

Hold on Tight

Daily Devotion – January 18, 2024

Devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 2:15
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20240118dev.mp3
See series: Devotions

If you’re treading water in the ocean during a storm, what would you do if someone threw you a life preserver right in front of you? You’d wrap your arms around it and cling to it with all your strength, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t just hang onto it with your little pinky finger and hope you can be reeled in. You’d hold on as tight as you could to your lifeline.

The Christians in the city of Thessalonica were facing a great deal of persecution and hardship. The apostle Paul encouraged them to keep holding on tight to everything they had been taught. He told them to stand firm in the identity Christ had given them as forgiven children of God. He told them to hold fast to the Savior, who promised never to let them go.

We also want to hold tight to God’s Word. There, we find the good news of how we’ve been rescued by Christ. As we find ourselves adrift in the sea of sin and hardship, we know that only God can pull us to safety. He’s extended the lifeline of his Word. We wrap our minds and hearts tightly around his Word and cling to it like our eternal life depends on it, and it does.

God’s Word and promises won’t let us down or let us sink. And if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation to the Thessalonians, facing hardship and persecution, we learn, all the more, to cling tight to God and his Word.

Hold tight to God’s promises and trust that he will bring you to safety with him.

Prayer:
Dear rescuing Lord, I know that you have done everything necessary to save me. Help me hold tight to your Word and work. Amen.