50 Days of Wisdom

Nothing is more important in this life than having a proper understanding of your spiritual condition. Certainly, that is of grave concern to those of us who understand what our spiritual condition needs to be. I am frequently asked, "How can I know I'm really a Christian?" Certainly not a week passes by that we don't receive mail from people who are struggling to identify their true spiritual condition. It's also true that we are concerned not about ourselves alone, but about others as well. A wife is very often concerned that the salvation her husband claims is in fact not real. A husband occasionally may be concerned that the salvation his wife claims is not real. Very often we as parents might be concerned that the salvation that our children once affirmed is not genuine. And we may have a mother and father whose salvation we question. Or we may know friends who claim to believe in Jesus Christ, but we look at their lives, and we wonder if they really do. We are certainly grappling with the most important and significant issue that would ever face us, namely the proper understanding of one's spiritual condition. Well, 1 Thessalonians 1 is a particular chapter that is of immense help to us because in it, Paul, in commending the Thessalonian believers, gives us a list of ten identifying marks that point us to the elect. And even though the electing work of God was done in eternity past, in the secret communion of His own mind, it can become known to us through some manifest evidences in the lives of individuals. If I am to know whether I am a believer, if I am to know whether someone else is a believer, here then, in this chapter, are some marks that can become a standard by which to make that assessment. Now, in verse 4, the key verse, Paul says to these Thessalonians, "Knowing, brethren, beloved by God, your election." He says to them, "I know intuitively deep down in a continuing knowledge that you are truly brethren, you are truly the beloved of God, you are the elect." And his great joy over the Thessalonians was that he knew they were the elect. He knew they were true brethren. He knew they were the beloved of God. The question then comes, "How did he know that?" How does one know when a person is truly, genuinely a child of God? Basically, in this chapter he gives us two categories into which we probe to discern the marks that identify the elect. Category number one: present condition. Category number two: past conversion. Present condition is his concern in verse 3, "We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." And past conversion is his concern in verse 5, "Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power." But both of those categories blend together to provide us a series of marks by which we can identify a true believer. Now, this all came about because the Thessalonians had only been in Christ for a very brief time—a few months. And Paul decides to send Timothy back to find out the condition of this little infant baby church. The report comes back that they're genuine, real, and true, and his heart rejoices, and thus does he write this epistle. So Paul writes back this letter to encourage them to even grow stronger in the faith that they have so wonderfully manifested. And in chapter 1 comes that greatest of all commendations; he says, "I know you're real; I know you're elect." Then he gives the evidences of it. And they stand as a timeless testimony to the standard of true salvation that marks anyone who is known to belong to God. Repent and believe! GTY.org (52-3) – Identifying the Elect, Part 3

Today's Wisdom

Day: 943

June 11, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen