After assuring the Christians in Thessalonica that they are loved by God (see previous post), Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 1:4, “I know God has chosen you.” With that word “chosen,” Paul brings up one of the most confounding theological problems that has caused Christians confusion and consternation for centuries. Do we choose God or does he choose us? It is a question of free will. Do we have free will so that we choose to place our faith in God or not?
Some Christians say, “No. Just read verse 4. Paul says it plain as day. God chooses.” Yet, it seems to us as we go about life, that we do have free will. Those who believe God chooses might say free will is a mirage. Some say free will is real, but God works in tandem with our free will.
Other Christians say, “Yes, we have real free will, and we can choose God or deny him. What Paul is saying here is not that free will is nonexistent, but that he knows God was at work.”
I can’t tell you what side to believe. But I will say that the theological heritage of my church and denomination is clearly on the free will side. I agree with that heritage. Let me share a few verses that I think help us understand what it means that God chooses and we choose too.
Paul will write in 1 Timothy 2:3–4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Even the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 45:22, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”
Those three verses each say that God wants all people to be saved. Not that all will. But God chooses that all who believe in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and follow him are included in his kingdom. That is the wider group, but the individuals within the wider God still need to choose God.
In other words, I believe that when we read biblical authors writing about God choosing, we should see God as choosing the corporate group, but those individuals in the group still need to choose God. In the Old Testament, for example, God chooses the whole nation/family of Israel, but each of the individuals must respond by choosing God. Were there Israelites who were part of the wider chosen family of Israel who would not choose God? Yes. Consider the many apostate Israelites in the period of Israel’s judges. Consider the many who rebelled against God during the period of Israel and Judea’s wicked kings and exiles.
It’s a bit of a both/and. I do not believe God is a random God who says, “I choose that guy over there, but not her sitting next to him; and I choose 80% of that country, but only 1% of that other country.” Instead, God chooses the wider group in Christ (see Ephesians 1), and then all who reciprocate by choosing Christ are included. Do you see the both/and?
But how do we choose Christ? How did the Thessalonian Christians choose Christ?
In the case of the Thessalonians, Paul’s saw evidence of God’s choosing the Thessalonians, and he saw evidence of the Thessalonians choosing God. Check back to the next post in which we will hear Paul describe the evidence he saw.
Photo by Brendan Church on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 
Those are great verses to remember also John 3:16. Great job explaining this.