Thursday

Related Verses
John 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name,
13 Who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 15:1, 4-5
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.
4 Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 3:15
15 That every one who believes into Him may have eternal life.

2 Thes. 1:1
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Cor. 1:30
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

1 Cor. 6:17
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

Eph. 1:5
5 Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Related Reading
First Thessalonians 1:1 says, “Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” This Epistle and the second were both addressed to the local church in Thessalonica, composed of all the believers in Christ in that city. Such a local church is of the believers and is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This indicates that such a local church is born of God the Father with His life and nature and is united with the Lord Jesus Christ organically in all that He is and has done. Hence, it is of men (such as the Thessalonians) yet in God and in the Lord organically. This organic union in the divine life and nature is the vital base for the believers to live a holy life for the church life. Such a living is the theme of the two Epistles. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, p. 2) 

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It is a particular characteristic of Paul’s writing to emphasize the organic union of the believers with the Triune God…The emphasis on the organic union with Christ is an outstanding feature of Paul’s writings…Although 1 Thessalonians 1:1 is written in a simple way, it nevertheless includes Paul’s characteristic reference to the organic union. In this verse Paul speaks of the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The preposition in here is very important; it indicates that the church is in the Triune God. The church is composed of human beings, but they, the believers, are in the Triune God. On the one hand, the church in Thessalonica was of the Thessalonians; on the other hand, this church was in God the Father. 

Paul does not merely say that the church is in God; he says that the church is in God the Father. Unless God is our Father, we cannot be in Him. We were not created in God; however, we were regenerated, born again, in Him. We were created outside of God. This means that in creation we did not have any organic union with God or any life relationship with Him. Instead, there was only the relationship between the creature and the Creator…Hence, there is a relationship of creation but no relationship in life…As God’s creatures, we did not have the life of God. We had only our created life, our natural human life. 

When we were regenerated, born of God, our life relationship with God began. This rebirth brought us into the organic union with the Triune God. At the time of our regeneration, our rebirth, we obtained God’s life. Now God is not merely our Creator, our God; He is our Father, the One who has begotten us. God is no longer merely our Creator—He is also our Begetter, for He has begotten us with His life. Therefore, He is God our Father. Through regeneration the Thessalonian believers had become sons of God. According to the book of Romans, the church is a composition of sons of God…Sinners can be members of a secular organization, but they cannot be components of the church of the living God. Such a church is composed only of sons of God. 

We have been predestinated by the Father to be His sons…We have been predestinated unto sonship [Eph. 1:5]. At a certain time, God called us and moved us inwardly. Then we repented, believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and received Him. By receiving Christ, we were reborn and became sons of God. Now that we are sons of God, we are the components of the church, the Body of Christ. Because we, as sons of God, are the members of Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:1 says not only that the church is in God the Father but also that the church is in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, pp. 3-4) 

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 1