"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
So here we are at the end of 2 Thessalonians and Paul is thanking the Lord for what He has done in the lives of those in Thessalonica. But this is more than just a "I thank God for you", this is one of those (many) verses that can cause division and issues.
Why?
Because it refers to the theology of election and predestination. In verse 13 Paul thanks God for choosing those in the church for salvation. Not only that, but Paul dates when God did this - from the beginning. This is not a new concept to Paul. In fact, in Romans 9 Paul dives deep into the idea of election.
"Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens." Romans 9:18
The context is that God has the right to both draw men unto salvation or to use them as "vessels of wrath (Romans 9:23)". Truthfully none of us can understand this all because the Bible is also very clear that "all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13)". There is a mystery here (after all we are not God and do NOT have His mind). The bottom line is that none of us know who is or who is not "elected" so we must proclaim the good news to all people and allow God to do what He does - save sinners.
These verses also mention the sanctification through the Spirit. This is part of the salvation process. While we are justified (our sins are wiped clean) in the moment we repent and trust in Christ, we continue our lives being sanctified by God's Spirit. This is the process of becoming holy. This is where God's discipline, His word and church leaders are used to help us grow in holiness and righteousness. While we may be seen as righteous because of our justification we are not yet righteous until we are finally glorified after death or rapture. It is then that we obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a gift given by a gracious God through faith in His son.
The second part of that verse is "belief in the truth." What is this belief? That Christ is God in the flesh, that He came to earth as a man and died in our place as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God and is the ONLY name in which a man can be saved. These are some of the truths of scripture that are required for salvation. If we do not know who Jesus is or what salvation is - how can we be saved? That is why it is crucial for us to proclaim His truths to ALL the world.
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