Transcript
We are continuing in II Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 13 through 17. This is part three today. We spent the last two weeks on verse 13, which is a very heavy verse for everyone to be aware of what it says. It is in the section called The Plan of God. God has a plan and Paul is sharing that plan with the Thessalonians and with us.
He says in verse 13 of chapter 2, And we ourselves are indebted to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers, who have been loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation. That is quite a statement to make. We have studied how the pronoun you in this text; and in us, we, and you, in Ephesians chapter 1, are all making reference to believers, those who belong to Christ, those who are followers of Christ. For a person to follow Christ, for that person God has chosen salvation but you must first come to Christ. As it says, God has chosen you for salvation (in two ways) in sanctification of the Spirit (and secondly) in belief of the truth.
The word sanctification is a Biblical term meaning to set apart. To set someone apart is called sanctification. A person is sanctified by God’s Spirit. And we studied at length last week how when a person experiences the new birth; when a person experiences being born again, which is the requirement for salvation, that means the Spirit of Christ comes into a person’s spirit. You actually receive Christ. It is not a religious act. It is a spiritual experience, which God actually performs on a person’s life.
We saw from Romans chapter 8 verse 9 where it says, If a person does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ.
Paul said in Colossians chapter 1 verse 27, Here is the mystery that is preached among the Gentiles, Christ in you the hope of glory.
And so a person must experience that birth to be saved.
Now it is interesting, because we just took communion a few moments ago. What does the death of the cross by Jesus, what part does it play in salvation? Can you just believe that He died on the cross and be saved and have your sins forgiven? Well, when Jesus died on the cross – as we stated when we just took communion – He suffered the punishment for sins and He paid the payment for our sins. That is so that we would not have to pay anything get saved. In other words, because of His death on the cross, He suffered the punishment for our sins and paid the payment for our sins, so that salvation could be a gift. Jesus paid it all, as we just sang the song. Jesus paid it all. He died on the cross. But just believing that He died on the cross for me does not save me. It means that I can now be saved and not have to pay for it. I do not have to give anything for it. All I need to do is surrender to the Spirit of Christ coming into my spirit.
As I shared with you last week, it is something that I did one day when I was in Florida. I was out on the fishing pier and looking back over the land and saw an electrical storm, and it just prompted me to say, “God, if You are real, make Yourself real to me.” And two years later while I was in Puerto Rico, I visited a home Bible study. And it was on a Sunday night, and I just went because it was strange to me that somebody would have a Bible study in their home and it would not be at church. But they also served donuts and coffee, which also attracted me. So I would go on Sunday nights. Every Sunday night for nine months. And then one day as I was walking along my bedroom floor over to my dresser, the Spirit of God just came on me. I knew exactly who He was, I knew exactly what He was doing, but He literally came into my spirit. It was at that time I was saved. Not my religious upbringing, it did not have anything to do with it. I had to experience a spiritual birth, which I had no control over, and which Jesus paid the price for me, so that I could be saved, and it could be a gift of God, and not based on my works. There is nothing I can do, as a human being there is nothing I can do to have the Lord save me other than to receive Christ into my spirit.
God chose you from the beginning for salvation. The first thing or first way is in sanctification of the Spirit. I am set apart by God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit comes into me and sets me apart. I belong to Christ, and I am saved.
And secondly, in belief of the truth. God gave me by His Spirit the faith and the belief to love, and follow, and receive the truth, the truth of Christ, which He has given to us in His word. In a moment, for our text for today, we will see the Paul’s is going to include his teachings in that truth. A person cannot receive or believe in the truth of the teachings of the Scriptures without God’s Spirit performing that. Choosing to give people the belief is what God has done.
But now we are in verse 14 for today. So His plan for me and for all believers is that we should be chosen for salvation. And that happens in the two ways we just discussed. He sets that person apart by His Spirit. And secondly, His Spirit gives that person the belief of the truth. Without his spirit doing that for a person they cannot believe the truth.
Verse 14 says, For which He called you through our gospel, for obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Another purpose for this plan according to verse 14, for which He called you through our gospel, for obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. One day we will share in glory, and be in glory, and obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says, for which he called you through our gospel. Now Paul says, “We went out and preached the gospel and He called you. You heard His voice.” Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 4, My sheep hear My voice. Paul says, “We preached the gospel, and He called you.” And when He called you, you responded. And when you responded, it showed that He opened your heart. And when your heart was opened, He sealed you in His Holy Spirit, and gave you faith to believe the truth.
And for those of you who think you are in the judgment of God, you are not. You have been chosen for salvation. All believers have been chosen for salvation, not judgment. And you are going to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to be with Him in glory. We are going to share with Him in glory and He is going to be glorified in us one day, not in judgment, but in glory.
You remember that false teachers had come into Thessalonica and told the Christians there that they were suffering hardships in life because they were under the judgment of God. And Paul has now spent one and a half chapters telling them that you have been chosen for salvation, you who believe, you been chosen for salvation, not for judgment. Judgment is for those who reject Christ. But for you believers you will be in glory. But we will be glorified not in judgment, but in the presence of Christ.
See verse 15, he says in verse 15, Therefore then, brothers, so here is the encouragement. Literally it is, Therefore then, brothers, stand firm. Some of your English translations might say stand fast. The word fast means firm. Stand firm. Secondly, it says, and hold firm. In the Greek the term hold firm is (kratos) the word for grip. So there is no performance here. You are already in Christ, just stand firm. There is nowhere to go. Certainly He can change us and transform us more, but our salvation is already finalized and complete in Christ. He says though, Stand firm and grip (or hold firm) to the traditions which you were taught, he says in verse 15. The word tradition means a hand-me-down, something to hand down to somebody else. Many traditions in the churches today, but it can cause problems.
So the word tradition means to hand down. There are two different kinds of traditions in the Bible. And first of all, in Matthew chapter 15 reveals one of them. Remember the disciples were walking through the cornfields, and the Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Why do Your disciples break the traditions of the elders by not washing their hands and doing that which is lawful to do on the Sabbath day?” Jesus said, “Why do you by your traditions violate the commandments of God?” So we have religious tradition that is handed down that is not from God. Much tradition in the churches today is traditions by man. Rules and regulations made up by man, not by God, it is not in His word. It is not in God’s word.
There is second kind of tradition that is explained here at the end. The traditions which you were taught whether through speaking or Paul’s letter, it says in verse 15. What he is saying here is, Paul is making mention of the traditions of the teachings of Paul. That is a tradition. What does God say in His word? Hand-me-down – hand that down to the next generation. There is not any other tradition for the believer. Whenever Paul taught his disciples, as he discipled them in Christ and whatever they were taught from him, he is saying, Stand firm in it. He is saying, Whether it is through word (which means speech) or through our letter. When somebody comes and teaches you what we teach, or whether somebody reads our letter to you or teaches you from our letter, stand firm in it, and grip it, hold it tight.
Now in verses 16 and 17, Paul is pronouncing the benediction upon them and this is very beautiful. He says in verse 16, Now may our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, the emphasis is on the Lord Himself. May our Lord Himself, and our God and Father, the One having loved us and having given eternal comfort, that is how it reads. The term everlasting consolation in some English translations is literally translated eternal comfort. Eternal is enduring. It is started the very day that we received Christ. And the day when we stand before Him and He wipes away every tear from our eyes we are going to be comforted throughout eternity.
Now it is kind of interesting that the word comfort is the same word used for the Holy Spirit as our Comforter in John chapter 14 verse 16 and John chapter 14 verse 26. He is called the Comforter. In fact, the Greek word means to call alongside of to help. (paraklētos) is the Greek word, alongside of to call for help. That is how it is literally translated.
It is used in I John chapter 2 verse 1 when John talked about Jesus Christ, the One who is our advocate. It is the same word, (paraklētos). An advocate means a defense lawyer. Somebody who stands alongside of you and argues your case for you.
So the moment that I received Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit came alongside of me to help me, and to guide me, and to intercede for me to the Father every second of my life. That is just not going to be an earthly venture. This is eternal. This is forever. Not knowing any time boundaries. It is eternal comfort.
He says, Now may our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, and God the Father, the One having loved us. Again, we are objects of God’s love. He has loved us, and He has given to us eternal comfort. And secondly, He has given to us good hope in grace. You know what gives me hope? God’s grace. Grace means God’s favor. God’s grace is always directed in my direction. His grace is always poured out to me.
So, May the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, and God and Father, the One having loved us and having given eternal comfort and good hope in grace. Look at verse 17, May He comfort your hearts. Again, the word used here for comfort is (paraklētos) or the Comforter. May he comfort your hearts, and secondly, and may He establish you in every good word and work. That is Paul’s wish for them, that they would realize that they have been chosen for salvation and because of this, he says May the Lord himself and God who comes to you, who has given us eternal comfort and has given us a good hope and grace, may He comfort your hearts. Because somebody told them that they are under the judgment of God. But here is what he says, May your hearts be comforted and may He establish you. These are trials that you are going through, not judgment of God.
In closing, if you have your Bibles, please turn with me to I Peter chapter 5. Peter also ministering this same thing in I Peter chapter 5 beginning at verse 8. He says, Be sober, be watchful; because your adversary the devil, is walking around like s a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist. So Satan is walking around. Do you know that he scouts people to see what their weaknesses are? Then he exploits those weaknesses. So he is walking around looking for whom he may devour. Peter says the answer is, Whom resist.
You see, Satan was defeated at the cross. The bond was broken once I received Jesus Christ and He becomes my Lord and my Savior. All I need to do, I say that lightly, all I need to do is resist him. I do not fight him. Fighting Satan is not the answer. It says, Whom resist. The word resist means to stand still. Be still and know that I am God. That is what God says in Psalm 46:10. Be still and know that I am God. When Satan comes around, he likes to see us panic. He likes to see us go in various directions in our thinking and in our anxiety and with our emotions and even physically. We are to stand still. The Bible does not say, “Fight Satan,” it says to resist him.
Now Paul wrote about this same thing in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 13, where he says in verse 10 of Ephesians 6. Finally, or in summary, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might. Verse 11, Put on the whole armor of God, in order that ye may be able to stand against the methods of the devil. Put on the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the methodical attacks, that is what the word schemes means in Greek,(methodeia). Verse 12, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual evil in the spirit realm. On account of this, verse 13 of Ephesians chapter 6, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to resist. The whole purpose for the armor is to resist. In the evil day, and after having done everything, to stand. Satan is trying to move us. Get us to panic. God says, “Resist him. Stand firm.” Paul said back in II Thessalonians, Paul says, “To stand.”
Back in our text in I Peter chapter 5 verse 9 when he says, Whom resist being steadfast in the faith. The word steadfast means standing solid in the faith. Knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Verse 10, But may the God of all grace, who called us into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered may He perfect you. The word perfect, (katartidzō) in the Greek text, which means to mend. So after you have suffered for a while, may He mend you.
Secondly, May He establish you. That is the word that we are looking at in II Thessalonians chapter 2 about standing. May he establish you. May He cause you to stand. So may He make you to stand, may he establish you. Again in II Thessalonians chapter 2 the last verse, May he comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. So after you have suffered a while he says, may the Lord come and mend you. May He use that experience of suffering and may He himself come and establish you in the things of Christ because of it.
Thirdly, May He strengthen you. Because your trials are going to zap your strength, and your human strength of all your resources. May He come with His strength and strengthen you.
And then lastly, May He put a foundation under you. The word settle in the English text means to lay a foundation.
Then he says in verse 11 of I Peter 5, To Him is the glory and the grip for ever and ever. Amen. So that was Paul’s prayer, just like it was Peter’s prayer. The fact that God has chosen us for salvation, not for judgment. Therefore whatever hard times we go through it is not the judgment of God. It is to establish us. And Paul says, Whatever I minister to you, may it comfort your hearts. So see, the Lord has sent His Spirit to come alongside of us, to establish us, in every good word and work. So whatever we are taught, and whatever we do, God is going to establish us in Christ by those things. That would be comforting to those who think they are under the judgment of God.
Also, comforting for us is to understand that we have also been predestined or appointed for trials, not only for salvation but for trials. God is not mad at us. He is not sending judgment upon us. He is dealing with us as with children, He is disciplining is, He is chastising us. Yet at the same time it is to establish us in the things of Christ. And just as Paul said in I Thessalonians chapter 4, in the last verse he says, Comfort one another with these words. God is not going to leave us as orphans. He will not leave us alone. He will not remove His Spirit from us and place us under judgment. We have been chosen for salvation.
Next week, we will begin chapter 3 the final chapter in II Thessalonians, as we continue these important teachings of Paul. Let’s close with prayer.
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