2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17  But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 

Paul tells the Thessalonians, we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  Today, as with these new believers, we who are loved by the Lord represent the Holy Spirit calling us out of darkness into the light, using the voice of God through the Word, either written or by word of mouth.  The Holy Spirit's work in us sanctifies us continuously, perfecting us, and presenting us before the Father through Christ perfect sacrifice for our sinful lives.  We now stand completely holy because of Christ's finished work at the cross for us.  Paul wrote to the church at Colosse of the mystery of Christ, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.  (Colossians 1:27-28)  Paul knew Christ was our righteousness.  Jesus Christ alone is the door to eternal life; He alone pleases the Father; He alone makes all things new.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.'"  (John 3:3-7)  Jesus tells Nicodemus that whoever believes in him as the Christ will have eternal life.  This message was the truth Paul received from Christ himself on the way to Damascus, and it is the only message he preached to the world, for he was not ashamed of the power of God resident in the message that turned his life around.  He knew the truth that Jesus saves would transform lives from sinners to saints.  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  (Romans 1:16)  

This message Paul preached often seems too simple for our complex world.  Man's basic sin nature, his self-will and need to excel and to conquer drive him to strive for more or everything with little thought or consideration for God's unmerited grace, given freely to all who would receive.  Man desires an important place in the salvation equation, a key role to play.  When human beings formulate religions, we see their religious fervor adding to God's plan: grace plus works; Christ plus self-made righteousness; salvation plus showy self-sacrifice.  If a person is not religious, he or she designs an attractive afterlife of eternal bliss.  Operating in the flesh without the pure truth of the Bible, each person will devise his or her own salvation plan made IN MAN'S OWN IMAGE.  Of course, with sinful humans in charge, providence will always bestow a glowing eternity--that great condo in the sky.  The person who creates his or her own reality always comes out all right for that is what he or she desires providence to create--perfection.  In reality, mankind creates a palatable god, a god people can easily understand and accept, and a god that does not demand anything in return that is not in the manmade plan.  The aspect of Christ doing the righteous work of redemption alone is mostly an anathema to the world.  The blood of Jesus as a cleansing agent and an acceptable propitiation for our sins does not square well with man's self-centeredness.  We do not want to admit we are sinners.  But if we are, we want to know how one man's sacrifice can cleanse all of us from sin: how could God be satisfied with just one man's sacrifice?  The answer is clear: If this "ONE MAN" is the Son of God, HE ALONE PLEASES THE FATHER.  Through him alone all things were created.  He is the light AND LIFE of all things.  When God allowed him to go to the cross, He literally allowed life as we know it go to the cross.  When death was written over life, the means of creation went to the grave.  But as the old died, a new life came forth when the Holy Spirit came and Christ rose from the dead.  The truth of Jesus' words rang around the world and reverberated to heaven's gates as, You must be born again emanated from the resurrection.  He paid the price for the old with his life, and He birthed the new through his resurrection.  Praise God, HE LIVES, WE LIVE! 

Because we live in Christ, we follow him, we serve him.  Paul speaks of God's work beyond the resurrection as the sanctifying work of the Spirit.  After the new birth, the Spirit of God takes this nascent life that is found in our carnal bodies and makes us continually clean by the Lamb's flowing blood.  Just as in a normally functioning body, the blood brings life--the body that was once dead, now finds life.  The blood of the Lamb cleanses our temple, and we who believe in Christ's work on the cross are forever cleansed vicariously by Christ's blood.  Jesus said, IT IS FINISHED.  Yes, the saving and cleansing work of Christ's sacrifice at the cross is finished.  New birth and holiness were made possible through Jesus' death and resurrection.  However, the work goes on in every believer through the mighty work of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told his newborn followers to tarry in Jerusalem until the fulness of the Holy Spirit was revealed on this earth.  He said, For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 1:5)  All of God's children should tarry in his presence for the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to empower us with the love and mercy of God.  The Spirit changes us daily into God's glorious image, making us instruments of his divine power.  On the day of Pentecost, Peter said: Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.  These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!  No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  (Acts 2:14-18)  Jesus told his disciples He had to go away so He could send the Holy Spirit to each believer to be our personal Comforter.  Dearly loved brothers and sisters, the Spirit will give you boldness, a power to live daily in God's image, to reflect his glory.  As Paul said, May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.