2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 Sanctification

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. [2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 NASB]

We have been chosen from the beginning. Many theologians argue about the concepts of predestination vs free-will. According to the arguments, one view is right and the other is wrong. God, however, is much bigger than the theologians. There is no reason they can't both be right. Take the prophets as an example. God said to Jeremiah;

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” [Jeremiah 1:5 NASB]

But Isaiah said;

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” [Isaiah 6:8 NASB]

God knew us and called us from before the foundation of the earth (predestination). But He hasn't forced Himself on us. We have the free will to accept or reject His calling.

And what has God chosen us for? Salvation. In the context of this passage, he is referring to our future salvation.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord, we are saved. That is a single even in the past. In the context of end-time prophecy, we will not be spared tribulation and persecution, but we will be saved from God's wrath, and from eternal punishment.

Paul said that we are saved through sanctification. This can best be defined as separation from the world and unto God.

Some have taken the concept of separation from the world and created a legalistic doctrine. When I was a young Christian, I was told that attending a movie theater was a sin because it was "worldly". There were many other rules in place to keep Christians safe from worldliness, and anyone who failed to follow these rules was "backslidden". Now, I know that these rules are no different than trying to follow the Law. And Paul devotes several chapters in Romans arguing that it is impossible to be sanctified by following the Law.

Instead we are told that our sanctification is "by the Spirit and faith". It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us, and not we ourselves. Our role is to have faith enough to follow Him. The Spirit will not sanctify if there is not faith.

At the same time, faith alone will not sanctify. There are many false gods in this world, and people place their faith in the gods. These people are not sanctified. It is the same of those who put their faith in science or humanism. It is even true of those who place their faith in the church. In many peoples' minds, the church takes the place of God. Its leaders are seen as the representatives of God. But, at its core, the church is simply an assembly of people. At its purest, the church is an assembly of people who have come together to worship God - not through ritual and dogma - but in Spirit and in truth.

Most churches come with a set of rituals and traditions of men. It is important to remember that these things don't bring you closer to God. I am not suggesting that you rebel against traditions, but be mindful of them. Don't place your faith in them. Your faith belongs to Jesus Christ, and to Him alone.

One final word. Paul says in this passage, "hold to the traditions which you were taught." He is not referring here to the traditions of men. He is referring to the teaching of the gospel that he had delivered to them, whether by word of mouth or by letter. Since we no longer have an Apostle to teach us by word of mouth, then it is our duty to hold fast to the scriptures.

Father, thank You for saving me. I pray that Your Spirit will continue to work in me for sanctification, so that I may glorify You in every way.