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2 Thessalonians 2:13
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13 But [de] we [hemeis] are bound [opheilo] to give thanks [eucharisteo] alway [pantote] to God [theos] for [peri] you, [humon] brethren [adelphos] beloved [agapao] of [hupo] the Lord, [kurios] because [hoti] God [theos] hath [haireomai] from [apo] the beginning [arche] chosen [haireomai] you [humas] to [eis] salvation [soteria] through [en] sanctification [hagiasmos] of the Spirit [pneuma] and [kai] belief [pistis] of the truth: [aletheia] KJV-Interlinear
13 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. NASB
Yesterday, we studied the flaws of Islam, and especially the uncertainty of the promises that Islam represents. If a message is from God, then that message is perfect. If the message is anything other than perfect then it is not from God, and the follower risks losing their eternal life.
Life is a very serious business. Your entire future is on the line, and to avoid the responsibility of pointing out to those who might be lost forever, would be totally irresponsible. To tolerate their beliefs is one thing, but to remain silent so as not to offend, is quite another.
And now here Paul, with one swoop of the pen in a single verse, especially following the previous verse, where he warns that those who reject truth, will with certainty, be lost forever, gives us the doctrines of salvation and of eternal security of that same salvation.
Once you have been saved, you are always saved.
Once you have believed in Christ, you will not stop committing sins. This is the devils world and you are in bodies of corruptibility. Even denying that you sin, is a fools comment. However, once saved, always saved. Once born, you cannot unborn yourself. Once born again, you cannot unborn again yourself. Tell your momma that you would like to unborn yourself and return to the womb, and if she doesn’t smack you senseless … Well, look into the mirror and identify stupid.
Anyway, sinless perfection in this life is unattainable, 1 Kings 8:46, Psa. 143:2, Prov. 20:9, Eccl. 7:20, 1 John 1:8,10.
1 Kings 8:46
46 "When they sin against Thee (for there is no man who does not sin) NASB
1 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. NASB
Through your belief in Christ, God chose you, even elected you into salvation. He saw in eternity past, your choice to believe in Christ now. Without coercion, without being intimidated, without pressure of any kind. You made the choice to believe in Christ.
And through your faith, salvation became yours forever.
Rom 8:29-30
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;
30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. NASB
Gods election is permanent. Gods foreknowledge is permanent. He cannot see you saved and then see you unsaved, afterwords. For you cannot lose your salvation. There is nothing that you can think or do, that will cause you to lose your salvation. That would imply that your thoughts or actions are greater than God. And that is impossible.
Jesus, likewise stated that anything given to Him by the Father, could never, repeat, never be lost.
John 6:37
37 "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. NASB
John 6:39-40
39 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." NASB
John 6:44
44 "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. NASB
John 10:27-29
27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. NASB
Salvation began with Gods sovereign and uninfluenced love. It is not based on the merit or numbers of the individual, otherwise that would imply that the person could earn salvation or negotiate his salvation through his own works. Such is not the case. God made His decision, even before the foundation of the world, before humanity even existed.
Eph 1:4-5
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, NASB
Deut. 7:7
7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, NASB
And even though many will believe and be saved, there will be many who will have the same choice of salvation, but through their own volition, will reject Christ. For to think those six little words, ‘Father I believe in Jesus Christ,’ seems to be an insurmountable hurdle for unbelievers.
And for the life of me, how anyone can refuse to even think these words, which would take all of but a second of time, seems the epitome of arrogance and stubbornness, when the alternative is the Lake of Fire and eternal condemnation. Why would anyone even take that risk, over a simple thought?
So Paul lays out four simple contrasts. There are those who love and obey truth vs. those who refuse to love and obey. There are those who God redeems vs. those who God judges. There are those who believe truth vs. those who believe the lies (which are from Satan). There are those who follow Christ vs. those who follow anti-christ.
Note that good yields freedom, prosperity, security and so forth. Bad yields slavery and suffering and worse.
There is no room for the bad, if you want anything good.
Place out a piece of meat on the counter and leave it there. What happens? It rots. Can the meat cure its own rot? No. No person can cure their own flaws through their own work. Only God can work that miracle.
2 Tim. 1:9
9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, NASB
Once saved, always saved, for all of eternity.
Once saved, the believers name is sealed permanently to the book of life and is never blotted out. Believers are called the elect or the chosen, Rev 13:8, 17:8, Matt. 24:22,24,31, Mark 13:20,22,27, Luke 18:7, Rom. 8:33, Matt. 22:14, Rom. 11:7, Col. 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:10, Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1.
God doing all of the work crushes mans arrogance, Titus 3:5.
Titus 3:5
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, NASB
Salvation exalts God, Psa. 115:1. It produces happiness in knowing one is saved, 1 Pet. 1:1-2, 6, 8. It grants privileges beyond imagination, Eph. 1:3. It paves the way for holiness in believers, Col. 3:12-13.
And, the key to this passage, it provides eternal security, Phil. 1:6
Phil. 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. NASB
The Holy Spirit, in salvation, sets apart (sanctifies), the believer from the world, and aligns the believer with Gods righteousness, not mans righteousness, Rom. 15:16, 1 Cor 6:11, 1 Peter 1:2.
And as for our part in all of this, we merely believe.
We believe in Jesus Christ who accomplished all of the work for salvation. Man can do nothing to earn nor does he deserve salvation. It is Gods gift.
Eph 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; NASB
Acts 16:31
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." NASB
The principle that salvation is by faith is found in many passages in the Bible, Mark 1:15, John 1:12, 3:15-16,36, 5:24, 6:40,47, Acts 10:43, Rom. 1:16, 1 Tim. 1:16, 2 Tim. 3:15, 1 Peter 1:9, 1 John 5:1.
Therefore, God has done all of the work. The Father planned it, the Son executed it, and the Holy Spirit secures it. That makes salvation permanent. No one can take it away from you, and you certainly cannot lose it.
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