The third crucial point in Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians is Salvation in Sanctification, mainly based on 2 Thes. 2:13. Enjoy the verse, the excerpts, and the further reading recommendations below, and please leave a comment with what you have enjoyed. See crucial point 1 and 2.
2 Thes. 2:13 But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
In 2 Thessalonians the most crucial verse is 2:13 … We all need to have a deep impression concerning the expression — “salvation in sanctification.” This is one of the strongest expressions in the entire New Testament. Martin Luther paid his full attention to justification by faith. The Southern Baptists have nearly made a slogan of the phrase—“saved by grace.” The expressions “justification by faith” and “saved by grace” are crucial and very common among Christians, especially in the past five hundred years. But such a term “salvation in sanctification” probably has never been picked up by the Lord’s children. Since Paul uses this term, we need a revelation and realization of the truth embodied in it…
We need to thank Him that we have been rescued, saved, from eternal perdition. As believers our eternal destiny is not the lake of fire. We need to ask ourselves, however, about the salvation we are enjoying in our daily life and about the salvation from the coming tribulation and from the discipline in the kingdom age. Will we enjoy the reward or will we receive the discipline, the punishment, in the next age? We all need to get into the depths of this truth. This is God’s complete and full salvation and this salvation is the goal unto which God selected us. God’s selection from eternity was with the intention that we might enjoy such a full salvation, not just the initial salvation through the redemption of Christ. Christ’s redemption saves us from eternal perdition, but after that, in the daily salvation, you need the sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth…
In 2 Thessalonians 2:13 the Spirit is in pair with the truth. Salvation in sanctification is not only of the Spirit but also in the belief of the truth. Just as electricity needs a wire to convey it, so the Holy Spirit needs the Word as its wire. If there is no Word, there is no divine electricity. If you only have the wire without the electricity, that is empty. If you only have the electricity with no wire, the electricity does not work. If you only have the Word in letters without the Spirit, that is empty. But if you want to have the Spirit without the Word, this cannot be done. The Spirit and the truth embodied in the Word are a pair. The very salvation which is the goal of God’s eternal selection is in two things: in the sanctification of the Spirit and also in the faith of the truth. (Elders Training Book 6: The Crucial Points of Truth in Paul’s Epistles, p. 97-98 – ch. 8, by Witness Lee).
Further reading – footnotes and excerpts
Footnotes and Cross References for 2 Thes. 2:13 (Recovery Version Bible).
2 Thes. 2:13 But we ought to athank God always concerning you, brothers bbeloved of the Lord, because God 1cchose you 2from the dbeginning unto esalvation in 3fsanctification of the Spirit and 4belief of the gtruth.
- Life-study of 2 Thessalonians msg. 4 – A Further Word of Encouragement (with the Life-Study Radio Broadcast 4),
- Life-study of 2 Thessalonians msg. 5 – Chosen by God unto Salvation in Sanctification of the Spirit (1) (with the Life-Study Radio Broadcast 7), and
- Life-study of 2 Thessalonians msg. 6 – Chosen by God unto Salvation in Sanctification of the Spirit (2) (with the Life-Study Radio Broadcast 5)
Hymns #1135
Oh, sanctify us, Lord; now add Thyself to us,
In our experience, Thy Person spread in us,
That in reality the church be glorious,
O Lord, do add Thyself, we pray.
Oh, sanctify us, Lord, today;
Lord Jesus, You’re the only way.
We take Your Person, Lord;
Oh, spread Yourself abroad.
Oh, sanctify us, Lord, today.
Enjoy the full hymn online here.
