Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this weekend which begins a new month, July!
For American’s, this weekend is another opportunity for celebration, do you know why? July 4th is American “Independence Day”. Most nations have one such day on their annual calendar. Why? Because most nations were, at one time, a colony or part of another nation, and they sought their own independence. Usually that independence was gained through first a declaration of Independence and then a fight, maybe even a war, to gain their freedom.
I think a healthy exercise for the people of any nation is to spend some of their Independence holiday in reflection. I offer five key questions to consider. I wonder what your answers would be for America, regardless of where you live in the world or what your country of citizenship is:
1. WHY was independence so important and what is declared in the founding documents of America?
2. WHAT price was paid for gaining independence? Looking back over history, was the independence gained worth the great price paid?
3. WHAT was the early vision for the future of this new nation? Looking closely at the condition of that nation today, how similar or different is that nation from what the vision was at the time of fighting for independence?
4. WHO are the key stakeholders, the primary voices of influence which shape the trajectory of this independent nation?
5. WHAT do you project is the near and distant future for this independent nation?
Now, let’s make the application of all this to you and me and our citizenship in the kingdom of God, if we’ve trusted Jesus Christ to be our Savior, regardless of where we live. We’re with the apostle Paul as he is concluding his second chapter of his second letter to Christians in the city of Thessalonica in the Roman Empire in 51ad.
Paul is writing about citizenship, listen: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, loved by the Lord Jesus, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. God called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 2:13,14)
Do you hear great celebration of what Almighty God has accomplished FOR and IN these Thessalonian Christians? Do you hear Paul urging these people to rejoice in the fact that they are loved by Jesus; that they are among the first to be saved by God in Thessalonica? Do you notice Paul highlighting HOW these people were saved? “Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
This saving truth, of course, is God’s truth, the very same truth rejected by those deceived in wickedness, as we saw yesterday. A person is rescued by God from their sin bondage and sin condemnation when they BELIEVE God’s truth so strongly, they entrust their life to God’s truth, rather than REJECT or DENY God’s truth. (2 Thess. 2:10)
But what is this ‘sanctifying work’ of the Holy Spirit, which Paul refers to, that brings us into the kingdom of God? It is the multifaceted, miraculous, life transforming work of the supreme power of the Spirit of God, unleashed in a person who has believed God’s truth. Have you experienced it? May I give you four brief examples of this ‘sanctifying work of the Spirit’:
1. In John 3:3-7 Jesus described to Nicodemus that a person can enter the kingdom of God only if they have been ‘born again’ by the Spirit of God.
The theological word is “regeneration” and it means a creation as powerful and authentic as your first creation which occurred through conception in your mother’s womb! This ‘regeneration’ is the Holy Spirit of God birthing a new Holy spiritual nature in you, when you place your full trust in God’s Truth and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. 1 John 1:9 and Ephesians 1:7 speak of our rescue from our sin bondage and our cleansing by the power of the Holy Spirit, from all sin, guilt and shame.
As the Holy Spirit does this transformation work, God the Father then declares us “Justified” (Romans 5) and pure. It’s as though we had never sinned.
3. Romans 8:14-17 say “the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry Abba Father. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
This is part of why Paul refers to these Thessalonian Christians as ‘brothers and sisters’, for as we are adopted into God’s family, the Holy Spirit unites us together in a global spiritual family with all others who have trusted Jesus and been adopted by God the Father.
4. Romans 6 describes that the Holy Spirit of God unites us with Jesus Christ inseparably. Paul refers to it as being “baptized into Christ”.
This powerful work of the Holy Spirit connects us to Jesus as our Savior and our Master and propels us to live our lives fully submitted to the lordship of Jesus, as His ambassadors to the world. (2 Cor. 5:20)
The Holy Spirit then guides us to understand how our every word, attitude, choice and action, can be honoring to Jesus, as we live empowered by the Holy Spirit, to accomplish God’s purposes WHERE and HOW we live each day the rest of our lives.
Paul continued his encouragement of the Thessalonian Christians with these closing words: “So then, brothers and sisters in Christ, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thess. 2:15) Do you see Paul challenging his friends to be sure they stand firm on the clear truth teaching Paul had given them while he was in Thessalonica with them, but also that which Timothy had taught them, and what Paul had written both in his first letter and now in this second letter.
Paul urges them to be careful not to be swayed away from God’s truth by smooth talk or fine sounding arguments of false teachers who had risen up among them. Can you and I do the same.my friends? Do we know God’s truth well enough that we can discern and reject anything we read or hear that is NOT in full agreement with God’s truth?
Finally, Paul concludes this second chapter with these words: “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who love us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16,17) When Paul speaks of ‘eternal encouragement and good hope’ he is of course referring to our eternal inheritance in heaven, which God promises those of us who have fully trusted Jesus for our salvation. 1 Peter 1:3-5 describes that inheritance.
Do you notice Paul is again making it clear our salvation is accomplished and secure in the work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and God the Father who sent His Son Jesus to accomplish the Redemption plan. And as we saw in vs. 13, our salvation is also accomplished by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
As Paul paused here, after writing this powerful second chapter, I can see him calling Timothy and Silas to rejoice with him. What remarkable, wonderful truths that give us HOPE for living each day, no matter where we are in our world! So let’s do that… let’s rejoice and here’s a great song to help you, my friends…
Today’s Scripture is 2 Thess. 2:13-17.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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