SALVATION FROM ETERNITY TO ETERNITY - WORDS OF SALVATION
READ 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Over the next few days, you will see the salvation that has been given to us by God in the eternal past, that has been wrought out in time, and that will be our experience through all of the eternities of the future.
Notice Paul’s words of salvation.
“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Vss. 13-14
Paul uses words like beloved and chosen and sanctification and belief and the gospel and glory. These are words that all have to do with salvation. These are words that describe for us just how wonderful this salvation experience is. When you look at these words you will find that they deal with, not only God's side to salvation, but with man's side as well.
Sometimes you will read verses that deal with God's side of salvation -- divine sovereignty. While at other times you will read verses and find they deal with man's side of salvation -- human responsibility.
How do we reconcile those two? How can we reconcile the fact of divine sovereignty, that God chose us from eternity, and human responsibility, that the Bible commands us to repent and believe the Gospel?
We shouldn’t try to reconcile them. When I come to the Bible, I'm aware of the fact that I am bringing a finite, human mind to a book that reveals to us the divine mind of God. So, I do not expect to be able to understand everything in it. Do I accept things I don't understand? Of course, I do.
I accept a lot of things I don't understand. I don't understand electricity. I don't know what makes electricity do what it does. But I believe in electricity. I don't put my thumb in any sockets.
I accept a lot of things I don't understand and can't reconcile in my finite understanding. I don't understand how a brown cow can eat green grass and give white milk and yellow butter, but I like milk and I like butter.
We accept a lot of things we do not understand. It is not my responsibility to have all the answers. It is not my responsibility to figure out everything in God's Word. It is my responsibility to read it and believe it and rejoice in it. So, when you come to the matters of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, you will find much that will perplex your mind, but you will find a whole lot, also, that will comfort your heart.
These two verses, 13 and 14, bring to our attention salvation from God's side -- divine sovereignty and from man's side – human responsibility.
Let's look at it from God's side and you will notice several things.
Notice that God chose you and me to salvation. Verse 13 says, “…because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through…” God chose you. God picked you out. Why did God choose you? To salvation. God chose for you to be saved. Salvation is of the Lord. It is God who takes the initiative in our salvation. We don't seek God, initially. God seeks us.
The song writer put it this way:
He called me long before I heard.
Before my sinful heart was stirred.
And when I took Him at His Word
Redeemed, he lifted me.
It is God who calls us. Jesus said in John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Salvation is of God's initiative.
It answers three questions in this verse about God's choosing us -- our election by God.
It answers:
1. Why did God choose us? Why would God choose us to be saved? He explains it to you in verse 13. "Beloved of the Lord, God hath chosen you." The why of God's choice of us is His love. God chose us because He loved us.
The wonderful thing about the love of God is that God, who knows everything, knows
everything about you and me. He knows all of the good in us; He knows all of the bad in us. In spite of the fact that God knows all the bad in us, He still loves us.
Isn't it wonderful that God loves us! God spoke in His Word saying, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love."
God has proven His love to us on the cross. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth (proves) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." You never have to wonder whether or not God loves you. God proved His love by letting His Son Jesus die on the cross for your sins.
So, He chose us because He loves us.
2. When did He choose us?
"From the beginning chosen you." Ephesians 1:4 puts it this way, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Before you were ever born God chose you. Before you were ever born God set His love on you.
Charles Spurgeon said, "God surely must have chosen me before I was born because He never would have chosen me after I was born." Why did God choose us? Because he loves us. When did God choose us? From the beginning.
3. How does God choose us?
"…Through sanctification of the Spirit". The word sanctification means to be set apart. He is talking about that set apart the work of the Holy Spirit. God sets you apart. The Holy Spirit sets you apart.
You come to Christ because you are convicted of your need for Christ. You are only convicted of your need for Christ by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:8, “And when He [the Holy Spirit] is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The Holy Spirit is the great sheriff of heaven who comes and arrests the soul and brings it into the presence of God.
There's a beautiful picture of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
Remember Mephibosheth, the little crippled boy, the son of Jonathan. David wanted to do something good for the family of Jonathan, and he found out about this little cripple boy. One day David's servant came knocking at the door of Mephibosheth. He took Mephibosheth and carried him into the presence of King David. King David said to him, "I'm going to make you as one of my sons. You are going to sit at my table and feast."
That's exactly what the Holy Spirit does. When the Holy Spirit makes us aware that we are lost, aware that we are sinners in need of a Savior, the Holy Spirit brings us into the presence of the God of this universe. Thus we learn that he chooses us through the sanctification of the Spirit.
All of these things describe salvation from God’s side – divine sovereignty.
But as so often is the case in these very verses that talk about divine sovereignty, we also see here human responsibility. Salvation from man's side. It says in verse 14, “He called you by our gospel…” Now this great work of salvation which began in eternity past dips into time and shows us how, in time, God brings to pass that which He has ordained.
A. Your salvation was ordained in eternity past.
B. Your salvation is wrought out in the present.
He says that He called you by our gospel. It is the wonderful call of God to a lost person, the wonderful call of God to a lost soul. He does it by our gospel, by our good news, and by this message of salvation.
It is exciting to know that you and I are involved in eternal activity. We are involved in this great enterprise of salvation and that God calls people unto Himself by our gospel. Sometimes it is the preaching of the Gospel in a public way. At other times the sharing of the Gospel is a personal witness.
Have you ever been involved in sharing the Gospel through personal witness? In verse 13 it says, "belief of the truth". That's how it all comes to fruition.
God chooses us from eternity past, through sanctification of the Spirit. He calls us by our Gospel. You hear the Gospel. You hear the message that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior. You hear the message that Jesus died on that cross for your sins. You hear the message that if you will ask God to forgive you of your sins, and by personal faith believe Him and receive Him as your Savior, then you'll be saved. Belief and faith become the hands of the soul.
By faith, the human soul reaches up to what God gives in His mercy, love, and grace. When you receive the truth, when you believe the truth, you are born into the kingdom of God, and God's plan just all comes to pass.
3. Your Salvation and Eternity future. He says in verse 14, “…to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now he reaches into eternity future, the glory that is out there for us. Notice he didn't say "attaining." It's not something that we work for, that we earn, or merit. This glory is something that we obtain.
He's already taught that in I Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” We obtain salvation, and that salvation includes the future dimension of obtaining the glory that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the future aspect of salvation.
Glory is out there for God's children. Everything that begins in grace ultimately concludes in glory. Psalm 84:11 states, “…the LORD will give grace and glory…”
Grace tells us what God does for us. Glory tells us what God has in store for us. There is glory out there in the sweet by and by.
Aren't you glad you've accepted Christ as your Savior? From eternity past God chose you. In time God called you by His Gospel. Now, for all the ages of the future, there will be glory and glory and glory and glory.
Thank God that our salvation is from eternity to eternity!
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. Why do you think so many people try to reconcile God’s sovereignty with man’s free will?
2. Why did God choose you to salvation in eternity past? What did you do for Him to choose you?
3. Why is the present so important as we think of salvation. What did you do to come to faith in Christ?
4. What comes to your mind as you ponder the future glory God has in store for all those who are saved? Explain 1 Corinthians 2:9 as you consider our future glory.