“13But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (ESV)
Paul exclaims to the Thessalonians that he should always thank God for them. I have to remember to be thankful for my fellow Christians.
These verses demonstrate the way in which we are saved and it all starts with the “belief in the truth”. The Truth, being Jesus, is may be difficult to believe. He was sent by God, lived among us, died for us so that we would not have to, rose from the grave, and ascended back to heaven to be with God once again. When I simply look at those points, I can see how they may seem a bit like a movie script, and therefor are just fantasy.
I like a good movie for just what they are, entertainment. Now I don’t want to get into the argument of “based on true events” or documentaries. Movies are entertainment and should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. But I will admit when looking over the points again, I am driven to dig deeper to understand.
With all the study that I have done in my life in church, as a child, at home, as an adult, one thing has become clear: Jesus is the Truth and my belief in the Truth has saved me from spiritual death. I was chosen and have been “saved through sanctification by the Spirit and the believe in the truth”.
What study have you done on the points I listed? Are you digging deeper to find the clear message? Are you or will you be chosen by belief in the Truth?
Trevor's Thoughts 