Salvation Through Sanctification
Rob Streetman
Workplace Minister | Disciple Maker | Writer | President of inLight Consulting, Inc.
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth to which He called you by our gospel, for?the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Thessalonians 2:13-14
I study the word of God to partake of His glory (Proverbs 25:2) and become a faithful steward of His mysteries (1Corinthians 4:1-2). For me, searching out the hidden matters of God’s kingdom is like mining for mysteries where rich veins are known to exist. As Jesus promised: Those who seek, find (Matthew 7:7).
This week, I found a particularly exciting treasure to share with you. Please search it out with me, and respond in the comments with anything the Spirit, our Teacher, is showing you.
The treasure I am referring to can be found in the bold text of the passage above:
God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
Like most who are reading this article, I have known the truth of Ephesians 2:8 for most of my life:
For by grace you have been saved?through faith, and that not of yourselves;?it is?the gift of God…
We are saved by grace through God’s enabling gift of faith. Faith enables us to lay hold of God’s grace for our salvation. And so, we focus on faith – receiving it, applying it, growing in it, etc. But what about:
…sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth?
Through Paul’s second letter to the Church at Thessalonica, we discover salvation is also through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
Just to be clear, the word of God is not “either/or”, but “both/and”. Our salvation is through both faith in Jesus Christ and through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
So why is this new discovery so important? Before we answer that question, let’s review a few foundational truths about salvation:
1.?????Salvation is a process – we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8), we are being saved (1Corinthians 1:18), and we shall be saved (Romans 5:9).
2.?????Therefore, God offers grace for our salvation throughout our lives, enabling us to endure to the end (Matthew 24:13).
3.?????Salvation is not of works (Ephesians 2:9). However, by works faith is made perfect/complete (James 2:22) – including faith for our salvation.
4.?????Importantly, the “work of faith” is also by God’s grace.
5.?????Faith is a function of the heart (Romans 10:10), not the head (i.e., mental assent).
6.?????We shall be saved by Jesus’ life (Romans 5:10); belief in His death alone will not save us.
7.?????Therefore, we must exchange our life for His (Mark 8:35; Galatians 2:20).
For some, this is a lot to take in, and there may be some challenging assertions. Feel free to comment or call with any questions (770.367.7612). However you understand these foundations, we now have something else to consider.
Salvation Through Sanctification
In our series on God’s Way for Being Holy, we explored the meaning of sanctification (hagiasmos):
From these definitions, we already see connections between our understanding of salvation by grace through faith, the meaning of sanctification, and the passage we are studying: “of heart and life”, “growing in divine grace”, for the “Christian believer”, a “gradual… process”, and “the action of the Holy Spirit.”
So, what is sanctification’s role in our salvation? Sanctification seems to be the path to salvation, like a trail we take to get to the other side of the forest. Or, the difficult way which leads to life (Matthew 7:14), and the “being saved” noted above.
Digging deeper, we find the verb form of sanctification – sanctify (hagiazō) – means (among other things):
This matter of separation is an important one – the treasure found in searching out this matter. In the interest of our salvation, this discovery forces us to consider what we must be separated from, and face the consequences of declining or procrastinating to do so.
With that in mind, here is a short list of things we are commanded to separate ourselves from:
1.?????Later in his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul instructs them to “withdrawn from every brother who walks disorderly (v. 3:6)” and “anyone who does not obey our word in this epistle (v. 14).”
2.?????Speaking of idols in 2Corinthians 6:17, Paul quotes Isaiah 52:11 – “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”
3.?????In John 17, Jesus prays to His Father in heaven, “I have given them Your word;?and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,?just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but?that You should keep them from evil (vv. 14-15).”
4.?????Referring to Babylon in Revelation, John quotes a voice from heaven saying,?“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues (v. 18:4).”
Each one of us must hear from God concerning the form and degree of separation required by Him in this evil day. Based on the examples above, He may require our separation from individuals and/or groups, idols, the world, and/or whatever may be a Babylon manifestation in our lives.
Finally, it interests and sobers me to recognize the placement of Paul’s encouragement for sanctification along with His warning of the great falling away (v. 3). Perhaps he is saying, “Come away before you fall away.”
Salvation Through Belief in the Truth
God choosing us for salvation through belief in the truth brings three things to mind: First, Paul warns earlier in this letter that many will succumb to Satan’s deception and not be saved, “because they did not receive the love of the truth (2Thessalonians 2:9-10).”
Furthermore, God will “send them a strong delusion, that they would believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth (vv. 11-12).” These are terrifying words, indeed! It is not enough to know the truth, to assent to the truth, or to teach the truth. One must both love and believe it.
Secondly, the truth is found in the Holy Bible, and in the right now, spoken word of God (rhema). We must come to love and believe in God’s foundational, full, and revelatory word.
And last but certainly not least, Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6). We must love and believe in Him. We must love the LORD with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength. Nothing less will do.
In closing, please receive this encouragement: The work of sanctification is a work of God, by the Holy Spirit. Please, please, please, do not see these added conditions for our salvation as heavy burdens. Truly, everything with God is opportunity to know Him, His Son, and the working of the Holy Spirit. The condition and cost are small investments toward eternal return. Do not let the enemies of your soul steal your birthright.
God bless you with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and His ways.
Have a strong day in the Lord,
Rob