The Work of the Spirit is for the Church !

2 Thess 2:13 before belief of the Truth ! 2

This Sanctifying Work of the Spirit unto the belief of the Truth is imperative because the Truth is a Sanctified Truth, or else how could Jesus pray this stated request to His Father for His followers Jn 17:17

17 Sanctify[imperative] them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

And this applies to all that shall believe which are the Sheep Jn 17:19-20

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

So if the Truth itself is Sanctified, and does Sanctify, the Vessels receiving it must also be Sanctified in the Minds and Hearts, hence Sanctified persons are only fit vessels to receive Sanctified Truth, and from that point on grow in Sanctification in the Knowledge and belief of the Truth 2 Pet 3:18; 1:4-8

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because the Spirit which sanctified them in the first place, shall abide , dwell in them.

Thats why John writes in 1 Jn 2:27

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

And if anyone denies the need of this Sanctifying work of the Spirit, which is none other than the New Birth, before believing the Truth, they are deceived, and this very scripture 2 Thess 2:13 stands as a Testimony against them, and let it be known, that their denial is now moreso against the Holy Spirit and the need of His Work effectually before we can believe the Truth !
 
2 Thess 2:13 before belief of the Truth ! 3

2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway 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:

This verse also means that God has Chosen some to experience these Two things:

#1 Sanctification of the Spirit or New Birth ;

#2 Belief of the Truth,

Also the belief of the Truth is part of the Sanctifying process God the Spirit begins in us [Phil 1:6] in answer to Jesus prayer Jn 17:17-20, its a ongoing progressive work.

The writer of Hebrews writes Heb 10:14 and the word sanctified here opposed to in Vs 10 where its a perfect tense [once and all completed] yet here in Vs 14 its in the present tense " those being sanctified" which denotes continual action ongoing, that's because they will continually being Sanctified by the Truth, as they grow in Grace and Knowledge of it, and acknowledging of the Truth Titus 1:1; 2 Tim 2:25, hence all for whom Christ died, shall be granted repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth, For repentance toward God is not complete if it does not result in belief and or acknowledgment of the Truth, if not, it simply was not repentance granted by God ! 6
 
Granting Faith and Repentance are the same thing !

I put this under " The Holy Spirit and Salvation " because it is the Spirits work through Christ, because of His Saving Merit of His Blood, that works in all for whom He died both Faith and Repentance !

Acts 5:31

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 11:18

18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

2 Tim 2:25

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

All three of these scriptures use the same giving verb didōmi ! I believe this is the result of God giving each person Christ died for the Spirit Rom 5:5

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given/didōmi unto us.

Now why is it that both Faith and Repentance are the same thing ? In other words none of the above texts about giving repentance cannot be divorced from God with giving repentance giving with it an Acknowledgment of the Truth, which in essence is giving them a Knowledge of their Salvation Lk 1:77

77 To give/didōmi knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

So in other words, repentance being granted or given is accompanied by belief in the truth of your Salvation, which cannot be divorced, once we acknowledge the Truth, our hearts / minds have stop opposing it and showing enmity towards it ! Thats why repentance is a change of mind towards the Truth !
 
Salvation by the Spirits Sanctifying work also !


2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway 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:

As the Beloved of the Lord, and the fact that the Lord God is Triune, subsisting always as the Father, the Word/Son, and Holy Spirit, then it is also True that they are peculiarly Beloved by God the Spirit in the Purpose of Redemption, and His Great Love for them motivates His Sanctification of them, setting them apart for the service of the Lord. The word sanctification in our above text is hagiasmos:


I.consecration, purification


II.the effect of consecration

A.sanctification of heart and life


the process of making or becoming holy, set apart,
sanctification, holiness, consecration.

(the process of advancing in holiness); use of the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (similarity of nature).

All the beloved of the Lord shall undergo thius process 2 Cor 3:18

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Spirit begins this and completes it in us Phil 1:6

Being confident,persuaded of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Again, Paul mentions the Love of the Spirit Rom 15:30

30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

The Spirit also sanctifies all whom the Son sanctified Himself for in answer to this prayer to the Father Jn 17:17-20

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Thats in fact why He is sent by both the Father and Son, the Father sends Him in the Name of the Son Jn 14:26

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jn 15:26

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

The Apostles here are Representative of the Church, the Body of Christ, the Beloved of the Lord ! 6
 
The Spirits Testitification of Christ to the Church, the Elect !

Jn 15:26

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

In the Economy of Salvation its the Spirits Unique and Blessed Job to ensure that the Souls Christ made atonement for, believe in Him, give them Faith in Him, because otherwise they dont believe Jn 16:8-9

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Thats their chief sin that needs to be dealt with, their natural unbelief !

Hence the Spirit wroughts both conviction as well as assurance in the Souls of the Elect, the Church, He assures them that Christ's Death was for them !

Thats part of His Testification. The Spirit confirms the Testimony of Christ in them by the Call of the Gospel 1 Cor 1:2,6-9

2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed[By the Spirit] in you:

7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

And the Spirit, through the Faithful Preaching of the Gospel gives Testimony to all the ransomed souls of God, whom Christ gave Himself a Ransom for 1 Tim 2:6-7

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

That Testified there is that which Jesus stated earlier would happen Jn 15:26

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

His Testification leads to belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway 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:

If one for whom Christ died does not come to Faith in Him, The Spirit failed in His Job, because then Christ was not Glorified with that precious Soul He died for Jn 16:13-14

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.7
 
Being made a sinner !

Being A sinner is a Blessed thing, you know why ? Because of this 1 Tim 1:15

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Now isn't that a Blessing in being a sinner ? But its important to understand something at this point, I am not speaking of just any ole sinner, but of a Holy Ghost made sinner; that is when one is made to see their sinfulness before God and their need for Christ, the Saviour of sinners.

You see when we are Holy Ghost made sinners, we become as this publican did Lk 18:13

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

And the scripture said of him:

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Holy Ghost made sinners are they who are made to mourn Isa 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Jesus in His Most Blessed Sermon on the Mount spake these words Matt 5:3-4

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

You see, all of the people Christ died for to save from their sins Matt 1:21, they shall by the Spirit, be made to feel their sinfulness and their need for their Saviour, again this by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

The fact is, though we are sinners by nature, we really dont know it experimentally until we are made Spiritually alive to God by the Spirit.

You see, the pharisee in Lk 18:11-12

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.


This man was also a sinner before God, but he never knew it, he never felt it as did the publican, and he never would unless he be made a sinner by the work of the Spirit,, only then will he flee to Christ as He is revealed to him in the Gospel !

Thats what had to happen to Paul, and what needs to happen for all whom He[Christ] died, and what shall happen to all for whom He died, The Spirit shall make each Vessel of Mercy Cry our for the same, Like this Publican Lk 18:13-14

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
 
No man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost !

No man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost ! 1 Cor 12:3

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Many call or say Jesus is Lord by the flesh, and or by their natural intellect, but very few call upon Him as Lord by the Holy Ghost, and frankly speaking, none of us have a right or privilege to call Him Lord, save if we do so by the Holy Ghost, for if we have not the Spirit, there is no proof that we belong to Him Rom 8:9

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,he is none of his.

Thats pretty emphatic I would say ! Actually its in the Holy Ghost, or in the realm of the Spirit, No man can say Jesus is Lord but in or in the realm of the Spirit.

That prep by in 1 Cor 12:3 is en and means:

en (a preposition) – properly, in (inside, within); (figuratively) "in the realm (sphere) of," as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within).

a prim. preposition denoting position and by impl. instrumentality 7
 
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