Tell Someone!

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 - Tell Someone!

Good news! News that causes Paul to celebrate. Even though the Thessalonians had been deceived by false teachers, Paul knew that they were still saved, and if Jesus had returned in their day, they would be taken into heaven? Why? Because God had saved them. Paul says they were chosen by God from the beginning. Chosen for salvation. The truth is that God’s choice is for all to be saved. Peter tells us that “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Paul said that “whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The issue is that God had chosen them from the beginning, and they chose Him in response. You see, it’s all about God’s love – a love so great that even before this world was created, God had a plan to redeem us (Revelation 13:8).

Notice how Paul qualified their salvation. It is through “sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” Understand this: all salvation is qualified by these phrases. When we are saved, we are made holy by the work of the Spirit in our lives. He transforms us. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are made into new creations. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1, 2 that we are transformed. Folks, salvation changes us from the inside out. Our hearts are changed. Our minds are changed. Our behaviors are changed. Our vocabulary is changed. The shed blood of Jesus paid the price to cover our sin, and the presence of the Holy Spirit transforms us into new creations.

But sanctification is an ongoing process. It begins when we believe the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, then we are saved. But throughout our lives, we are continuously being made holy (sanctified) through the indwelling Spirit of God.

Notice what Paul says in v. 14. These Christians were called when he proclaimed the gospel to them. That is why the proclamation of the gospel is so important. God has chosen this as the only method of bringing salvation to a lost world. And we are the ones chosen to do the proclaiming (Romans 10:14). We must tell the world. We don’t have to prove it; we just have to tell it. The Holy Spirit’s job is to take that proclamation and do the convicting. When lost people receive our word and bow to the Spirit’s conviction, then they will obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christians must proclaim the gospel everywhere we go. Some of you are saying, “I’m not comfortable doing that.” Let me ask you a question: if your neighbor’s house was burning to the ground and they were all asleep inside, wouldn’t you risk everything to go into that house and warn them? You might be scared. It would definitely make you uncomfortable. But you would ignore those emotions and do it because you value life. How much more valuable is spiritual life? Eternity? Think about it – but only for a moment. Then tell someone about Jesus.