Epistles of Paul 14

Well, good evening, brethren. Welcome to Continuation on Our Study on Second Thessalonians, chapter 2. And today, God willing, we hope to cover from verse 9 to verse 17 of 2nd Colossians, chapter 2. So we'll close this chapter of 2nd Thessalonians.

In Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians, some questions were raised about Christ's coming, which Paul addressed in his second epistle. And then in chapter 2 of his second epistle, starting in verse 1 and 2, he says to the brethren concerning Christ's coming, don't be soon shaken in mind with false doctrines about Christ's coming. In other words, with false teachings. We can see that from history, we can see that Satan did introduce a deviation from the truth. In other words, a falling away, or in other words, an apostasy.

In during the time of the early New Testament church, after Paul's life from about 70 AD to about 120 AD for about 50 years, according to a book which I cited before, entitled The Story of the Christian Church by Jesse Lyman Hurlbert, page 41, it says, a curtain hangs over the church through which we strive vainly to look. And when it last rises about AD 120, with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul. And so what we have was an apostasy, a deviation from the truth that infiltrated the early church. Paul gives us a warning to the Thessalonians starting in verse 3 of chapter 2. And basically, I'll like a sequence regarding that something would happen before Christ's coming. And here are like two key points. One, a falling away, basically an apostasy, as it's in Greek, and two, the man of sin to be revealed. Now, historically, we can see that that apostasy in the early church was first an internal deviation from the truth inside the church. And then later, secondly, became an external physical forcing by the Roman government, which then was further enforced by the Roman church.

It is very possible that this pattern will be repeated at the end time. And so I would venture to say that an internal apostasy in the church, as I would venture to say, as I said, has already happened, or I think it has already happened. And obviously, it continues because Satan never stops.

But a second phase, which is this physical enforcing by a government, is still to happen at this later in time. Even though it is already happening in some countries, in various forms in different countries, but it will happen also in Israelites countries. So that's the sad thing that is going to happen, in addition to the internal apostasy in the church.

We also, in previous studies, then talked a little bit about the man of sin to be revealed. And we looked that, obviously, the man of sin, one, obviously, possible interpretation is that it is a religious figure, a religious leader. But we also looked that it could also very well be representing a civil leader—in other words, the head of the beast. And we went through a few examples about that. In verse 6, he says, it's talking about this man of sin, and now you know what is restraining him that he may be revealed in his own time. And what is restraining him? Well, obviously, no man knows the time, the day, or the hour of Christ's coming, as Christ mentioned. And so it appears that God is holding on these events to happen until he says to whichever angels or powers through Christ, now is the time, that then whatever is holding him will then, in other words, restraining him, will then be released so that he can be revealed. That's this man of sin.

And that obviously ties in to Satan being allowed to go wild—let's call it that—and start what we would call the Great Tribulation. In verse 7, he talks about this, the mystery of lawlessness is already working. And we read, for instance, in 1 John 2, verse 18, 1 John chapter 2, verse 18.

It says, little children, in the last hour, and as you already have heard, the Antichrist is coming. Even now many Antichrists have come by which we know that it is a lost hour. So there's going to be a false Christ, a false leader claiming to be the Messiah, the one that is going to bring hope to society. And as I mentioned, we could very well be referring to a physical government leader or a religious leader. So it says this mystery of lawlessness is already working. So there are many false things happening today in the world, both in governments and in religion. But there's going to be this huge civil-stroke religious system, Babylon, the Great, that is going to be released and it's going to cause great havoc in the world. Then in verse 8 it says, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroyeth the brightness of his coming. So this one that will be revealed, as I mentioned, could be a religious leader, a false prophet, or the head of the beast, will be destroyed. And we know when we look at Revelation 19, verse 19 and 20, that both of them, Revelation 19, verse 19 and 20, it says, and I saw the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him, that's Christ, who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured and within the false prophet who worked signs in his presence of the beast by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image, that's the image of the beast, these two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. So that basically fulfills this that they will be destroyed at Christ's coming, as it says with the brightness of his coming. So at that time, with the brightness of his coming, when he comes, then they will be thrown into the lake of fire. Then continuing in verse 9, it says, the coming of the lawless one of this is according to the work of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. So we always see this is actually inspired, motivated, pushed by Satan.

So the question sometimes we should maybe consider is, could we be deceived? Could we be deceived? Look in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 4. Deceived about what? Look in verse 4, 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 4 says, he exalts himself above all that is God, and right at the end of that verse says, showing himself that he is God. So he is going to deceive, obviously through the mystery of lawlessness, which is this false deception of doctrine of turning God's grace into lewdness.

But one of the things that says here very specifically in verse 4 that mankind is going to believe that this being, this person, is Christ. Meantime, he is the antichrist.

And so one needs to be aware that this deception will be very, very big, because we are reading here in verse 9 the coming of the lawless one who is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

So there will be a great lie through enormous miracles that will deceive many. Look at Matthew chapter 24 verse 24. For false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. This deception will be so great with many people pointing to this false leader, false Messiah, antichrist, this man of sin, that many will believe that he is the Messiah. So there'll be serious lies. Let's look at a prophecy around this section, which is basically Revelation chapter 13. Revelation chapter 13, you could be divided into two sections. A first section between 1 verse 1 and verse 10, which is, let's call it, the beast from the sea rising up out of the sea, and verse 11 onwards to the end of that chapter, which is a second beast coming out of the earth.

Again, the sequence is important because it implies one will become a pattern first, and then another one. Then I saw another beast, which comes as like a following on supporting the first beast. So it seems to be that case. Now, look at this beast that comes out from the sea is clearly a civil government. Coming out of the sea could well imply, out of demonstrations, a turmoil, a sea of people having various turmoils and strikes, and then out of that, a leader emerges. In verse 3, it says, and it's referring about that this is the mortally wounded head that was healed. It was the old Roman Empire, the whole Roman Empire. Remember, I've shown you before about the statue of Daniel and that Roman Empire, how it collapsed, but that Roman Empire came back to life. But that then became when it came back to life as the Holy Roman Empire, which itself lost for about 1260 years, and then it stopped, but it's going to come back again at the end time. And it says, and all the world marveled and followed this resurrected beast. All the world. I mean, we, for instance, read, for instance, in Revelation 12 verse 9, that Satan is the great dragon, and he deceives the whole world. And so, yeah, all the world marveled and followed the beast. And they believe that this man of sin, if it's really referring at a physical civil leader, a civil leader, that he is a leader that is going to bring peace to the world, and therefore, they say, is the Messiah, while in reality, he's the Antichrist. So, it says here in verse 4, so they worshiped the dragon. Now, in Revelation 12 verse 9, you know, it says the great dragon, which is that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. So they worshiped the dragon. You see, through the beast, this beast power, they worshiped Satan. Now, remember, in the old times in the Roman Empire, the emperors were actually worshiped. So, and that was a civil government. Later, it came the Roman church in what it was called the resurrection of the Roman Empire that had collapsed, and then it came up under the auspices of the Holy Roman Empire, which was blessed by, quote unquote, blessed by the Roman church. And continuing then, reading in verse 4 and 5, who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And then look at here in verse 5, and he, that's the beast, that's the civil government, that's the civil leader, was given a mouth by this great horn, I mean by this little horn of Daniel, you know, but it was given a mouth, obviously, through inspired by Satan and things, was given to speak great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months, that is, three and a half years.

And then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God. And so he became like anti-God. In other words, as we read in early on in Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 4, he acted as he feels God, so you blaspheme against God. And so that is the great lie, that he is God. That is clearly a great lie. Now, obviously, there are many other lies that go with, when people believe in this, many other lies. But continuing in verse 7, it was granted to him, that's the beast, that's the civil government, to make war worth the saints and to overcome them. So the civil government is going to make war with God's people. And we read of that in Revelation 12, that says that verse 13, that Satan, he would cast onto the earth, and he persecuted the woman, which is the church. And then part of the church was protected because she was given two wings of a great evil. I'm reading now in Revelation 12 verse 14, and that she, the church, might fly into the wilderness to a place where she's nourished for the time, times and oftentimes, three and a half years, from the presence of the serpent.

And then it says, so the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman. And that is a military power that is persecuting the church and attacking the church, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood, by this military power. But the earth helped the woman, that's the church, or let's put it another way, a portion of the church. And the earth opened his mouth and swallowed up the flood, which, you know, was that military force which swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And then it says, verse 17, that's of Revelation 12, and the dragon was enraged with the woman. And he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, in other words, with the rest of the church, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So, I've mentioned this before. Part of the church is protected, and part of the church is not protected.

Part of the church is protected. They keep the commandments of God, and they have the testimony of Jesus. Part of the church is not protected. They keep the commandments The difference is that one is symbolized, I believe, by Revelation 2, which symbolizes the Philadelphia era. They held on to the truth. Turn with me to Revelation 3. Sorry, I think I said 2. I meant 3. Because you kept my commandment to persevere.

In other words, you kept the commandment to persevere what? In outgoing and concerning love towards one another. Because the Philadelphia churches symbolizes brotherly love. I also keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. So one group keeps the commandment.

It has a testimony of Jesus, but it's protected. Why? Because they got brotherly love. Another group keeps the commandments of God. They go to the feast. They do all those things. They believe in Christ, but they're not protected. Why? Because he says, because you say Revelation 3 verse 17, that's what the Laudasian brethren said. And this is a thing in the heart that we're going to see. Where are we? Because then the Laudasian brethren said, say in Revelation 17, Revelation 3, I'm rich, become wealthy, and have need of nothing.

So there is some sort of an arrogance, a certain lack of love. Right? And then he says, repent. Now there's another interesting scripture to support this, which I want you to look at, and that is in Malachi. Very interesting scripture. Malachi chapter 3, I think it's verse 16. Let me just look at it. Malachi chapter 3 verse 16. And it says, then those who fear the Lord, in other words, they have a deep respect for God, spoke to one another.

Why did they speak to one another? Because they have love for one another. They've got concern for one another, and therefore they have this Philadelphia love for one another. And he says they spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before him, before the Lord, for those who fear the Lord and who made a titan on his name. In other words, they think about that, and they have this brotherly love.

And then look at verse 17. They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them my jewels, and I will spare them as a man, spare his own son, who serves him. That's interesting, isn't it? I will spare them. So going back to this time that Satan is going to start persecuting the church, and we were reading in Revelation 13 verse 7 that says it was granted to him to make war with the saints, that to be spoured, to make war with the saints, and to overcome.

Now, as I showed you in Revelation 12, a portion of the church was protected, and a portion of the church was not protected. They both keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. I believe that the differentiating factor is the brotherly love.

Those that spoke often to one another, they are God's jewels, and he says I will spare them. So that understanding is speculative, but I think brotherly love, because God says God's law is love, right? But Christ said, you know, love your fellow man like I have loved you.

That's a new commandment. Well, loving a fellow man has always been a commandment, but he's raised up the standard for us not just to love fellow man as I love myself, but he raised up the standard for us to love fellow man as he loved us and died for us, and he loves us and died for us. So I think that is the differentiating factor. That's what makes one, between inverted commas, one of God's jewels, as we read in Malachi chapter 3. So, continue reading, Yah, in verse 7. It shows that he then attacks the remaining of the church of God, and then look at it.

In verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him. In other words, they consider him as God. I would say that is the lie. I would say that is the lie. So, continuing then, at the end of this, because all this is going to be a time of extreme pressure for God's brethren, for the church, for God's people.

That's why then it says, at the end of verse 10, in Revelation 13, says, Yah is the patience and the faith of the Son, of the science. In other words, Yah is the perseverance, the stick to witfulness, under these extreme situations that the science show the patience and perseverance till the end.

So, that's why it says that this is going to be an enormous test, and we all have to be thinking that we need to put to practice better, more loving kindness, broadly kindness, broadly love. We just have to be thinking about that, and we have to meditate, and we have to examine ourselves and say, I need to change and make an effort to change.

So, that section of Revelation 13 from verse 1 to verse 10 is actually talking about a civil government. Then, from verse 11 onwards, he's talking about the other beast, which is the church, which has two horns like a lamb, and speaks like a dragon, and he exercises, he leverages the power of the civil government. And then, this religious entity also performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of man. We read that in Revelation 13. So, it just lies upon more lies upon more lies.

And therefore, we read in verse 14, it deceives those who dwell on the earth, because they believe in these lies. They think completely. So, do we love the truth that we are not going to be deceived? See, this is this whole mystery Babylon system that is going to be resurrected, which is a combined civil and religious.

It is going to be very, very terrible this time of the end. So, let's go back to 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 10. You see, because in verse 9 it says, this is going to be according to the working of Satan. And it is verse 10, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish.

Because if you are believing this, you're going to end up perishing. Why? Because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. We must love the truth.

We must hold on to the truth. Remember, if we read again in verse 3, it all started with falling away with apostasy, and then it crept into a military civil government pushing a dictatorship and this trouble on mankind. So, what we have is apostasy, twisting of the truth, deviating from the requirement of keeping God's commandments, deviating from that, and when this man of sin comes, deviating from looking at who is the truth.

In John 14, verse 6, Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Christ is the truth. But now we have this man of sin saying that he is God. He is He, and that is the lie, the great lie. In John 17, that was his prayer before he was betrayed. In John 17, verse 15 through 17, he says, I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one, from Satan, from that big liar that is going to cause a lot of troubles.

And then it says, verse 16, they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Look at verse 17, sanctify them by your truth. Thy word is truth. The Bible. And so Christ is truth. The Bible is truth. So what do we have? People are going to be pointing to a false messiah, the antichrist, and that's going to be a big lie.

And they're going to twist the scriptures, the Bible, as they are doing it today, which is the foundation of all truth. Remember, when Christ was tempted by Satan in chapter 4, in every one of those instances, he says, it is written. And Christ hit back at him in Matthew 4, verse 4, and verse 7, and verse 17. He says, it is written. It is written. Christ always pointed to God's word. And you also know in Ephesians chapter 6, I don't have to turn there, but in Ephesians chapter 6, it talks about, starting from verse 11, about the armor of God.

Well, let me turn there, and let me turn to verse 14. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 14. It says, stand, therefore, having girded your waste with truth. Did you notice that the first armor to put on is truth? You see so? And then having put on the breastplate of righteous. But the first one is truth. And so, if we're not steadfast on the truth, on the Bible, on holding on to Christ and who he is, understanding who he is, we will be deceived.

We will be deceived. And so, going back to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 11. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion. You see, because they did not love the truth, and therefore send them strong delusion.

A big false mistake that they should believe the lie. The lie is that this man of sin is God. And all the mystery of lawlessness that he propagates, all the things that he propagates. And so, once again, it all started with apostasy. And that is basically unrighteous deception about what is sin and God's law. You know how the apostasy has come in time and time again, trying to infiltrate into the church. And it's always to attempt to deviate from God's law. So, remember in Jude chapter 4, it says, For certain men have crept unnoticed. That is by stealth, by subtly, into the church internally. That's the apostasy. That's the falling away.

Right? Who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turned the grace of our God into lewdness and denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, they turned the grace of God into licentiousness and therefore deny Christ what he's done for us, that he died for us. So that we can be forgiven, but we have to keep the law.

We have to obey. So, in context, this man of sin claims that he is God, the power of God, a servant of a servant doing the right things, etc. And in parallel, and obviously, then you will be with the false prophet, that will be these two, leader of the beast and the leader of the religious system. At that time, as we saw in Revelation 13, there's these two beasts that come up. There's these two leaders. And in parallel to these two men, over those three and a half years, there'll be two witnesses of God, two witnesses of God, which we read in Revelation 11, verse 3 to 6.

There's these two witnesses also in parallel during these three and a half years. So, you can see there's a civil leader and a religious leader, and there will be two witnesses also for God. Maybe one, I'm speculating, I don't know, maybe one will be more inclined to talk about government things, and the other one will be more inclined to talk about religious things, which then will have, but govern things as far as the kingdom of God, not politics of the soul.

Focusing more on the kingdom of God, king of kings, and the other one being more along the lines of Lord of Lords, of those principles. So, maybe, maybe, I'm speculating here, just like there's the beast and the false prophet, these two men.

So, the two witnesses will be preaching at that time. And as we read, for instance, in Revelation 13, verses 14 through 17, there will be false worship, and they will bring in things like the mark of the beast. So, let's just read Revelation 13, Revelation 13 verse 14. It says, And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast.

In other words, to make a replica of this government, the image of the beast, who was wounded by the sword and left, in other words, of this resurrected Roman Empire. And he was granted power to give breath to this replica, so it probably is this church government, which replicates or copies in its hierarchy and its organization structure to the government of the beast.

Maybe, as a possibility, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image and the beast to be killed. And he calls all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or in their forehead. So what is this mark? We know that a mark is something that is forced. And, meantime, there is a sign of God.

You and I know in Deuteronomy 6, verses 6 through 8, that if we obey God's laws, they will be, in a sense, assigned to us in our hand and in our mind. And also, we read in Exodus 31, verse 13, that the Sabbaths will be a sign for God. So basically, we have a sign which is voluntary, which is representing obedience to God's laws, and particularly the Sabbath. And on the other side of the equation, we have a mark which is not voluntary, but it's forced. Marked. Forced. Which is to break God's laws. That's why he's a man of sin.

And breaking God's laws, and particularly God's Holy Days and the Sabbath. So forcing people to keep another day like Sunday instead of the Sabbath. So this mark has existed for many years. It's nothing new. In some other countries, it's more forced than in this country. But it's still, you know, our children, for instance, have difficulties at school or sports and things like that, unless they break the Sabbath. You see, that is symbolic of the mark of the beast. We've got to be careful with this.

We've got to be careful. Now, continue reading in 2 Thessalonians. We're now moving into verse 12, and it says, that they may be condemned who do not believe the truth, but at pleasure in righteousness. You see, so it is deviation from the truth. They do not believe. Now, I have often mentioned that when you see the word believe, you know, it was the verb believe in the Bible. Always think about another verb that complements belief, that goes behind belief, and that is doing or by.

If somebody tells you, jump and I'll catch you, and you're okay, if you believe them, you're going to do it. If you don't believe them, you're not going to do it. So, whenever you see in the Bible the word believe, believe in God, that means you do believe God, that means you trust Him, that means you're going to do what He tells you to do. So, whenever you see the word believe, think about the complementary verb behind it, which is do what it tells us to do.

So, often we read, well, if you believe in Christ, you'll be saved. Well, read beyond the word believe. If you believe in Christ, you're going to do what it tells us to do, to act, you're going to obey. You see, so always read the other action verb behind the verb believe. And you read in James as well, it says, demons believe, but they fear because they don't do. Right? So, it is very important for us to understand that.

So, in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 12, their time may be condemned who do not believe the truth, because they do not obey the truth, which is God's word, which is God's commandments, which is what Christ tells us to do, but had pleasure in unrighteousness, because they disobeyed God's laws. And now we're going into verse 13. And it says, 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.

From the beginning, God chose you. Now, some people say, Oh, you see, predestination, you're predestined. You see, from the beginning, God's plan has always been that he will select and he will call a few. That's what is predestined. He's predestined. They will call a few. His intent is that those few will become the first fruits, and those few will be the leaders in the world tomorrow, the pioneers, spiritual pioneers. And so, it's God's plan to choose some, a few. And therefore, it is from the beginning, he's decided to choose a few.

Now, we know in John 6, verse 44, says, No man can come to me unless the Father that is sent me will draw him. So, we know at the same time, God is analyzing different people and says, Him, her. And is it because you and I are better? No. It's because, you see, we've got the potential to make it. And He calls us. Then it's our choice to respond, because there's many are called, but few are chosen.

In other words, few actually respond to the calling. Right? So, God chooses, but few are chosen. Look at Matthew 22, Matthew 22, verse 3 to 5. In Matthew 22, verse 3 to 5, it says, and it's talking about this marriage for His son, and He sent out His servants to call those who were invited to the wedding, and they were not willing to come. You see, many were called, but few were chosen. And then you read a bit further in verse 8 and 9. It says, then He said to His servants, the wedding is ready, but those who are invited are not worthy before go into the hallways and find even more.

Call more, because people have not yet responded, and we need more people into that number. Can you see? So, you've got to take all the scriptures together to get the full picture of this puzzle. And so, we can see what God is saying. Well, I still need to call a few more. All right? And then look at verse 14.

For many are called, but few are chosen. You see, God is choosing those that respond to the calling, respond to this high calling to be the first fruits. You see, it's our choice, our response. We're not predestined. It's our choice, and it's your choice. In 1st Timothy, chapter 2, verse 3 and 4. It says, God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

He wants you and I to be saved. He wants you to understand the truth, which is the Bible and Christ. Christ said, I am the truth. In the Bible, God's Word is truth. So, He wants us to come to understand the truth, but He desires all men to be saved. You see, but each one in His own order.

In 1st Corinthians 15, verse 22 through 24. 1st Corinthians 15, verse 22 says, For as in Adam will die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order. Christ, the first fruit, first was Christ. Afterwards, those that are Christ's act is coming. And then comes the end, the end ones and the rest and other events that happen at the end. But there is an order. So, from the beginning, God has a plan. From the very beginning. And with that in mind, I just want us to read very briefly Romans chapter 8.

Romans chapter 8. This is such a beautiful chapter. Romans chapter 8. But we're going to read verse 19 through 23. Romans 8 verse 19 through 23 says, From the earnest expectation of creation, for the earnest expectation of creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

The very creation, the earth, the way the earth is the disaster and things, the earth is desiring for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subject to futility, to corruption, to degrade, not willingly, but because of him was subjected to this state of corruptibility in hope. Wow! That's why there's going to be a new heaven, a new earth, where God somehow will change these, let's call it, characteristics, internal laws of nature, that somehow it appears there will not be subject to corruption, because it's subject to corruption, not willingly, but in hope. Because the creation itself also be delivered from the bondage of corruption, the creation itself. The earth, physical things that get corrupt, get old, get rusty, it says, will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. So somehow it appears in the new heaven and new earth, God will change the kind of the dynamics of the atomic structures or whatever it is, that, like you know, for instance, a child grows from one, two, ten, fifteen, twenty years old and keeps getting stronger and stronger. And then you reach a certain age and it is like a switch turns and then it goes the other way around, not willingly, subject to this corruption, but in hope. You see, verse 22, for we know that the whole creation grounds and labors with birth bangs together until now. And look at verse 23, but not only that, but we also have the first fruits of the Spirit. We that are the first few that have God's Holy Spirit, even we ourselves ground within ourselves eagerly waiting for the sonship, which I believe will be in a better translation, sonship, the redemption of our body, this physical body to be a spiritual body.

For we are saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still have hope for what is he? So it is hope for the time being, but once this happens, there will be no more hope because it's reality. So this verse has a great meaning, these few verses. It's kind of a section that we could meditate quite a bit about it. And we know in 1 John 3, verse 1 and 2, it says, we shall be like him because we'll see like him. So when we become spirit beings, we will have a different body. But continuing reading in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse 13, it says, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation. It was God as this plan right from the beginning. And this plan requires sanctification by the spirit. This plan requires us to be set aside to be modified, quote unquote, to be changed, to become a new man or a new woman through the working of God's Holy Spirit. It was the sanctification by the spirit and the sanctification by belief in the truth. You see, again, we have here that you and I are set aside, are separated by God's Holy Spirit, and belief, which again is doing, is practicing the truth. We believe we do. We practice, live the truth, and that sets us apart as God's people as saints. So we have two convicting agents. One is God's Holy Spirit, and the other one is God's Word, the Bible, which basically is the truth. And the final, the end of the law, the end of this is Christ. He is our example of fulfilling exactly, using God's Holy Spirit, being a perfect human being, and applying God's law. He is the end, the purpose of the law. Christ is the purpose of the law. So, in continuing verse 14, that which He called you, a big part of, to which He called you by our gospel. All right, so let's read this again. So we give thanks to God because He's called you with His great hope of being sanctified by God's Holy Spirit and practicing the truth.

And we were called to this by our gospel. Well, Paul is saying it's our gospel. Now, is it Paul's gospel?

Well, if you read in Romans chapter 1, verse 1, we see that Paul was separated, was chosen to preach the gospel of God. It's God's gospel. It's the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is God's gospel. It's God's good news. It's the gospel of Jesus Christ. But that Christ is the Messiah, our Savior. He is the One. But it's all under what it's called the gospel of God. And Paul was chosen to preach this gospel. That's why he says he says called you by our gospel. It's not that it's the gospel of Paul, but it's the gospel that Paul preached, that he was given the mission to preach, which was the gospel of God. And you see, if you read, for instance, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9, he says, we preached the gospel of God. That's Paul says we preached the gospel of God. So our gospel, the gospel that Paul was preaching, was none other than the gospel of God. And then you're reading Romans chapter 10 verse 13 and 15. 13, 14, 15. Now, this is another important little scripture because some people will say, Oh, we don't need ministers. We just need a Bible. Just need a Bible. But Romans chapter 10 verse 13 through 15, let's read it because that's quite important. It's quite important because it says, For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Right. So who knew they are not believed? Again, believed to know how to practice. How do you know how to practice unless you're told what you need to practice? In whom? In other words, how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? In other words, they have not been told how to practice, what to do. And then it says, And how shall they believe in him? Now, that means how can we trust in him, trust in God? Why? How do you trust God? You have to trust God. How do you believe? How do you have faith in God? It has to be based on truth. You see? So, and how shall they believe in him? In whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? By God. How beautiful the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. So yes, we have God's Word, but we do need the job of God's ministry, of the testimony of the apostles, because it's the law and the testimony. So we need that testimony, we need that preaching. And so, continuing in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 15, it says, Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions that you were taught, whether by word or our episode. So stand fast. In other words, persevere. Remain faithful till the end. Right? And that ties in with 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 5. In verse 1 verse 5, it's talking about that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. How are we going to be counted worthy of the kingdom of God? By standing fast and hold the traditions that you have been taught. There's nothing wrong with traditions. If they're Godly traditions, if they're based in the Bible, according to the law and to the testimony of Jesus Christ and of the apostles. So then we continue, yeah. Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and Father, who has loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. And so he's basically saying, he says, praise that God would encourage us and help us to remain faithful till the end.