Keeping Your Grip

Our text this morning for the preaching is from 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14.

I'll read from chapter 2, verses 9 through 15, just so we get the context and the platform of this part of the letter to the

Thessalonians. But the preaching will be just those two verses, 13 and 14. As you're turning there, let me just point out that this letter to the

Thessalonians is coming to an end, and so is the series then in these letters to the

Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians being that series. And in this ending of this letter to them,

Paul is very intent to make sure that this young church is very much grounded in the gospel.

As obvious as that sounds, remember that they're a young church where Paul only spent maybe three weeks, maybe four weeks, just a few

Sabbaths, three Sabbaths, so up to four weeks. And many questions had come in, stirred them up during these short time that they had been in existence, and Paul soon had to write to them to get them squared away.

And so as he's closing out this letter, he is grounding them, as I said, in the work of God, in bringing them to Jesus Christ, in how the gospel was actually brought to them and the sureness and the confidence that they can have in this work of God, and so continue to grow into the image of Christ and to continue to please

God with their lives, just as you are doing, as he said three times in the first letter to them.

So he's making sure that they can continue this by having this confidence in God. And in these verses we have this morning, we'll see where this confidence comes from.

So these two verses, just before we read them, I'll have you stand in a moment. A theologian commentator named

James Denny says here that these two verses are a system of theology in miniature.

The Apostles' Thanksgiving covers the whole work of creation from the eternal choice of God to the obtaining of the glory of Jesus Christ in the world to come.

So this morning you're about to get the proverbial teaspoon of water from a fire hydrant, a teaspoon of theology, if you will, from a 45 or so minute sermon.

And so we see in the scriptures how God saves sinners, and what motivates

God to do this, and why we can be so sure in the salvation that we have in the

Lord Jesus Christ. So with that, please stand in honor of God's word. As I said,

I'll read 2 Thessalonians, beginning in chapter 9, I'll read to verse 15, when we get to verse 13,

I'll slow down and remind you that that is the preaching text for the morning. 2

Thessalonians chapter 2, beginning at verse 9. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in righteousness.

Our text this morning begins here. But 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.

To this he called you through our gospel so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

May God bless the reading and now the proclamation of his word. Please be seated. So let me ask you a question to begin.

Why do you or I do what we do? I mean at any given moment, why do we choose this over that or that over this?

It was Jonathan Edwards who said that people always choose that which tends most towards their happiness.

And of course the way that 19th, or excuse me, 18th century theologian meant happiness, he meant your own self -interest, that which would promote your interest, or as you perceive your interest in any given moment, small issues and large issues alike.

As a small issue, when I get a sweet tooth, which I have to admit is not very often, but when I want a candy bar, when that's in my self -interest to have one,

I want a Butterfinger. And so in order to enact my self -interest, I will stop at the store on the way home out of this office, go inside, take some money out of my wallet and buy a

Butterfinger. But that's a small deal with no consequence. But I've decided that that's my self -interest and I enact that interest.

But even decisions of great consequence, you're going to run through the same filter, are you not? If my self -interest is physical fitness, then that interest is served by taking time out of the day to exercise, maybe getting up early, eating a special diet.

If my self -interest is the good of my wife, I'm going to take time to be with her and to promote her, because her self -interest is mine.

We choose investment funds, we choose colleges, we choose what trade we're going to make a living with, the same way.

What promotes my self -interest? Sometimes the interest we advance a short term, like my

Butterfinger bar, or long term, like marriage or like career. So I want to ask the same question again, but this time

I want to put God into the equation. Why does God save?

Why does God save? And the answer is, and we're going to develop this in the verses before, is

God saves because God advances his self -interests in the salvation of sinners.

God advances his own interests when he saves sinners and by his Spirit brings them to Jesus Christ.

He sets aside his chosen, he gives you faith to believe his truth, he sets you on the path to the glory of the

Lord Jesus Christ, and all of this to advance his own interests. We'll see this in the first half of verse 13, and then in the rest of that verse, the last part of verse 13, we're going to see the means that God uses to accomplish this self -interest that he has.

And finally in verse 14, we will see the goal that God has in all this.

So God advancing his own self -interest, not in the way that we do and not making decisions we do, and we'll talk about that in a little while, but he does advance his self -interest in the salvation of sinners.

So we'll see this in verse 13, and we'll see the means that he uses to accomplish his interests in the second half of verse 13, and we'll see the goal that he has in mind of all this.

Well first of all, God advances his interests by choosing a people for himself. By choosing a people for himself, and ultimately it's a people for himself that he gives over to the

Lord Jesus Christ, and that people that Jesus Christ is going to go to the cross and redeem by his atoning sacrifice for our sins.

This is in the first half of this verse, but 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.

Now this word chose is important, and this word chose is the reason that I'm developing this idea of God's self -interest, and sometimes a hazardous thing develop an entire sermon based upon a word, but in this case,

God willing, you'll see how important this is. The word chose here, the one that Paul uses, is not the more common word for choosing or for chose, which would be eclego.

You don't have to remember that. Eclego is a word for choosing something, and that's one that's very common in the scripture.

This word that he uses, and you don't have to remember this either, but it's areomai. All you have to know is that it's not the more common word for choosing.

This word that Paul uses here in 2 Thessalonians 2 .13 is only used 11 times in the whole

Bible. Eight of them in the Greek translation of the Hebrew in the

Old Testament, and three times in the New Testament. Twice by Paul, and once in Hebrew, so maybe three times by Paul, depending on who you think wrote the book of Hebrews.

Each time it's used, it's used in the middle voice, and that means to act in one's behalf, to act for your own benefit.

That's what the middle voice is in the Greek. So it has the idea here of areomai, of choosing, of taking something for oneself, of making a discerning choice to advance one's interests.

Let me give you a few examples. Joshua 24 .15, Israel's general tells them to choose this day whom you will serve.

In Job 34 .4, Job says, let us choose what is right.

In other words, choosing that which will advance your own interests. Now there's two uses of this in the book of Deuteronomy that relate much more directly to our context here this morning, this idea of choosing a people.

In Deuteronomy chapter 26 and verse 17 and 18, Moses says to the people of Israel, you have declared, and that's our word, you have chosen today that the

Lord is your God and that you'll walk in his ways and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules and will obey his voice.

You've chosen. You have advanced your self -interest by choosing to follow the

Lord God. Now as Conley pointed out in the catechism teaching this morning, you don't actually choose

Jesus unless Jesus changes your heart and the Father draws you to Jesus. It's a work of the Holy Spirit.

We know that. This is ancient Israel. They had seen the mighty works of God and had heard the terms that God sets forth in his law to them to be his people, and they had, as it were, signed on the dotted line they had chosen, in that sense, to follow

God. They advanced their self -interest. That's that word. They advanced their self -interest by choosing to follow

God. This is what he says. And then it goes on, and the Lord has declared, and it's the same word he has declared, he has chosen today that you are people for his treasured possession as he promised you.

He will set you in praise and in fame and in honor above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the

Lord your God as he promised. So we have here divine sovereignty and human responsibility set before us side by side.

You choose what you see is your best interest. You choose Jesus Christ, and that's what the Arminians would say.

We would say, sure, but only when God changes your heart so that you want to, by that working of the

Spirit within a new heart, choose that path. But divine response, divine sovereignty, human responsibility here side by side, choosing your best interest, and Israel here chose

God. And we can say that nothing serves our interests better than to place ourselves under God's care.

Nothing will advance what are your true interests better or more faithfully than to place yourself under God's interests.

What about God? How are God's interests advanced? I mean it sounds so human to attribute that to God, that God makes a choice and advances his own interests.

How does he do this? How, why would Paul use this special word, advancing one interest in relation to God?

Well, God advances his interests in choosing a people for himself because he is a God who keeps his word.

He gave his word to choose out a people, to save Israel from Egypt and to redeem them and to bring them to the promised land.

He gave his word to do that. Nothing compelled him to keep his word, nothing compelled him to, excuse me, to give his word.

But once he's given his word, once he's staked out his self -interest in keeping that word, then he does just that.

He keeps his word because his honor is at stake once he gives his word. Of his own volition, nothing compelling him to do so, that's very important to remember.

But once he does, his very nature says, my interests are advanced by keeping that word, by doing as I promised.

So Philippians 1 .22 is another use of the word. Paul says, he's writing of his dilemma between wanting to leave this life and be with Christ, which is better by far, or continue in this life and serve him while here.

He says, but which I shall choose, where I shall find my self -interest, I cannot tell. I want to be with Christ, that's better, but I want to serve

Christ because that's great. As long as Christ keeps me here, I will choose to follow him. That's advancing his self -interest because his interests have become

God's interests, or I should say God's interests have become his. In Hebrews 11 .25,

it speaks of Moses choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

How did Moses advance his self -interest? By choosing to be mistreated for the sake of the gospel, rather than enjoying what could have been his as a prince of Egypt.

Now God, of course, does not make choices the way we do. He doesn't go through a calculus to see which path is going to turn out better for him.

His interest in keeping his own freely given word, it's his commitment of his own volition that flows from his very nature.

So why does God save? How does God advance his self -interest in saving the likes of you or me?

Well, he does it because he's a word -keeping God, because once he gives his word, it's impossible that he should break his word, for it is impossible for God to lie.

So whatever God promises in his word, the promises that you have in the

Lord Jesus Christ, God keeps because his interest is in keeping his word.

And that's the sureness, that's the confidence that you can have that if you are in Christ Jesus, and God has predestined you to be conformed to his image as it says in Romans 8, 29, then that is surely your destiny.

Because you can do it? No. Because you said, I want to be like Jesus?

No. Because God by his Spirit made you want to be like Jesus. God changed your self -interest so that his interests are your interests, and by the power of his

Spirit, through a process of sanctification that we'll speak about. Here's one way.

By believing the truth, not just any truth, but the truth, God's truth. Belief is the same word we get where we get the word faith, which is how the

Net Bible, the New English translation puts it, and faith in the truth. And I think faith is better because you can believe something to be true, but can you stake everything on it just believing it to be true?

There's a difference between believing and faith. You know, when I first learned to rock climb from my friend

Charlie Provence, the church I used to go to, we actually started with rappelling. You know what rappelling is, right?

Where you go down backwards off a cliff. Well, he took me up to a park where you could walk easily up to the top of this thing, and on the other side it was fairly straight down.

And he showed me the ropes that we were going to use, and how strong they were, and the anchors that were going to hold me, and how strong they were.

And he showed me the rappel device, and he worked the rope through it, and used that for friction, and knots, and everything that holds it all together, and it all works great.

And I believed him. I believed every word he said. And then he demonstrated. He actually rappelled down, and came back up the other side, and hooked me all up, and said, now you go.

And I believed that those knots were going to hold, I believed that the rope was strong enough, and the rappel device would give the friction, so I could control myself and not break my neck.

I believed in all that. There's a difference between belief and faith. Because, boy,

I'll tell you, when you're standing there, and you're on solid ground, you've got your balance, you believe everything's fine, but now lean back, and start going down, and trust all that stuff.

Put your faith in it. That's different altogether. Well, I rappelled down.

Obviously, I made it. You believe the truth of God? Most of us would say, yes, that's why we're here, worshiping together on Sunday morning.

Faith. Do you trust it enough to implement it? To look to it?

To say, my interests are served when I follow what the word of God, the word of Christ, word for word, this is the word of Christ, who is the very word of God.

In the beginning was the word, that's Jesus, and the word was with God, and the word was

God. That's the difference between just believing it, propositional truths, we can intellectually take it apart and understand what the words and the phrases mean.

Faith is another level. He's giving you belief. He's giving you faith in his truth.

That's part of sanctification. That's part of conversion. The question for us is, have we laid claim to Christ in his word, the way he, by his word, freely given, has laid claim to you?

He changes your self interests. Where God's interests are now my interests. We have

God's truth. It has propositional content. While I know not why or how

God made me to believe this, I know that he did. And you can know that he did. How do you know that he did make you believe this?

He gave you faith in the truth? Or we can quantify it at some level. All right, just go very quickly.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us, that's John 1 14. Do you believe that Jesus, the eternal son of God, God himself,

God of God, very God of very God is the... Somebody help me.

What was that one? What? Became flesh.

What's the confession? Thank you. I couldn't go on without that. It's a

Nicene Creed says. Thank you so much. The word became flesh. Do you believe that God became flesh?

Do you have faith in that? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That's Genesis 1 1. Do you believe that God spoke everything is out of nothing that was?

Do you have faith in that? Are you willing to stake your life on that? Matthew 20 28. The son of man came not to serve, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Hebrews 6 18. For it is impossible for God to lie. Proverbs 30 verse 5.

Every word of God proves true. Romans chapter 10 verse 9. And with this, we'll move on. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is

Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Can we say you have been saved?

Do you believe this with all your strength, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might and are willing to follow this word?

That's the difference between just believing the propositional content of the truths and implementing them in your life.

Not just the statements, not being able to just explain their intricacies or intellectual powers would bring salvation.

Faith. Placing your full hope and trust in them, staking your life as when I first leaned backwards, if anything failed, if the rope or the repel ring or the knot or anything, down I go.

But no, God's word will never fail. Stronger than any of that equipment that was on me.

Faith trusts his word by applying it, by saving, by saying daily at every point of decision, if God's interests are my interests and growth in holiness, same word as sanctification, is what he says my interest must be and this word is powerful to accomplish that, then on that word,

I will lean back and go with full trust. Now, Jesus said in John 17, 17, sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.

God's word is factual, but it reveals what facts cannot. You can do something, you know is wrong, you can regret it, but the truth of God reveals it even further than the fact that it's wrong.

It shows it for what it really is, which is sin. As Hebrews 4, 12 says, for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two -edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Psalm 119, 30, I've chosen the way of faithfulness, set your rules before me. He's chosen the path that serves best his own interests, which is the way of faithfulness, which is to be more and more faithful to God and God's truth found in his word is that sanctifying power.

You see, what you believe to be true is reflected in your life. If your faith is in the truth, it will be applied daily and constantly.

Robert Murray Machine said that for every glance at our sin, we should give 10 glances at Jesus.

Have you heard that before? Every time we think we've sinned and we have, give 10 glances to Jesus Christ and the redemption of forgiveness that we have in him by repentance.

Like a piggyback on that and say for our purposes this morning, for every glance at your own best interest, give 10 glances to the word of Christ and what is his interests.

God's interest is advanced by obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So choosing a people, converting that chosen people, and now bringing them to the glory of the

Lord Jesus Christ. To this he called you by our gospel so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The goal is right there. We might obtain or more literally take possession of the glory of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Not that we go up to heaven and take it from him. Obviously, it's something he gives you as we become more and more like him and as we look forward to his return, as we await

Christ in his return, and that ultimate and final glorification when he brings us to himself. Second Corinthians chapter four verse four says that the gospel itself is the glory of Jesus Christ.

The gospel that the eternal son of God became flesh and died for my sins. Did he die for your sins?

Have you put your faith and your trust in him and him alone? Do you know that he died for sinners and that on the cross,

God poured out the wrath that your sins deserve upon him? Do you believe that?

Do you have faith in that truth? This is the beginning of obtaining that possession of the glory of Christ.

The gospel that the eternal son of God became flesh and died for my sins. The gospel that on the third day he rose from the dead.

The gospel that he will return and bring us to himself that we will one day have a resurrection like his and be with the

Lord forever and have that glorification, take possession of that glory that God has in store for us.

That God actually advances his self -interests by bringing us into. Well, God serves his interest, his own interest in the salvation of sinners and that he does so that we might obtain the glory of Christ himself.

Now consider these words from Jesus himself in John chapter 17, verse 22, because it can sound a bit egocentric.

Well, I'm going to be glorified like Christ. God's got glory in store for me. Well, he does, but it's for his interests more than ours.

But just so we can get this thing set in our minds that this is our ultimate destiny, if we are in the

Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, the glory that you have given me, I have given to them.

That they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

The glory that God has given his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ then says he has given to his people, those whom he has redeemed.

And we will know that glory finally and ultimately when he returns and we are resurrected and brought to himself.

Or if we're alive at his return, we'll simply meet him in the air as the Apostle Paul says. So how could our glorification, how could my glorification possibly serve

God's interests? Well, it's not because you and I have anything to offer God that he needs.

It's not because you or I had anything to do with our own salvation. God did it all.

His interests are Jesus' interests and vice versa. And if Jesus prays as he did that the glory of which he is the sole possessor, he is now given to those chosen by the father and for whom he died, then it is

God's interest to fulfill the prayer of his beloved son. Well, all this was written to the

Thessalonians to solidify them in this gospel, to give them confidence in continuing in the gospel in the midst of their afflictions and their persecutions to know that they were on the right track and that God in his word is serving his self -interest.

And if it's his interest, then it will surely come to pass. So stay with the gospel. Don't turn away from the traditions that we've given you.

And that'll be the text for the next message next week in verse 15. God serves his own interest by keeping his word and choosing out of people for his son,

Jesus Christ. And he serves his interest in actually converting that people to his son who died for them.

And he serves his interest in your ultimate glorification when Jesus returns and brings him to himself. So Christian, I ask you, do you know that God's self -interest should be yours?

And that in every decision, in every point where we have a choice to make, using that same word as Joshua told

Israel, choose this day whom you will serve. Do you know that your interest must be

God's? And that God's interest was served in not only choosing you, but actually giving you the

Holy Spirit and bringing you to his son and ultimately to glorify you. And with this, let's move on with confidence.

Let's look to his word constantly. Let's know that as we look to his truth, we are sanctified more and more by it.

All to the glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. Heavenly Father, again, we thank you for bringing us together.

We thank you for your word and for this confidence, inspiring passage that the

Apostle Paul has given us, that you, Father, gave him and from him to us. And may we proceed in the strength and the power of your

Spirit. Always look into Christ to serve his interests, which we know are your interests,

Father, and will advance us more into what we must be, which is more into the image of Jesus Christ, our