NKJ 2Thess 2:19-14 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 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, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
From our fairly brief exposure to one another, IMO you seem to value understanding what Scripture says and means and you don't seem to be tied down to any particular theological camp. I'll leave it to you to correct me if/where I may be wrong.
How do you read what the above says and means?
I'll start by noting that the "call" is by means of the Gospel - Paul's and his associates' Gospel. So, if the Gospel is to be given to all, then all are called, which can be at minimum as simple as "invited" or more legally formal as "summoned."
So, how does "chose" work?
From our fairly brief exposure to one another, IMO you seem to value understanding what Scripture says and means and you don't seem to be tied down to any particular theological camp. I'll leave it to you to correct me if/where I may be wrong.
How do you read what the above says and means?
I'll start by noting that the "call" is by means of the Gospel - Paul's and his associates' Gospel. So, if the Gospel is to be given to all, then all are called, which can be at minimum as simple as "invited" or more legally formal as "summoned."
So, how does "chose" work?
But you are right. Salvation per se covers the process from hearing God speak (through creation, the church and the Spirit) to resurrection in a body conformed to Christ's glorious body. If one is considering the process following regeneration that brings one to the adoption, i.e. the redemption of the body, then those saved stage one are indeed "chosen for salvation", namely the subsequent salvation stage two (the renewing of the mind and the increasing subjection of the unglorified body to the Spirit) and salvation stage three (the physical body being clothed upon with a heavenly body and immortality). Stage two salvation entails doing the works God has prepared for us to do each day, so being chosen for salvation, that being chosen for stage two salvation, equates to being chosen to a particular role of service to God.
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