The Doctrines of Grace in Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:23-24

The Text

I Thessalonians 5:23-24 – “Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.” (Paul, NET Bible)

Relevance

The significance of this text in relation to the Doctrines of Grace is that this passage shows us God’s commitment to (and trustworthiness in) sovereignly preserving His children to the very last day. It relates very directly to the P in TULIP.

Historical Comments On It

• “Hence our calling ought to be held by us as an evidence of everlasting grace, for he will not leave the work of his hands incomplete. ” – John Calvin (1509-1564)
• “Two things the apostle mentions as the ground of confidence that the above petition, would be heard and answered….that God would wholly sanctify them, and preserve the whole of them blameless to the coming of Christ; and they are the faithfulness of God, and the effectual calling of his saints. God is faithful to his word, his covenant and promises; he has promised to sanctify and cleanse his people from all their sins, and to preserve them safe to his kingdom and glory…and the effectual calling is a sure pledge of glorification; whom God calls he justifies and glorifies; as sure as he gives grace, he will give glory; and whom he calls to his eternal glory, he will make perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle” – John Gill (1697 -1771)
• “Where the good work of grace is begun, it shall be carried on, be protected and preserved; and all those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus shall be preserved to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And because, if God did not carry on his good work in the soul, it would miscarry, we should pray to God to perfect his work, and preserve us blameless….The kindness and love of God had appeared to them in calling them to the knowledge of his truth, and the faithfulness of God was their security that they should persevere to the end; and therefore, the apostle assures them, God would do what he desired; he would effect what he had promised; he would accomplish all the good pleasure of his goodness towards them. Note, Our fidelity to God depends upon his faithfulness to us.’” – Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
• “I hope you begin to feel what this means for the foundations of your assurance. It means that every successive step of your salvation is rooted in the certainty of all the steps that have gone before. Your sanctification is rooted in your call and guaranteed by your call. Your call is rooted in the death of Christ for sinners. The death of Christ is rooted in predestination and predestination is rooted in election. Once you feel yourself caught up in this great, objective, God-wrought salvation, you know yourself loved with an omnipotent, everlasting, electing, predestining, atoning, calling, sanctifying, saving love. And you sing, ‘God is faithful. He will do it!’” – John Piper (1946-Present)
• “You know what Paul is saying? He’s saying a prayer and he says here I know it will get answered…God has to sanctify you, He has to preserve you, He has to make you without blame at the coming of Jesus. Why? He promised, faithful is He who calls you. That’s God. God is faithful. God is faithful….in 1 Corinthians 10. ‘God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are…what?…able,’ therefore you will never lose your salvation. He’ll be faithful to keep you from ever being tempted to the point that you could. Don’t have any fear about the end, don’t have any fear about the ultimate sanctification, don’t have any fear about the ongoing continuing persevering sanctifying work of God, He promised it, He will do it…faithful is He who calls you. Again that’s the efficacious call to salvation. When He called you, He’ll do it. He does what He says. Scripture is loaded with testimony to the faithfulness of God. So the Christian can be certain of his perseverance. His salvation is secure. God graciously calls. Then God supplies the grace to believe. Then God supplies the grace to persevere and be kept for the glory of the final sanctification.” – John MacArthur (1939-Present)