The title is taken from 2 Thessalonians 2:13 cited in the previous post. That verse mentions “salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”. We see there two elements the same as (or, if you will, similar to) those mentioned in John 4:23 (cited in the first post) which says “the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth”. There is salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and worship in spirit.

It’s the first I want to look at in this post. Remember John the Baptist talking about Jesus (Matthew 3:11) baptising “with the Holy Ghost”. Jesus spoke about that baptism and His words are reported in John 14:15-20:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you….

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

It may not be obvious to those without the Spirit (a subject for another post) but Jesus is there speaking of Himself and the Spirit as one and saying that He will be in his disciples. It’s also apparent that he is talking about a future time; the disciples with Him then did not have the Spirit within them. For them, salvation was yet to come. Indeed, as we see in John 16:7, the Spirit would not come until Jesus had left:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

When did that salvation come to them? We have to go forward to the day of Pentecost described in Acts, chapter 2. In verses 1 to 4 we read:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place….

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When Peter, who previously did not have the courage to admit to being a follower of Jesus (Mark 14:72), stood up to explain the occurrence, he cited a passage from the Old Testament prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32). Peter’s words, from Acts 2:16:18:

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy

The prophet spoke of “the last days”. There are those who claim that the experience is not for our time. Are they correct? The apostles lived in “the last days” but we do not? I’ll finish with John in the same book as I cited in the previous post. He writes (1 John 4:2-3):

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

And again, in 2 John 1:7

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Chapter 10 of the book of Acts is worth reading. It tells the tale of salvation of Cornelius, an Italian and a gentile. He is described in verse 2 as “A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” That was not enough for salvation. God sent him a vision which caused him to send for the apostle Peter. Peter in turn was sent a vision and answered the summons with “certain brethren from Joppa”. Peter saw that the gospel was to be preached to the gentiles also. He preached to Cornelius and those gathered with him. The result, in verses 44 to 48:

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

And he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord.

What followed Peter’s speech on the day of Pentecost? We read in verses 37 to 39:

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.