2 Thessalonians 3 – Lord of Peace

One thing that is in short supply in this world is peace. You only have to look at the tv screens or read the news to see there are wars going on around the world. There are demonstrations taking place, some times violent ones, in numerous countries. People have all kinds of worries and problems and stress is one of the major reasons so many people visit the doctor these days. They lack a sense of peace within.

As Paul brings this letter to a close he says ‘Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all’ [v16]. He wants his readers to have peace and knows that they are able to have it at all times and in every way. How are they able to experience this? Because the source of this peace is the Lord of peace.

They have already experienced peace with God. Paul says in Romans regarding all believers ‘being justified by faith, we HAVE peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ [5v1]. The division between us and our Maker has gone.

All believers can experience God’s peace in their daily living. Again Paul writes ‘do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ [Phil 4v6-7].

Because God is a God of peace and they are at peace with God, we are to strive to live at peace with others. Paul states ‘If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all’ [Romans 12v18]. We are to follow the example of the One who made peace with us.

Are you enjoying peace with God today? Do you know your sins have been forgiven once and for all time through Jesus? Are you worried or anxious about anything? Do you have problems that are robbing you of the peace of God because you haven’t taken them to the Lord of peace in prayer? Are your relationships as they ought to be? Are you at war with someone? Is there someone you need to made more effort to be at peace with today?

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Timothy 1

2 Thessalonians 2 – Thanksgiving to God

Paul is referring to events that will take place in the future, events which will take place prior to the Lord’s return [v8]. Many who profess faith will fall away [v3]. One will stand out as a self-proclaimed god [v4]. many will not believe the gospel but rather follow a lie [v11].

But Paul does not count these believers in Thessalonica amongst that number. He says ‘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’ [v12-13]. He reminds them of what God has done for them and how they came to enjoy it.

God chose them. This took place before the creation of the world [Eph 1v4] and means He chose them before they had done anything good or bad. He wasn’t persuaded to chose them on account of what they had done. He simply chose them for His own plan and purpose.

God sanctified them. To sanctify simply means to be set apart for God. They were set apart from the rest of humanity by God and for God. This work of sanctification is brought about by the Holy Spirit who works in them to bring them to a point in their life where they believe ‘in the truth’ [v13]. Every Christian can look back to a day in their life when they came to believe something that they hadn’t believed before, namely, that they needed Jesus to be their Saviour and they trusted Him to be so.

God called them. How did the Spirit bring them to believe in the truth? Through Paul preaching the gospel. They heard the truth about God, about themselves and what Christ had done on the cross for them.

No wonder Paul says ‘we are bound to give thanks to God for you’ [v12]. Not only can we thank God for what He has done for us in Christ, we can also give thanks to God for what He has done for each and every believer we know. Who can you give thanks to God for today?

Tomorrow’s Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3

2 Thessalonians 1 – Our God

In this opening chapter of his second letter to the Thessalonians Paul is full of God. he can’t stop speaking about God. He mentions God directly at least 10 times, that is almost once for every verse in the chapter!! Take time to look and mark each reference to God in the chapter and meditate on one or two of the comments Paul makes. Let me mention some of them.

God is our Father [v1 and v2] – this reminds us of the work of Christ at Calvary. We are the children of God only through the death and resurrection of Christ. We have been adopted into His family. He is our heavenly Father and we enjoy a living relationship with a God who loves us and cares for us. He is not everyone’s Father, but only those who have trusted in His Son for salvation. The fatherhood of God is a huge topic and worth meditating on.

God is to be thanked [v3] – this makes the point that God is a real and living being. He is not some sort of power that is devoid of any personality. You don’t go to your electric meter and say ‘Thank you’ do you? [I hope not lol]. But God is a real, living being whom we can talk to and communicate with. We are to thank Him because He has done so much for us. He made us, He saved us and  He keeps us. What can you be thankful to God for today?

God is righteous [v5] – Paul is speaking of the righteous judgement God will bring to pass on those who persecute His people. To say God is righteous means everything He does is right and true. He never makes a mistake; He never does anything wrong or evil. We may never fully understand why certain things go on in this world or happen to us, but those who know God, know the kind of God He is and are willing to trust Him even when things seem so unclear.

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 5 – Rejoicing in difficult times

In this chapter we come across one of the shortest verses in the Bible - ‘rejoice always’ [v16]. The Greek tells us it is a command. Clearly it doesn’t mean we should always be happy and never be sad because we know that our Lord wept at the death of Lazarus.

What Paul is saying here is that we are able to rejoice in every situation we find ourselves in. Let me give two reason why we are able to do that.

First of all, we are able to rejoice in every situation we find ourselves in because God never changes. Circumstances in life change from day-to-day, but God always remains the same. His love, mercy, grace and kindness towards His people never changes. The way into His presence through prayer never changes. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is always working things out for our good. When it seems that the world is against us, how good it is to know God never changes and we can rejoice in that.

Secondly, we are able to rejoice in every situation we find ourselves in because what Christ has accomplished for us at Calvary never changes. Our salvation doesn’t change with our circumstances. The world and the devil can throw at us all they want, but we are still the Lord’s. We do not lose any of the blessings of our salvation because we have had a bad day.

I think this is what Paul has in mind when he writes about the Christian Armour in Ephesians 6. No matter what the devil does to try to make us stumble we are able to think and meditate on what Christ has done for us. It strengthens us, it causes us to stand against the enemy and to rejoice in our Saviour.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 4

We are returning to the theme of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul refers to this momentous event again in v13 and then goes on to talk about the Lord’s return. The two events cannot be separated. Jesus rose from the dead in order to come back again.

Why is Jesus coming back again? Well Paul doesn’t go into great detail here in order to explain everything that will happen on t hat great day, but he does go some way in telling us what will happen and why. The believers in Thessalonica seem to be concerned about loved ones who trusted in Christ but have died. Paul is seeking to reassure them that all is well with them and that they will not miss out on anything when the Lord returns. The dead in Christ will rise [v16] and then those who are alive and trusting in Christ will be caught up together with them and then go to be with the Lord forever.

What a comfort it is to know we shall be with the Lord and those we know who have trusted the Lord and died will also be there too. They haven’t missed out on anything. They will share in all the blessings the return of Christ has for those who trust Him as Saviour. We may mourn over their departure but we take much comfort from these words of Paul.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5

1 Thessalonians 3

How does the resurrection of Jesus determine how you live? Does it have an impact on the way you live and behave as you go about your everyday business? It did for Paul and it should for us as well.

Notice what Paul says towards the end of this chapter. he says ‘Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints’ [v11-13].

Paul believed that Jesus rose from the dead. He met with Him on the road to Damascus and it changed his life forever. He knew Jesus was alive and he was now able to pray to Him regarding coming to see the believers in Thessalonica. He knew that Jesus was able to intervene in the events of this world to bring him to them, hence the title ‘Lord Jesus’. There should be a lot of comfort in this to us who believe because whatever problems we have we can take them to the Lord in prayer knowing He is able to help us.

But Paul’s belief in the resurrection of Jesus is also seen in the fact that Paul was looking ahead to the day when Jesus would return. He wanted to visit these believers in order to help them in their pursuit of holiness before the Lord Jesus returns in glory. Do we have such a desire towards our fellow believers? Do we want to help them in their pursuit of holiness and godliness? How are you seeking to help other believers be better prepared for the Lord’s return?

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 2 – A reason for thankfulness

Here Paul is reminding the believers in Thessalonica of his ministry amongst them. He reminds them of his behaviour when he was amongst them both like as a mother [v7] and like as a father [v11].

In v13 Paul says he is thankful for their salvation. He says ‘we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers’. He says they heard, accepted and received the word of God which is now at work in them.

Paul could remember preaching the gospel to these people and seeing the word of God at work in them. All who are truly the Lord’s know something of this. The gospel changes our thinking and our behaviour. It humbles us. It makes us see ourselves as we truly are before a holy God. It causes us to seek help and to cry unto God for salvation. It brings us to see our need of Jesus and to trust Him as our Saviour.

It does all this because it is the word of God and not the words of men. It is the power of God unto salvation [Rom 1v16].

Paul’s response to this work of God in their hearts was one of thanksgiving to God. He knew it was God’s work and God should receive all the praise and thanksgiving for what He had done and was doing in their lives still.

Take time today to thank God for the way he has worked in you and in others to bring you to the Saviour.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians 1 – Encouragement in Evangelism

What great encouragement there is in this passage to take the gospel out to all and sundry. There is encouragement to those who are seeking to take the gospel out into communities which worship other gods. But there is encouragement here for all of us to take the gospel out because God is able to save folk from any background. Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica of how they ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God’ [v9].

It is interesting that Paul mentions the fact that God had chosen them [v4 & 2 Thess 2v13] but that also the gospel had come to them [v5]. The Bible clearly teaches the true of divine election. God chooses to save certain people. But it also makes it clear that the means He uses for bringing His chosen people to salvation is the gospel. We are to take the gospel out into our communities in the hope that God will gather in His people.

We are not commanded to save people, because we cannot do that. We are commanded however, to take the gospel out to all people because it is the power of God unto salvation [Rom 1v16].

What an encouragement it is to read of those who were worshipping false gods who were converted by the grace of God. People all around us worship false gods even things like money and fame, yet God is able to save them. Never give up seeking to witness to folk and share the gospel with them because we never now just what God might do.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2

Colossians 4 – Paul’s request for prayer

Paul gives the order for the Colossian believers to pray for him. He says ‘Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak’ [v2-4].

First of all he wants them to continue steadfastly in prayer. In other words he wants to be in prayer on a regular basis. He doesn’t want them to pray once and then give up. Persistent prayers.

Secondly, he wants them to be watchful in prayer. The word ‘watchful’ could be translated ‘alert’. They need to watch that they do not neglect to pray and also to be alert as to how they pray and what they pray for. They should always be ready and eager to pray.

Thirdly, they are to be thankful in their prayers. I don’t need to dwell on this as we have so much to be thankful for. Primarily we should be thankful that God has chosen to save us and brought us into a living relationship with Him.

Fourthly, he asks them to pray for opportunities to preach the gospel, the mystery of Christ. Paul wants the gospel to be spread abroad because it is the means by which God draws sinners to himself.

Finally, Paul asks for prayer so that when the opportunities do come for him to share the gospel he would be able to do it simply. He wants people to understand the message and the implications for having Christ as their Lord and Saviour or for rejecting Him.

Let us take up this prayer of Paul’s and use it as a model for our own prayers.

Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1

Colossians 3 – Getting dressed

Many people, especially the younger part of society, are taken up with how they look. We are bombarded with advertisements regarding make-up and the latest fashions of clothing. For some people it is their god. It is the most important thing in their life.

Now I am not saying that Christians should not take an interest in their appearance. They should, but it should not be a major part of their life. The Scriptures say very little about ‘the Christian dress code’  and even the idea of a ‘Sunday best’ is not found in them. What it does emphasise is though is how we are on the inside and Paul uses the image of someone getting dressed to bring this point home. He says ‘Put on then…’ and goes on to list various attributes we are to seek to have.

Though we are wonderfully converted we are not the finished article yet, and won’t be until we reach glory. In the mean time we need to keep putting things on, adding to our faith, becoming more and more like Christ.

The question that comes from reading this passage is surely ‘Am I more concerned about how I look than I am about my character and how I behave?’ Do we ever spend time examining our character to see what we need to ‘put on’?

Tomorrow’s reading: Colossians 4