2 Thessalonians 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3:18.

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:13-15).

Nothing is much more discouraging than seeing brethren who disregard the Word of the Lord, especially if their lives don’t seem to be falling apart. I mean, sure, it’s one thing if they are being disobedient but everything is a mess for them. Then we can say, “See, God’s way works and yours doesn’t.” But when they seem to be living the good life, have a good job, looks like a decent family, making lots of money but not putting God first, then we start to get a little discouraged. We begin to wonder, “Does God’s way really work? Their way seems to be working okay.”

Paul says not to be discouraged. Don’t grow weary in doing good even when others around you are not doing good. Instead of letting hypocritical brethren bring you down, take note of them and avoid them. However, don’t be arrogant over them. Don’t treat them like enemies. Rather, warn them like brothers.

Here is the point. Doing good is right no matter the outcome. Doing bad is wrong no matter the outcome. Don’t let what others are doing bring you down. Serve the Lord and avoid those who discourage you with their impenitent sins. Yet, don’t shut the door on them. Rather, shine the light for them to a better way. Above all, stay encouraged that doing the right thing is the right thing. Don’t get tired of that. Just do the next right thing.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3:18.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 hit me as poignant in my life today. 

“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 refused 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 unrighteousness.”

There are some shocking things about God in this passage.

First, He gives us free will. He doesn’t force anyone to believe His truth. We don’t have to believe His truth. However, if we refuse to love His truth, we become targets for Satan, ripe for the picking. 

Second, God lets those who refuse to love the truth be deluded. Of course, the sad thing is, those who are deluded do not realize it. In fact, they may think they are the wise ones. They build argument on top of argument, thinking they are laying a logical foundation. However, it is only a house of cards that will come crashing down in the end. Every delusion will be exposed in the judgment.

Third, when we tie these things together I think we see what others have said. God has given enough evidence for those who are willing to believe to find good reason to believe. But He has left enough unstated that those who wish to doubt can find reason to do so. Why? Because He is not spoon feeding us. He is encouraging us to grow in faith. For the worldly wise, this is foolishness. They simply cannot wrap their minds around a God who would do this. If God won’t fit in their box, they think He must not be there at all. This passage demonstrates God won’t be boxed. He acts as He sees fit.

There is a practical warning here. I must take care that I do not allow myself to be deluded by Satan and the only way to avoid that is to love the truth.

***Question: On a practical level, how do you love the truth?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is II Thessalonians 2:1-3:18.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but II Thessalonians just keeps shocking me with its perspective. In II Thessalonians 3:5, Paul said, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Paul did not direct the Thessalonians to direct their hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. He prayed that God would do that for them.

This simply ties in with yesterday’s point. We have enough Bible to recognize that we do have choice and free-will. Yet, we simply cannot lose the proper perspective about God’s involvement. We must rely on God. We must pray to God. This text doesn’t say how God will do this. It is not asking God to do something against our will. Yet, we need to be willing to pray what Paul prayed in Scripture. We need to be willing to pray that God will direct our hearts toward God. The psalmist prayed the other side of this in Psalm 141:4: “Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies.”

Yes, I must be committed to working out my salvation in fear and trembling, as Eric reminded us yesterday. However, I can only do that with confidence knowing that God is at work within me (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).

Keep the faith and pass the word along,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is I Thessalonians 5:1-28 and II Thessalonians 1:1-12.

II Thessalonians 1:11-12 shocked me. “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

What? 

This passage turns the common concept up on its head. Back in Ephesians 4:1 the statement was, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Ephesians 4:1 says we must walk worthy. The emphasis is placed on what we do. We have a choice. We can either walk worthily or unworthily, which will we choose. II Thessalonians 1:11-12 seemingly says the exact opposite. In this passage Paul prays that God make the Christians walk in a worthy manner. The emphasis is on God’s work. If we will walk worthy, it will because of God’s work in our lives, because of His power and grace.

What is going on here? Is this a contradiction?

No. Rather, it is merely another representation of the great balance we have to find through scripture. We must walk worthy of the calling. It is our choice to do so. However, apart from God we will not walk worthy of the calling. Sadly, different people who claim to follow Jesus will lob these verses at each other like doctrinal missiles and never see what they mean together. In fact, they will often so polarize each other that the two sides will balk at using the verses that come from the other side.

For instance, my tendency is to take the side that emphasizes my choice and free will in serving God. I’ll preach sermons all day long that encourage others to step up the plate and walk worthy. I’ll rebuke folks for not walking worthy. In a moment of rigorous honesty, I have to admit I’m leery of praying that God make someone walk worthy or encouraging others to pray that God would make them worthy of the calling and bring their every spiritual resolve to fruition. My first reaction is that removes free will. Yet, I need to be able to say what Scripture says. I need to be able to do what Paul did. I need to get comfortable with praying that God will make us worthy of His calling, that God will bring to fruition and fulfill our every resolve for good, that God will fulfill our work of faith by His power and not our own. 

On the other end of the spectrum, some folks so want to emphasize God’s power and God’s work that they balk at telling folks to buck up and walk worthy of God’s calling. They fear saying anything about our free will and our choice and our work is to take something away from God’s sovereignty. Yet, Paul told Christians to walk worthy of God’s calling. He laid responsibility on us to choose, to work, and to walk. We had better buck up and do it.

We need to see the balance this provides and we need to take up both concepts at once. This is summed up in the great statement that is increasingly becoming my mantra: “Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.” I cannot walk worthy of the calling without God’s power working in my life. However, God’s power will not work in my life if I am not choosing to walk worthy of His calling. If I take a position that leaves out God, I’ll fail miserably. If I take a position that leaves out me, God will not make me succeed.

Today, I pray that God will make you and me both worthy of His calling, that He will fulfill our every resolve for good, and that He will fulfill our every work of faith by His power working in our lives. And today, I choose to walk in a manner worthy of that calling. I hope you will do the same.

Keep the faith and pass the word along,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Well, this morning I’m being convicted. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve been reviewing my work this week that this passage slapped me down. Or maybe it did so simply because it applies. Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 3:11-12:

“For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (ESV).

Most of the time I consider myself a very busy person. I pride myself on working a lot. But reading this passage has struck me how much of my time is not really being busy at work but being a busybody. No, its not the normal busybody like the young widow of I Timothy 5:13, who is an idler and a talebearer going from house to house getting in everyone’s business. No, my busybodying often seems noble. Instead of going from house to house to butt my nose into everyone’s business, I scour website after website and blog after blog to snoop out any inkling of error to stick my nose in. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I believe the man of God has to be able to defend the Word of God. I believe the man of God must be able to expose error where he finds it. This passage, however, has reminded me that when I spend several hours in a day arguing with people I don’t even know about some point of doctrinal disagreement but didn’t spend any time talking with the people I actually met face to face about Jesus or didn’t spend any time encouraging the brethren in the congregation with which I work, then I’m not really being a busyworker. I’m just being a busybody.

Gratefully, I have been doing better at this over the past few weeks. But, the passage still smacked me and reminded me of where my busyness needs to be.

What should your busyness be?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC