Hopes for Tomorrow

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, we find the apostle Paul expressing his hopes for the church's future.  His prayers in this passage are anchored in his confidence in God's faithfulness.  He states, "The one who calls is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thes. 5:24).  Rooted in that confidence, Paul expresses his desires.

1. Paul hopes that God will sanctify believers through and through. What does it mean to be sanctified? A good description is found in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."  Paul's prayer is that God would wholly and completely sanctify the believers.

2. Paul hopes that God will keep them blameless (spirit/soul/body) until the appearing of Jesus.  Paul's prayer here is that God would make them fully mature in Christ.

3. Paul hopes they will pray for him.

4. Paul hopes the will live in unity. The holy kiss was symbolic of closeness and family. 

5. Paul hopes they will read this letter out loud.  Actually, he is commanding the letter to be read before the entire congregation. 

6. Paul hopes grace abounds in their lives.  When we speak about sanctification, we often fall into one of two errors.  We either think it is all about us working hard, or about God doing all the work.  Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:12-13 that it is really about working in conjunction with God.  We are saved by grace, we grow by grace, and we are kept by grace.

Paul's hopes for the Thessalonian church are my hopes for Monticello.  I want to see Christ formed in each member's life, as well as, in my own.  May he sanctify you and keep you.

A Brief Manual for Church Life

Paul lays out some final instructions for the church in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22.  We divided the concerns into three categories: concerning leaders, concerning liberty, and concerning life.

Concerning Leaders

Paul instructs the church in Thessalonica to respect their leaders.  Leaders are described as those who work hard among the people, who are over them (watch care), and who admonish (train) them.  The work of church leadership is to equip the saints for works of ministry.  They focus is primarily on the study and teaching of the Word and prayer.  They also have the responsibility of caring for God's people.  In addition to respecting their leaders, they are to hold them in the highest regard in love, because of the work they do.

Concerning Liberty

Paul urges the church to seek peace with everyone.  In this last part of verse 13, he transitions between our attitudes toward church leadership to our relationships with other believers. The call for peace sets the tone fro all that follows.

Concerning Life

Paul urges believers to live peaceably, but to also hold each other accountable.  He calls them to live well, and to help others to do the same.  He urges the church to :

• Warn the idle
• Encourage the timid (faint-hearted)
• Help the weak
• Be patient with everyone (don't let your emotions boil over)
• Not pay back evil with evil, to to pursue the good of the other person (see Matt. 5:44-48; Rom. 12:14-21)
• Be joyful always
• Pray continually (live in a worshipful attitude)
• Give thanks in all circumstances (or in all times)
• Not put our the Spirit's fire
• Not treat prophecies with contempt
• Test everything (carefully examine)
• Keep the good
• Avoid evil

In these verses, Paul sets forth a brief sketch of the ethical implications of the gospel.  His words can be viewed as a brief manual on church life.  His concise instructions are straight forward and profound.  May we be wise enough to heed them.