Self-control

In 2 Peter 1:5-8, Peter gives us a framework for maturing in Christ. He commands us to add to our faith. I have been using this framework for a series of lessons at Monticello on Wednesday nights. Tonight, we covered self-control.

What is self-control? Let's skip the "control of self" answer, and dig a little deeper. It covers discipline, and the resistance of temptation (including avoiding the cookie aisle). Self-control is the restraint of one's emotions, impulses, and desires. It is mastery of one's self.

When we come to faith in Christ we are no longer our own. Jesus speaks of it in terms of losing and saving our lives. In Mark 8:35 he says, "For whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."  Paul tells us, "Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God? Your are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20, HCSB).

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul uses the metaphor of a race to explain the self-controlled life. Here are some principles to guide us.

1. We need to set our mind to it. We are all in the race, and all the runners run.

2. We need to establish our priorities. As runners, we run the race to win.

3. We need to focus on what is gained. When athletes train, they give up a lot. But they do it to gain a prize. Paul says they run for a prize that fades, but we run for an eternal crown.

4. We need to work hard. We aren't called to run in circles in the faith, but to move with discipline. We are to master our bodies and souls, so that we can bring glory to God.

5. We need to fear failure. Paul said that he ran in a way that would keep himself from being disqualified. He didn't want to get to the end and see that it was all for nothing.

Self-control grows as we grow in our knowledge of Christ and the gospel. It grows as we exercise goodness and faith. We are commanded to exercise control over our emotions, impulses, and desires. We should instead be driven by the glory of Christ.

A Heart Prepared

As believers, we are called to set apart Christ as Lord in our heart. We are called to live for his glory no matter what our circumstances are. Peter reminds us of these truths in 1 Peter 3:13-17. In this passage, he gives us a brief field manual for this rough and tumble world.

• We must live righteously. Righteous living is a combination of faith and action. We can call it faithful obedience or obedient faith.

• We must adjust our definition of harm. From a human perspective, harm can be categorized as anything that brings pain, discomfort, or displeasure. From a divine perspective, harm is that which separates us from God's mercy.

• We have to accept suffering as a blessing. I don't mean we enjoy the suffering. We rejoice in the suffering because it means God is treating us as his children. God blesses us in suffering (see Mt. 5:10-12).

• We must not fear. Peter tells us not to fear what they (opposition) fear or he could be telling us not to fear the opposition itself. If he is speaking about fearing what they fear, what would that be? Death, rejection, humiliation, etc. We are not to fear those things because we have Christ. Nor should we fear people because they only have the power to harm our bodies, not our souls.

• We must be prepared to give answers to any one who asks us why we hope in Christ. It doesn't we have all the answers, but that we are able to express the gospel clearly.

• We must be gentle and respectful. The gospel message can easily offend someone who does not believe they are a sinner. However, we should not seek to offend them with the way we present the message.

• We have to keep a clear conscience. We do this by living what we proclaim. We acknowledge our weaknesses, but strive to live obediently. 

Peter's words where meant to comfort a struggling people. They were also meant to encourage them to rise to the challenge. Sometimes, suffering for doing God's will is his will for us. When he permits hardship to enter our lives, we can trust that he has a good reason. In times like those, we cling to him knowing that he is worthy of our trust.

Answer the Call

I often wonder what the disciples must have felt when they met Jesus. Reading about the calling of the first disciples in Mark 1:16-20 has me wondering anew. How did they know it was the right thing to do? They were being asked to leave everything they knew, to follow a carpenter turned rabbi. (Yes, we know he was much more, but did they?)

In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus offers people keys to the kingdom. He tells them to "repent and believe the good news." Freedom had drawn near to man, he need only to take it as it was offered. Jesus was calling folks to come near.

With Peter, Andrew, James, and John it was different. He called them to come follow him. He offered to make them fishers of men. Did they understand the significance of that? Surely, they must have understood it (at least in part) because they followed him.

His call was a call to follow whatever the cost. They left behind nearly everything they knew. James and John even left their father on the boat.

I can't imagine what they were thinking. I have tried, but with no success. All I know is what it was like when I heard the call of Jesus. I didn't see him, nor did I hear him. But I heard that call to repent-to change my mind. It was a call to abandon my hatred for God, and my disbelief. It was a call to change directions in my life. And in an unbelieving heart, faith sprang to life in an instant. I heard the call, and I had to answer it.

Maybe I know a little bit about what it was like for the disciples. When the Lord captures your heart, you don't think about all the unimportant stuff. You just think about the grace that has overflowed to you. He calls and you go-just to be near him.

Jesus is calling us all to follow him. Have you answered the call?

The Beloved Son

I find Mark's abbreviated version of the baptism and temptation of Christ fascinating. He writes with such economy, but has so much to say. In Mark 1:9-13, we see God's favor resting on Jesus. In fact, Mark allows us to see the Trinity in communion as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit appear together following baptism of Christ. We see the love the Trinity shares as we look at this brief passage. We see the Son entering the water to please his Father, the Spirit descending on the Son to empower him for his mission, and the Father proclaiming his love to the Son.

In the Father's statement, we see his approval of the Son. Jesus is the "Beloved" Son. The Father is "well pleased" with him. We are told that Jesus witnesses the rending of the heavens as the Father came to confirm his sonship. Jesus was given the tools to succeed in the face of his upcoming temptation. His sonship would by questioned by Satan, but not by the Father. No, the Father was pleased with his Son.

Although Jesus was tested in the wilderness, he did not succumb. He remained faithful to his Father, just as his Father knew he would. In spite of the dangers he faced, he would not entrust himself to another. Jesus lived only to do the Father's will. His faithfulness was reward by a time of refreshing through the care of angels.

In Jesus, we stand before the Father as children who please him. As his children, he strengthens us against the temptations we face. But even when we fall to temptation, Christ's obedience never falters. He holds us in his perfection. He is the sole source of our righteousness. We should hear the Father's praise of Jesus, and we should rejoice. The Father's has never been (nor will never be) displeased with the Son.

Some Good News

Good news is hard to come by these days. In a 30 minute report, there seems to be a lifetime of bad news. We all yearn for good news. Throughout human history, humanity longs for good news. Mark tells us some good news in his Gospel. It's good news that centers on Jesus. In Mark 1:1-8, we see several reasons that message of Jesus is truly good news.

1. Jesus is the subject of the gospel (literally "good news"). The message is about Jesus. The narrative focuses on his person and work.

2. Jesus is God's Anointed. The term "Christ" or "Messiah" means anointed. In the Old Testament, there were three offices to which people were anointed: prophet, priest, and king. Until Jesus, no one had been all three. Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet he reveals God to his people, as Priest he sacrificed himself to redeem God's people, and as King he reigns over God's kingdom.

3. His is the Son of God. This term stresses the unique relationship Jesus has to the Father. It demonstrates his divinity.

4. He is the subject of prophecy. Most scholars point out two prophecies in Mark 1:2-3, they are Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. The Scriptures that Mark quotes are of the Lord speaking of himself, but as Mark quotes them they are the Father speaking to the Son. These, too, point to Jesus' divinity.

5. Jesus brings the offer of forgiveness to the repentant. If the message of Jesus' forerunner, John, was a call to repentance with a promise of forgiveness, it is logical to conclude that Jesus provides that forgiveness to those who turn to him.

6. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. John's baptism was important, but not eternal. John couldn't change a person's heart with water. However, Jesus can and does change a person's heart through the indwelling of the Spirit.

The message of Christ is life changing. It has the power to transform anyone who receives it in faith. I hope this good news is transforming your life, too.

The End of the Road

Have you ever wanted to quit praying for somebody? Maybe you were like, "Lord, they're just not worth it." Or "They're hopeless. Why bother?" Yes, I know that seems like such terrible thing to say. Even if we don't voice our frustrations with their lies and lack of repentance, we often (silently) stop praying for those who rub us the wrong way. But is that biblical. Is it ever right to stop praying for someone?

1 John 5:16-17 helps us answer that question. John speaks about a sin that doesn't lead to death, and the remedy for that situation is prayer. When we see a believer wondering in sin, we pray and God grants them life. This promise hints at restoration. However, John warns that there is a sin that leads to death. Here he doesn't instruct us to pray which implies that he doesn't intend for us to.

We are not to pray for those who sin the sin that leads to death. We are left wondering the exact nature of that sin. Unfortunately, we do not possess the same level of familiarity with John's teaching that the early church had. They would have understood the context of this from previous lessons John had taught. We are left to guess, but not wildly.

There have been several attempts to understand John's meaning. Some have understood the sin that leads to death is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That sin is unpardonable, but the context of this passage doesn't lead us to immediately conclude that John had it in mind. Other have suggested that John was dividing sin into categories of degree (later called mortal and venial). Some have thought that John was speaking about sin that brought immediate consequences. Others have thought that he was thinking about apostasy, or falling from the faith. The immediate contact suggests that he may have been thinking about idolatry (see 1 John 5:18-21).

It may have been that John was warning the church about idolators. The presence of idolators among God's people has a corrupting influence. John is saying don't pray for those who abandon Christ to follow false gods. They have choose their path, they must learn the hard way.

It would appear that there is a time to stop praying for individuals who sin the sin that leads to death. However, it is not clear exactly what that sin is, or how we will know when they are practicing it. Here are some practical implications from this passage:

• Our gut-level instinct (default position) should be to never stop praying. In 1 Samuel 12:23, Samuel explains that failure to pray for God's people would be a sin against God. Prayer is an ordained means to God's ends. God has appointed prayer as a vehicle through which to move his people. If we neglect it, we are being disobedient.

• It is possible that not praying for an individual leaves them in Satan's hands. In 1 John 5:18-19, John speaks of the evil one and of the fact that he can touch those who are not God's children. Paul speaks of handing people over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5:5 and 1 Timothy 1:19-20. The individuals mentioned by Paul in those passages were caught up in unrepentant sin. However, he doesn't speak of praying for their restoration, but rather of their being handed over. Paul's goal was redemptive, not destructive.

• We should only stop praying for someone when God tells us to stop. Jeremiah 7:17 speaks of an event where God commands Jeremiah not to pray. Unless we have an equally clear command from God, we shouldn't quit praying. We might be led to pray a lifetime for someone before God opens their heart. But if God tells you it is time to quit praying, quit praying. Until then, persevere in prayer.

We may never get to the end of the road in prayer. God may have appointed us to pray for those individuals for whom no other is appointed. If we stop prematurely, we sin against God, and it might also be that we are leaving them in the devil's hands.

Praying in Earnest

I'm thinking about Jesus praying in the garden. There he was crying out to his Father for the strength to do what must be done. Although we are not told Satan was present, we can see Jesus being tempted. In Luke 22:39-46, we see the seen.

Jesus warns his disciples to pray "that you will not enter into temptation." It may mean that they are to ask God to keep them from being tempted. Or it may mean that praying will keep them from giving into temptation. They are to be watchful, vigilant.

Jesus sets the example. As he is being tempted to find another way, he yields to the Father. He prays, and the Father strengthens him through an angel. Then he prays more earnestly.

The disciples were to pray, but failed. They slept why Jesus prayed. Jesus rebuked them, and commanded them to pray. They should have been praying for the strength to stand with Jesus, but they didn't.

If we are to escape the power of sin, it will take prayer. In Christ, we have the Spirit's help when we pray. He enables us to do the work set out for us. When we need strength, we only have to ask, and he will give it to us. Temptation will come. We must prepare ourselves by praying for deliverance.

Praying in Jesus' Name

What does it mean to pray in "the name of the Lord?" or in "the name of Jesus?" Sometimes, we treat those statements as if they are just the tag that comes at the end of our prayers just before the amen. We'll pray and then conclude, "We asked these things in Jesus' name." In John 16:23-28, Jesus tells the disciples that a time was coming when they would ask in his name, and the Father would give them what they asked.

Praying in Jesus' name means that we are praying in a way that is in sync with his character and motivation. When we pray this way, we are praying for the same things Jesus wants. It is to pray in a manner worthy of Jesus. How do we do that?

Here are five quick suggestions:

• Approach with humility. We don't approach God in our own righteousness, but the righteousness that comes through Christ.

• Approach with desire for God's glory. In John 17:1, Jesus prays for his glory, that he might glorify the Father. We should want to bring him glory as well.

• Approach with a commitment to do his will. In Matthew 26:39-44, We see Jesus praying, and submitting to the Father's will. He sets the pattern.

• Approach with an expectancy that leads to rejoicing. 1 John 5:14-15, tells us that we can be confident that our prayers are heard when we are praying according to God's will.

• Approach with confidence. We are loved by God because he has made us his children (see Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15). Hebrews 4:16 urges us to boldly approach the throne of grace. In Christ, we are free to approach the Father.

Unwavering Confidence in the Lord

Habakkuk 3:1-19 records a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. He was a man teeming with questions. When he saw the injustice around him, he wondered where God was. He wanted to know why God had not yet acted to end it. God, in his grace, met Habakkuk, and offered him answers. These answered first confused, then terrified, and finally subdued the prophet.

In the end, he had to make a choice. Would he trust the God he knew? or would he reject him? The prayer recorded in Habakkuk 3 gives us the answer to that question. He chose to trust God. He says, "LORD, I have heard of report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it know in these years, in Your wrath remember mercy!" (Hab. 3:2). In essence, he is saying, "I know who you are. You are the Holy One of Israel." It is a declaration of trust.

Habakkuk 3:3-17 capture a terrifying vision of God--the Sovereign Creator, the Righteous Judge, the Mighty Warrior. In his wrath he will punish the nations, in his mercy he will rescue his people. The image is so terrifying that leaves Habakkuk crushed under the weight of it. He stands with heart pounding, knees knocking caught somewhere between terrified and awestruck. It is as if we witness him lost in the glory of the Lord.

Finally, peace washes over him, perhaps as he realizes that God does not intend to harm him. He stands, cool as a cucumber, with unwavering confidence in the Lord.  He says,

Though the fig tree doesn't bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will triumph in Yahweh;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! (Hab. 3:17-18, HCSB).

 This prayer can teach us about prayer in general. It teaches us to approach with an awareness of who we are approaching, to approach with reverence, and to approach with anticipation. It teaches us to approach God as he is, in all of his holiness, and not as we want him to be. And it teaches us to trust, even when we don't fully understand what God is doing.

I'm Waiting

In Habakkuk 1:1-4, he laments the wickedness of his generation. Habakkuk 1:5-11 records the Lord's response to Habakkuk. The Lord tells him that sin will be punished. Habakkuk doesn't receive the message well. He appears to feel confused, perhaps even betrayed. Habakkuk 1:12-2:2 reveals the prophet's response to the message of the Lord. He's left answering the question, "How good is God?" This passage encourages us wait upon the Lord, trusting in his goodness, even when we don't understand why he is doing what he is doing.

We have to start with the God we know (Hab. 1:12-13a). He is everlasting. This reference includes his faithfulness and his unchanging nature. He is holy, that is, far above his creation and morally perfect. He is sovereign over all things. He is a rock upon which we must build our lives. His eyes are pure so that he cannot approve of wickedness. This is the good God we know, but hardship often leaves us with questions.

Troubling circumstances often leave us with questions (Hab. 1:13b-17). In Habakkuk's day, the Babylonian invasion was the terrible circumstance. They were a cruel and greed people. The nations stretched out in front of Babylon like an ocean, and the peoples were fish swept away in their nets. At times, it appears that evil is permitted to steamroll over everything in its path.

Although he had questions, Habakkuk stood is ground (in the faith), even with his uncertainty. Abruptly, Habakkuk stops asking questions and braces himself for a response from heaven. He is confident that the Lord with speak. He is confident that God's mercy will at last win the day. He anchored himself in truth of God's character, and he refused to be moved.

Here are some principles drawn from this passage:

• To whom much is given, much is required.

• We struggle with the problem of pain (evil) because 

• We don't fully understand sin, and 

• We don't really grasp God's holiness.

• What we know now, that Habakkuk couldn't have known, is that God is bring about a restoration of all things through Jesus Christ.

• Why did God use the godless Babylonians to punish Israel?

• Israel's sin was even greater than Habakkuk had perceived, because Israel had greater knowledge of God, through his revelation, than did the Babylonians.

• He the Babylonians to arouse his compassion. There are several instances in Scripture, where God allowed his people to be oppress, and then rescued them when they cried out for help.

• He used the Babylonians to prevent the utter destruction of his people. By allowing the Babylonians to punish Israel, God instilled the fear of the Lord in the hearts of the remnant.

• Finally, the use of the godless Babylonians was meant to soften (humble) those God desired to be softened, and to harden those God desired to be hardened. Hardship will make you dependent upon God or defiant against him.

Judgment Begins with God's Family

"Look at the nation and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told" (Hab. 1:5, NIV).

In grace, the Lord replied to Habakkuk's questions, but what he says doesn't comfort. Habakkuk wanted to know when God would judge the violent, unjust multitude overran the righteous. Judah was in a state of spiritual apostasy. They had abandoned true worship of the Lord, yet they felt no shame. Although they pursued unrighteousness, they thought their pseudo-worship in the temple secured their safety.

God's solution for the apostasy was to send swift and terrible judgment. God hates sin. He particularly hates sin among his people. As Peter reminds us,

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" (1 Pet. 4:17-18, NIV).

Sin will not go unpunished. In Habakkuk's day, judgment was going to come in the form of the Babylonian army. The hardship would punish the rebellious for their rebellion, and purge the wicked from the Land. Chastisement still falls on the disobedient. God will not permit his people to linger in sin.

Habakkuk is told what is going to happen so that he can warn his generation. Sounding the warning gives people the opportunity to repent and seek mercy. To the hardened heart, warnings never seem serious.  But some hear the warning and turn in repentance to the Lord.

Here are somethings that we can glean from Habakkuk 1:5-11:

• God doesn't (usually) answer "Why?" questions.
• God is at work around us.
• God's work is often incomprehensible.
• God is sovereign over the nations.
• Life may get worse before it gets better.
• The wrath of God is swift and terrible.
• Our enemies are (often) just like us.

Desperate for God

In Psalm 13, we catch a glimpse of a man desperate for God.  Have you ever had an experience where it felt like your prayers weren't being heard?  The experience is called by different names: God desertions,  dark nights of the soul, crisis of faith, etc.  Many of God's people have experienced it, and David was no exception.

We find David in the midst of some struggle in Psalm 13.  He is under attack from some unnamed enemy which seems to have the upper hand.  David is pleading for God to rescue him, but he is not getting the answer he so desperately desires.  He feels as though death is closing in on him.

The strong commitment we find in Psalm 13:5-6 is a shocking in light of the questions we find in Psalm 13:1-2.  David wants to know how long God will forget him.  He wants to know when God's face will shine on him again.  Desperation has set in and his heart is breaking.  He is thrashing in the ocean of faith hoping to find some solid ground before the waves of doubt overwhelm him.

Psalm 13:3-4 expresses the do-or-die attitude of David.  It appears that David is persuaded that unless God helps him (immediately), he will die.  He sees the writing on the wall.  His enemies have the upper hand.

In spite of David's fear, he anchors his hope in God.  He vows to trust in God's unfailing love.  He pledges to rejoice in the salvation of the Lord.  He promises to sing, because of God's goodness.

Although we are not given insight into David's reasoning, it is clear that he trusted the Lord even though it felt like God wasn't listening.  While he might have struggled with understanding what was happening, he had no questions concerning the character of God.  The God who heard prior to this silence would soon hear him again.  God's love does not fail.

What do we do when we are desperate for God? We keep trusting in his unfailing love, we keep rejoicing in our salvation, and we keep singing his praises.  We keep doing the right things until our emotions catch up.

A Lamp and a Light

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105, HCSB).

I have been trying to cultivate a greater desire for the Word of God in my life.  The more I think about it the more I realize how much I need the Scripture to guide me.  In this verse the Psalmist implies that he is surrounded by darkness.  He needs a lamp and a light to guide his steps.  He couldn't see to make his way forward without the Word of God.

Not much has changed in the world since the Psalmist wrote these words.  There is still a moral darkness hanging over humanity.  We each continue to go astray and turn to his own way.  We all still miss the mark.  We still need the same lamp to guide our feet.

The Word of God leads us through the darkness, by illuminating our pathway.  Therefore, we need have it near us always, and consult it regularly.  One of the best ways to do that is to begin a Bible reading plan.  There are many plans available.  Justin Taylor posted several on his blog, Between Two Worlds.  You can view them here.  The list contains several excellent reading plans, including the two I mentioned at church (Grant Horner's plan consisting of 10 chapters a day, and James Grey's How to Master the English Bible).  I encourage to you check out the list, and select a reading plan that you find useful.  There are also special Bibles that have the Scriptures divided up into 365 daily readings.

Immanuel

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name, Immanuel' (which means, God with us)" (Matt. 1:22-23).

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the events of a day.  We often approach a day as if we know what will happen, and that most of what happens will be pleasing to our sensibilities.  However, it rarely works out that things go exactly the way the hoped they would.  Sometimes, things we could not have foreseen catch us off guard.  When that happens we need to remind ourselves of the truth contained Matthew 1:22-23.

With the words, "All this took place," Matthew sums up everything that is said in Matthew 1:1-21.  God's purpose had slowly been unfolding throughout history, slowly leading up to the birth of Christ.  Because God desired mankind to know his plan, he revealed parts of it through the prophets.  Therefore, when the words of the prophets came to pass, God was demonstrating his knowledge and power.  Such displays of his might and power, create and sustain faith in God's people.

Matthew is simply reminding the people that what God has promised, he will do.  Thus, a virgin, Mary, was with child (Jesus).  This child was to be called Immanuel.  He bares it more as a title, than a name, but it tells so much about this child. Matthew tells us that Immanuel means God with us.

Mary's child, Jesus, was God.  He wasn't simply a representative for God.  He wasn't just a man who could help point us to God.  Know he was God with us.  John 1:1 tells us that the Word (Jesus) was with God, and was God.  Although I am speaking in past tense, I don't mean to imply that Jesus isn't still God.  Jesus, the eternal Son of God, has always existed as God along side of the Father and the Spirit.  They are not three gods, but one God in three persons.  Jesus is spoken of as Creator, Redeemer, Savior, King, God, etc. throughout the New Testament.

Jesus is God, and he is With us.  The yearning on the heart of God's people is to be with and know their God.  However, this is not possible as long as there is sin within God's people.  No one can look upon God's glory and live.  Yet, God is present with us.  God, who is holy and dwells in the high and holy places, can also be found among the humble and brokenhearted (Isa. 57:15).  During Jesus' first appearing, God was showing his people that he would soon dwell with them forever (John 1:14).  Jesus said he would always be with us (Matt. 28:20). Finally, we see the glorious appear of Christ in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation 21:3-4, we are told that a day is coming when God dwells with his people forever, and they shall see him face to face. No death. No fear. No more tears.

He is God with Us.  In Christ, though we were fallen, yet are we redeemed.  In him we are saints, even though we still struggle with sin.  In him, we are becoming the righteousness of God.  We were helpless, but he has made us hopeful.

God with us, is God for us.  To paraphrase Paul, "Since God is on our side, who can stand in our way?"  And he is for us, or else he wouldn't be with us.  The next time you are overwhelmed by your circumstances, I hope you will take time to reflect on Immanuel. 

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.

Thoughts on the End

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes. 5:9).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul offers the church a few thoughts on the end.  The early church didn't have time to focus on the study of the end times, they were busy establishing the church, defending the deity and humanity of Christ, and enduring persecution.  Although their doctrine of the end times was not as fleshed out as it has been in recent generations, they lived with the end in sight.  Now, as then, many people are trying to figure out how the end will turn out.  Paul is more concerned with how we live in light of the end.  Here are some thoughts on the end.

1. The coming Day of the Lord.

• Paul warns us that it isn't something we can pinpoint, but it is something for which we can prepare. 

• He warns that it will come like a thief in the night (see also Matt. 24:36-51; Luke 12:35-40; 2 Pet. 3:10). It is something that will catch the majority of humanity off guard, because they did keep watch for its coming.

• It will come like labor pains.  Paul may mean couple of things.  He may mean it comes suddenly even though it is anticipated.  Pregnant women are not surprised by the onset of labor, but they never know when it will hit them.  Paul may also mean that it is like labor in that once the starts, there is no stopping it.

2. A message for the sons of light

In verses 4-8a, Paul teaches us some important principles.  He states,

• The Day won't be a surprise for believers, because they are not in the darkness.  They are no longer spiritual blinded by the god of this age.  Their eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit.

• Believers are sons of the light and sons of the day.  The term "son of" is used to express the reality of a shared nature.  We share in the same nature of the light and the day.  Light is our spiritual DNA.

• The darkness doesn't own us, so we're free to be different, free to obey Christ.

• We are not "asleep," so let's be alert and self controlled.  Paul is speaking of those individuals who are morally ambivalent. They are complacent.

• We belong to the day, so we need to quit the deeds of the darkness.  Sleep and drunkenness are metaphors for being defenseless and controlled by outside forces.

3. The right response

Paul sets out a four-fold response in verses 8b-11.

• We are to be (alert and) self-controlled.

• We do this by putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  In other words, we have to preach the gospel to ourselves, as Paul demonstrates in verses 9-10.

• We must then encourage each other and build each other up. If we are going to build each other up, we will have to spend time with each other, correcting and encouraging, rebuking and training.

• Finally, we have to keep up the good work.  Paul recognized the good that the church was already doing, and encouraged them to keep it up.

A Message of Hope for the Grieving

"But we do not want you to be uniformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as other do who have no hope" (1 Thes. 4:13).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul offers a message of hope for the grieving.  Paul explains that the source of hope and comfort for the believer is the death and resurrection in Christ.  He tells believers don't grieve like the hopeless.  Those who do not know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, have no hope of eternal life.  That is not to say that non-Christians don't have some kind of belief in the afterlife where they'll be rewarded.  It means that their notions of the afterlife are misguided and unfounded.  Apart from Jesus, they will die and face the wrath of God.

When facing death we must remember: Jesus didn't just die, but he was also raised to life again. Jesus, who died for our sins and rose from the grave, will bring us up from the dead when he returns.  The resurrection of Jesus was testified to by eye witnesses, most of whom died for their testimony.  The resurrection of Christ is a sure comfort.

Jesus promised to return again (see Mark 13:26-27).  Paul states, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God" (1 Thes. 4:16a).  Those who are dead, in Christ, will be raised to life, and those believers who are still alive will be caught up to be with Christ and his people.  The pattern described by Paul is similar to wedding rituals in the 1st Century (see Matt. 25:1-13).  Also, there were occasions when conquers would send dignitaries ahead so the people would come out and great them.  Paul is describing an event where Christ calls for his people and they rush to meet him in the air.

We are called to encourage each other with the message of Christ's death and resurrection.  Yes, we should grieve with the grieving, but we must also encourage them to combat despair, depression, and doubt. 

Principles from the passage:

1.  Doctrine (Theology) matters.
2. Doctrine in practical.
3. The better we understand the Bible, the better we will be able to endure.
4. We should not grieve like the hopeless, but doesn't mean we don't grieve.
5. The resurrection of Christ guarantees that we will be raised to life.
6. Someday we will be reunited with Christ and other believers for ever.

A Life Pleasing to God

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.  Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more" (1 Thes. 4:1).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, Paul sets forth a description of the kind of life God would have us to live.  The key to living a life pleasing to God is faith in Jesus Christ.  Obedience to the teachings of Christ mark his followers, as does growth in grace and knowledge.

God's will for us is that we be sanctified.  That is to say, we are to live a holy life.  Paul expresses this by warning against sexually immorality, urging self-control, and reminding us not to defraud our neighbors. These behaviors will be punished by God.  We should seek, therefore, to live apart from the world.  Failure to obey the Word is failure to obey the Lord.

A life of faith is also a life of love.  Paul urged his friends to continue on in the love of the Lord.  They had quickly learned the art of loving like God, and they mastered it well.  Paul encouraged them to continue to increase their love for others.

Finally, he urged believers to "make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands" (1 Thes. 4:11).  There is an old saying, "Bloom where you are planted."  This saying captures the essences of Paul's encouragement.  We are called to show forth God's glory where we are.

There are several implications of this passage, we will look at four of them:

1. These commands are God's commands bearing the full weight of his authority.

2. God desires that we be holy.  He not only desires it, he commands it.

3. We ignore these commands at our own peril.

4. The quiet life is a good life.

Good News Is Like Medicine

"For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord" (1 Thes. 3:8, NIV).

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 finds Paul expressing his deep appreciation for the faith of the Thessalonians.  This passage begins with a good report.  Timothy returned from Thessalonica to inform Paul of their faith and love.  They church not only fondly remembered Paul, they longed to see him again.  They pressed forward in the faith that he had taught them.

This revelation caused Paul's spirit's to be raised.  News of their continuance in the faith, renewed Paul.  it lifted his spirits.  It made him feel like he was "really" living, as if, he had been only barely living before.

Paul's raised spirit lead to him pray.  His heart was overcome with gratitude as he thought about this church's love and faith.  He longed for the Lord to make a way for him to see them, for their love to continually increase to the point of overflowing, and from their faith to be strengthened so that they would be blameless and holy before the Lord.

This passage calls us to:

• Encourage one another by expressing our gratitude to one another.

•  Find ways to increase our love for one another.

• Pray for one another: to grow in grace and knowledge, to increase in love, etc.