Worldly Wise.

1 Corinthians 3

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. – 1 Corinthians 3:1 NLT

In John Bunyan's classic work, Pilgrim's Progress, the main character, Christian, meets up with a gentleman by the name of Mr. Worldly Wiseman, a resident of the town of Carnal Policy, who was wise in the ways of the world. Christian was on his way to the Celestial City, seeking a means to relieve the heavy burden he was carrying on his back. He had been told that he would find his solution in the Celestial City. But Mr. Worldly Wiseman offered a better way. "But why wilt thou seek for ease this way, seeing so many dangers attend it? especially since (hadst thou but patience to hear me) I could direct thee to the obtaining of what thou desirest, without the dangers that thou in this way wilt run thyself into. Yea, and the remedy is at hand. Besides, I will add, that instead of those dangers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content."

The ways of this world always seem to contradict and run counter to the ways of God. In Paul's mind, worldliness was a thing to be avoided, not embraced. It was a sign of immaturity and an indication of a life controlled by the sinful nature. The world represents our old life, before we came to faith in Christ and were set free from sin and our own sin nature. For Paul, some sure signs of worldliness were jealousy and quarreling among believers. He gives us an even more extensive list in Galatians 5: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these" (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT). As far as Paul was concerned, these characteristics were evidence of someone who was worldly wise, wise in the ways of the world. Because the world is always attempting to get us to do God's will its way. Like Worldly Wiseman, it comes alongside us and gives us "wise" counsel, offering an alternate way to relieve the burden of sin and the guilt of our own sin nature. For the Corinthians, they had been deceived into choosing sides, finding their spiritual value by associating themselves with either Paul, Peter or Apollos. They had begun to fight over who was more spiritual based on which of these three men had led them to faith in Christ. But Paul reminded them that they were only God's servants. It was God who had made them grow.

Paul's concern was that their behavior was evidence of immaturity and worldliness. The believers in Corinth were living like they belonged to this world, like they were citizens of this kingdom. But Paul wanted to remind them that when they had come to Christ, they had had their citizenship transferred to a new Kingdom. They no longer belonged to this world. They were not to exhibit the characteristics of worldly people. Their jealousy, infighting and choosing sides were evidence of worldliness and immaturity. They were to be spiritual, not worldly. Paul warned them: "Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (1 Corinthians 3:18-19 NLT). Too often, we find ourselves listening to Mr. Worldly Wiseman, accepting his advice and following his counsel – only to end up disappointed in the results. His ways are not God's ways. His directions will never get us where God wants us to go. He will always offer a different path and the promise of an easier journey. And our sin nature will naturally gravitate to accepting his advice, because it is of this world. To our sin nature, what Mr. Worldly Wiseman says makes sense.

In John Bunyan's classic allegory, Mr. Worldly Wiseman offers Christian some sage advice. He gives him an alternate route to take and a different solution to his problem. "Why, in yonder village (the village is named Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine is from their shoulders; yea to my knowledge, he hath done a great deal of good this way; aye, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. To him, as I said, thou mayest go, and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile from this place; and if he should not be at home himself, he hath a pretty young man to his son, whose name is Civility, that can do it (to speak on) as well as the old gentleman himself: there, I say, thou mayest be eased of thy burden; and if thou art not minded to go back to thy former habitation, (as indeed I would not wish thee,) thou mayest send for thy wife and children to this village, where there are houses now standing empty, one of which thou mayest have at a reasonable rate: provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is, to be sure there thou shalt live by honest neighbors, in credit and good fashion."

Morality. Legality. Civility. All viable-sounding options that the world offers up to as replacements to a maturing faith in God. The problem is that they are all human-oriented and based on self-effort. They may sound worldly wise, but they will leave us living spiritually immature lives. Worldliness is subtle and we are naturally susceptible to it, because it appeals to our sin nature. It sounds easier and more attractive. It offers a different way. It provides us with a quick fix and a pain-free solution to our problems. But it is not God's way. It is not God's will. Better to be a fool for God than to be wise in the ways of the world.

Father, open our eyes to the dangers of worldliness. Don't let us fall prey to the ways of this world. Don't allow us to take the easy road, because it always results in a dead end. Keep us on the path You have marked out. Don't let our lives be marked by worldliness and spiritual immaturity, but by increasing spiritual maturity and faith in You. Amen.

The Mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2

For, "Who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT

In chapter 1, Paul makes it clear that the work of salvation is entirely up to God, not man. There was no reason for anyone to boast regarding their acceptance by God, because they had nothing to do with it. It was completely God's doing. God called them. He chose them. And he united them with Christ. And it was Christ who made them right with God. It was He who made them pure, holy and freed them from sin. Now Paul hammers home the point that even the message of the Gospel he had shared with them on his first visit was not the product of man's imagination or human wisdom. It was revealed by the Spirit of God. Paul reminds them that his words were not impressive or particularly eloquent from a human perspective. "And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4 NLT). Paul didn't win these people over with his powerfully persuasive words. Instead, it was the Spirit of God that made the foolishness of the cross suddenly make sense. Without the Spirit's help, the message of the Gospel would fall on deaf ears. "So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense" (1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT). It was the Spirit of God who made the mystery of God's plan of salvation knowable and accessible. "But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets" (1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT). It is impossible to know the things of God without the help of the Spirit of God. "No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:11 NLT).

Salvation is a purely spiritual endeavor. It has nothing to do with human effort or human wisdom. It is the work of God. It requires the Spirit of God to understand the truths of God. Without the Spirit's help, the truth of God will be impossible to understand and sound like foolishness. But because God places His Spirit within the heart of every believer, they have the capacity to know and comprehend His thoughts. Paul describes it as having the mind of Christ. Not only can we understand and accept His plan of salvation, but we can know God's thoughts and grow in our knowledge of His character. We can understand deeper spiritual truths that were once hidden from us. We can read the Word of God and comprehend its meanings and apply its messages to our lives. Like Christ, we can regularly talk to the Father and have Him respond, not only in answers to our prayers, but with words of comfort and direction. We can know God's will for us. We can walk in obedience to His plan because His Spirit has made it clear to us. And His Spirit provides us with the power to do what God calls us to do.

We have the mind of Christ. What an incredible statement. What a powerful reminder that the walk of faith is not left up to us. It is not based on our ability to study harder, pray longer, memorize more, sin less or make ourselves more spiritual. It is the Spirit's' doing. It is the Spirit who provides us with the mind of Christ. He alone can provide us with the capacity to think as Christ did. He gives us the ability to hear God speak. He empowers us to do what God says. He makes God known to us. So when we read God's Word, it becomes far more than an academic pursuit, increasing our human intelligence. It becomes a spiritual endeavor, providing us with a supernatural capacity to comprehend the truths of God on a level that was previously impossible for us. There is no reason for us not to grow. There is no excuse for us to not understand the things of God. We must simply remember that it is all based on the power of God made possible through the Spirit of God. We have the mind of Christ.

Father, Your Spirit made the plan of salvation understandable to me. Without His help, I never would have even heard Your call. And now He makes it possible for me to comprehend Your Word and to hear Your voice speaking to me through it. Give me an every-increasing sensitivity to Your Spirit. Help me hear clearer, obey quicker, and rely more readily on His power and not my own. Amen.

The Work of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. – 1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT

After warning the Corinthians about the danger of division within the body of Christ, Paul reminded them that the work of salvation had nothing to do with man. Paul, Apollos and Peter were nothing more than messengers of the Good News. Their role was to tell what God had done through Christ on the cross. Paul made this point quite emphatically when he wrote, "Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!" (1 Corinthians 1:13 NLT). Salvation was not man's idea, but God's. In fact, left to their own devises, mankind had not been able to come up with a way to restore their relationship with God. No amount of good works, sacrifices, worship or religious rituals had ever fixed the problem created by the sin of mankind. So God had come up with His own plan, and it appeared as nothing less than foolish from man's perspective. God chose to send His sinless Son to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. And to those who are lost, "The message of the cross is foolish" (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT). It appears ridiculous. It sounds far-fetched, too hard to believe. To the philosophers, scholars and the brilliant debaters of this world, the message of the cross sounds like superstitious nonsense – the creation of pathetically simpleminded people.

"But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24 NLT). To those who humbly accept the message of Christ's substitionary death on the cross as real and life-transforming, the power of God is self-evident and non-debatable. It is clear that the work of salvation is the work of God – from beginning to end. Man has nothing to do with it. God chose us. God called us. God united us with Christ. And it was Christ who made us right with God. It was He who made us pure and holy. It was He who freed us from sin, not Paul, Apollos or Peter. So there is no reason for anyone to boast – either in themselves or any other human being. Salvation is God's work and He accomplished it through the death of His own Son. The only role we played was that of the foolish, powerless, helpless, despised and sin-enslaved human being. We brought nothing of value to the table. We had no worth or merit in God's eyes. God didn't look down from heaven and select the best and the brightest. He didn't choose the rich, famous or successful ones. He wasn't impressed with anyone's talents, efforts, resume or attempts at self-righteousness. Because in God's eyes, all men were sinners. All men were separated from Him. All men were deserving of His wrath and destined to spend eternity being punished for their rebellion against Him. But God had a plan. He had a solution to man's problem that didn't involve man at all. It was His work. It required the death of His Son. It was His plan and "this foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human reason" (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT). So there is nothing for us to boast about, except in the fact that God has chosen us. We need to boast about God. We need to brag about Him. We need to constantly remind one another that, without His plan of salvation – as foolish as it may sound – none of us would have any hope.

Father, thank You for Your incredible plan of salvation. Without it, I would have no hope. I would have no future. But because You sent Your Son to die on a cross in my place, and You chose to open my eyes so that I could see the futility of my situation and the reality of salvation made available through His death, I now stand as right and righteous before You. I have nothing to boast about, except You. Don't ever allow me to make it about me again. Don't allow me to make more of anyone than I do of you. Amen.

The Danger of Division.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. – 1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT

One of the most dangerous enemies of the body of Christ is any kind of division or internal strife that creeps into its midst. Infighting and internal dissension can be highly destructive to the unity of a local fellowship. That's why Paul immediately addresses a situation going on within the body of believers in Corinth. He had received news that there were quarrels taking place between believers and he was disturbed enough to deal with it at the very beginning of his letter. It seems that factions had developed within the church and they were centered around personalities. "Some of you are saying, 'I am a follower of Paul.' Others are saying, 'I follow Apollos,' or 'I follow Peter,' or 'I follow only Christ'" (1 Corinthians 1:12 NLT). The church had become a personality cult, with various factions choosing a different individual as their "leader." Paul does not go into a great deal of detail regarding the cause of these factions, but it probably had something to do with the role each of these individuals had played in the conversion of the various church members. If someone had been led to faith by Apollos, they naturally held him in high esteem and viewed him as their mentor. If Paul had been the one to lead them to Christ, they developed a natural affinity and affection for him. So people were more than likely choosing sides based on the role these men had played in their spiritual birth and development. And it had led to arguments and an unhealthy situation within the church.

But Paul calls them out. He exposes the danger of their infighting, and demands that they seek unity – "be of one mind, united in thought and purpose." There is no place within the body of Christ for factions of any kind, especially man-centered "fan clubs" that seemingly elevate individuals to the same status of Jesus Himself. In the case of Corinth, some of these people were calling themselves followers of man, rather than followers of Christ. Somewhere along the way, they had missed the point. Paul, Peter and Apollos were simply tools God had used to bring the Gospel to the Corinthians and to assist them in their spiritual growth. These men were essential to the process, but were never intended to be afforded rock star status among the Corinthian believers. But it happens all the time. Cults of personality exist in churches all across the country. People become followers of men rather than followers of Christ. And in larger churches where you have larger staffs, you can end up with factions based on the particular minister or ministry heads and the role they play in the lives of various individuals. Younger people can end up with a natural affinity to younger pastors. Older members of the congregation can end up preferring a minister closer to their demographic. If a particular minister played a role in someone's salvation, it can become natural for that individual to hold that pastor in higher regard. But all of this can lead to divisions and a lack of unity. Again, that is why Paul appealed to them to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Much of what Paul had to deal with in his letters to the various churches had to do with unity and division. Why? Because it was always a real threat to the integrity and health of these new congregations. In his book, The Story of God As Revealed in the Holy Bible For All Mankind, Raymond Anderegg writes, "…the apostles make it clear that two of the biggest threats to the kingdom of God are false teachers and division within the Church, and both threats are treated as equally important. Thus, two of the worst sins a Christian can commit are to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ for another gospel (religion) and to cause strife and division among our brethren, the body, or Church, of Christ." Disunity is destructive. Division is deadly. It robs the church of its power. It diminishes the body of Christ's influence among the lost. It gives the enemy a foothold and an opportunity to sow strife and dissension in place of love and forgiveness. Ours is not to be a man-centered religion based on personality, but a Christ-centered faith based on His sin-defeating work on the cross on our behalf. When we start making the church a cult of personality by making much of men, we diminish the sufficiency and singularity of Christ as the sole focus of our faith.

Father, from the very beginning, mankind has wanted to make it all about man. We tend to want to worship ourselves or someone else instead of You. We find it easy to make much of man. We so want to elevate men to positions of prominence and importance because it seems to give us hope for ourselves. But it was never meant to be about us. We make lousy gods. We make terrible saviors. We are incapable of providing long-term, sustainable help and hope for anyone. Which is why You sent Your Son. We are to make much of Him. We are to worship Him and Him alone. Forgive us for the divisions and silly factions we create based on personalities. Help us remember that we are followers of Christ and no one else. Create in us a unity that is focused on Him. Amen.

The Beauty of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. – 1 Corinthians 1:5 NLT

One of the mistakes we make when reading the letters of Paul is to take every personal pronoun and make it personal. So every time we read the word "you," we believe he is talking to us as individuals. But in most cases, Paul uses a plural personal pronoun. That's because most of his letters were written to churches, not individuals. In this case, he was writing to the believers in Corinth – all those individuals who made up the corporate body of Christ in that city. So his words are to be taken in a corporate context. But because of our intense individualism as western Christians we attempt to make it all about us – or better yet, me. We read these verses as individuals and fail to see the community focus of Paul's words. I like the way the New Living Translation renders verse 5. It reads, "God has enriched your church in every way…" In this letter, Paul is addressing the issue of spiritual gifts. He wants the Corinthian believers to know that they have been given spiritual gifts as individual believers, but they are intended and designed for use within the body of Christ. Those gifts were meant to be used to enhance life within the community. My spiritual gift is not for me, but for the benefit of others with whom I live as part of the body of Christ.

In verse 7, Paul makes it clear that he is talking about spiritual gifts when he writes, "Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ." The body of Christ in Corinth had been blessed by God with a full assortment of spiritual gifts, given by God to enhance their community and encourage their spiritual growth and vitality. Even when Paul writes, "He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns" (1 Corinthians 1:8 NLT), he has a community focus in mind. Through the proper use of their spiritual gifts, God would keep the body there in Corinth strong until the Lord returned. Paul knew that their spiritual well-being and health was dependent on the proper use of their gifts. There were abuses of the spiritual gifts going on in Corinth and Paul was going to address them, but he wanted them to understand from the outset that the gifts were God-given and designed to be life-giving – to the community. A healthy body is one in which all the members are performing their intended task faithfully and with the overall well-being of the body in mind. There is no place for selfishness or self-centeredness within the body.

Father, how easy it is to make it all about me. We are wired to think about ourselves and to neglect the needs of others. Our instincts of self-preservation and survival have allowed us to misunderstand the spiritual life. We make it an individual pursuit and fail to recognize that You intended it to be a corporate experience – a team sport. As we read through the letter to the Corinthians, remind us again of the power of the gifts used in the context of community as You designed them to be used. Amen.

Choose Your Friends Wisely.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister. – 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 NLT

Not every fellow believer in Christ is someone you necessarily want to associate with. Some are more serious about their faith than others. Some refuse make the pursuit of Christ-likeness a high priority in their lives. There are those who, while professing faith in Christ, live much more like the world. In the city of Thessalonica, living among the believers there, were a group of individuals who were living undisciplined lives. They refused to work. They were mooching off of others and ignoring the clear command given by Paul when he was with them: "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10b NLT). Rather than pull their weight, they were becoming a burden and a nuisance to others in the fellowship. Even Paul used himself as an example of someone who modeled a life of diligence when he was with them. Rather than allow them to take care of his daily needs, he worked. He did his part.

We don't know why these people weren't working. Paul doesn't tell us. Perhaps they were lazy. Or it could have been that they saw no reason to work, because they believed the Lord would be returning any day. They could have also spent more of their time pursuing "spiritual" things. But as the old saying goes, we can sometimes be too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. Cloistering ourselves away in our room studying Scripture may sound pious and a worthy ambition to pursue, but in the body of Christ, each must do his or her part. That's why Paul was very clear when he wrote, "We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living" (2 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT). He told those who were doing their part and working hard to keep up the good work – to not grow weary of doing the right thing. Sometimes in the Christian life, it is the little things that end up making a big difference. A Christian employee who is lazy and unreliable ends up giving the cause of Christ a bad reputation. Those who earn for themselves a reputation for being undependable and lacking in diligence, do not leave a good impression about Christians among the unsaved. So how are we to react to these kinds of people? Paul pulls no punches. He simply says, "Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister" (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 NLT). Stay away from them. Don't associate with them. Don't validate their behavior by spending time with them. Instead, warn them. Do as Paul did and point out their fault – in love. Don't overreact and treat them like they're unsaved or an enemy of the faith. But make sure they understand that you see their behavior and disapprove. They will be better off in the long run and the body of Christ will be stronger as a result.

Father, sometimes it is way too easy for us to tolerate the lack of discipline among ourselves. We compromise our convictions and give in far too easily to a spirit of laziness and apathy. Help us to take our faith seriously, both individually and corporately. Amen.

Two Simple Truths.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 3:5 NET

The people to whom Paul was writing were still relatively young in their faith. Christianity itself was virtually unknown and misunderstood, viewed by many as some kind ofkind of strange religious sect. These new believers were living in a part of the world where tolerance for other religions was not the norm. They were under constant persecution and pressure. Their knowledge of God was minimal at best. Their understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures was negligible. They were struggling with how to make sense of their new-found faith in Christ. They were a minority living in a very hostile environment, with very few who could effectively teach and lead them. Which is why Paul was writing to them in the first place, because he knew exactly what they were going through. But in this section of his letter, Paul calls them to prayer. He encourages them to lift up Silas, Timothy and himself as they continued to spread the Gospel around the world. He asked them pray for their safety, because they were surrounded by "wicked and evil people" who opposed the message they were preaching. Paul reminds them that God is faithful. He encourages them to remember that God will strengthen and guard them from the enemy. But they needed to know that the enemy and the war he waged were both real. There lives were not going to be easy and their pursuit of spiritual maturity was not going to be unopposed.

But Paul gave them two simple things on which they needed to focus their hearts. In the midst of the spiritual warfare in which they found themselves, they needed to concentrate their hearts on these two unchanging realities: The love of God and the endurance of Christ. Paul knew that when difficulties came, the natural response would be to doubt the love of God. When facing trials, it is easy to conclude that God must be angry with us or that He has fallen out of love with us. In other words, we allow our circumstances to determine our view of God. But Paul says, that we need to direct our hearts toward the love of God. He loves us. He never stops loving us. His love is unchanging and unwavering. Paul would later write the believers in Rome, "And I am convinced that nothing can every separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NLT). Our greatest weapon against the attacks of the enemy and the difficulties and trials of this world is the love of God. Nothing can change God's love for us. That should give us hope and strength, regardless of what we might have to face in this life.

The second thing we need to focus our hearts on is the endurance of Christ. As we go through difficulties in this life, we must constantly remind ourselves of all that He went through during His life on earth. The writer of the letter of Hebrews puts it this way: "and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfect our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame" (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT). He goes on to write, "Think of the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won't become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin" (Hebrews 12:3 NLT). When we face difficulties and trials, we need to focus our hearts on the endurance of Jesus. We need to remind ourselves of what He went through in order that we might have eternal life. Our suffering, as great as it may seem to be, is nothing when compared to that which Christ endured on our behalf. And His suffering was motivated by love for us. He endured it all out of love for you and me. So we need to focus our hearts and minds on two things: The love of God and the endurance of Christ. We need to remind ourselves and each other constantly of these two realities. We are loved. And we have the capacity to endure just as Christ did. We have His Spirit within us. Jesus knew that everything He went through had come through the loving hand of His heavenly Father. So He endured it willingly and gladly. We two need to understand that nothing reaches us that has not first passed through the all-powerful hands of our loving Father. He has a reason for it and a purpose behind it. He knows what He is doing. He loves us and has our best interests in mind. Jesus could endure because He knew He was loved. We can and should do the same.

Father, You love me, and I should never measure that love based on my circumstances. I need to continue to learn to accept Your love as what it is – unchanging, unwavering, and constant. Nothing can change it. And it is recognition of that love that should give me the ability to endure anything and everything that comes my way, because I know You love me and would never allow anything to happen to me that was not in Your divine will and for my eternal good. Help me to remember these two incredible realities. Amen.

Spiritual Maturity.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. – 2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT

Have you ever wondered why Paul took the time to write so many letters? What was he trying to accomplish? What was his purpose? He wrote 13 letters in all. Some of them were personal letters written to individuals, like Timothy and Titus. But most were written to the early churches in places like Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica and Rome. But virtually all these letters were intended to be shared. They were circulated around the regions in which these churches existed, and shared with other fledgling congregations. And Paul's purpose was simple. He wanted to encourage and sometimes admonish these new believers in their walk with Christ. He wanted to provide them with sound teaching, refute false doctrine, encourage them to remain faithful and do whatever he could do to make sure these young believers matured in their faith. Paul was not just content to see people come to salvation, he wanted them to experience sanctification – ongoing spiritual maturity and growth in Christ-likeness.

Paul was grateful to God that the Thessalonians to whom he was writing were among the first to experience salvation. This was a work of God "through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13b NET). Their salvation had taken place as a result of the Gospel message proclaimed by Paul and Silas on their first visit to Thessalonica. And as a result of their having accepted God's call, they were assured of getting to share in Christ's glory. For Paul, there was salvation and, ultimately, our glorification – the future time in which we will be fully transformed into the likeness of Christ when we go to be with Him. But in the meantime, there is our sanctification. That was the basic gist of all of Paul's letters. He wanted to see these new believers grow up in their salvation. Peter had a similar desire and expressed it in his letter. "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation" (1 Peter 2:2 NLT).

Paul wanted to see all believers grow in their faith, and he knew that it was essential that they be taught sound doctrine and truth based on the Word of God. If left to themselves, they would be easily deceived. Without sound teaching, they would have remained immature and unspiritual – saved, but unsanctified. Paul expressed this concern to the believers living in Corinth. "Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to fee you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready to anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NLT). Pretty harsh words, but they reflect Paul's passion for and belief in the non-negotiable nature of spiritual growth and maturity. For Paul, it was non-optional. So he wrote these letters with the full expectation that those who read them would take the truth written in them and grow. He told them to "stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter" (2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT). They were to hang on to the words of Paul. They were to apply them to their lives. Those things he had taught them in person and expressed through his letters were essential to their growth from gullible spiritual infants to maturing believers. But Paul also knew that it was ultimately up to God to bring about their sanctification, just as He had their salvation. So he prayed, "may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NLT). Ultimately, it is God who brings about our spiritual new birth and our spiritual growth. But He does it through sound teaching and the indwelling presence of His Spirit, who uses the truth to convict, encourage, and direct our lives to reflect the nature of Christ Himself.

Father, You want me to grow. While I might be content with salvation alone, Your desire is that I grow up. You saved me so that I might become increasingly more like Your Son. Your obsession is my holiness. You want me to go from spiritual infancy to adulthood. You have given me Your Word and placed Your Spirit within me. You have surrounded me with other believers. There is no place for complacency in my spiritual life. Keep me growing Father. Never let me become satisfied or complacent when it comes to my spiritual growth. Amen.

The Man of Lawlessness.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. – 2 Thessalonians 2:3 NLT

Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking that simpler is better. Especially when it comes to teaching new believers the doctrines of the faith. As a result, we can end up dumbing down our theology to the point that it is virtually useless. Yes, the Gospel message is beautiful in its simplicity, but it is essential that we take new believers from the threshold of their faith and help them "grow up in their salvation," to use a phrase of Paul's. In fact, Paul had a passion for teaching new believers deeper truths in order to deepen and strengthen their faith. But he wasn't the only one. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, who many believe was Paul himself, wrote, "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God" (Hebrews 6:1 NLT).

Here in his letter to the Thessalonians believers, who were still relative babies in Christ, Paul is not afraid to deal with the difficult and deeper truths. His audience has had questions regarding the coming of Christ. They have received some erroneous teaching that has left them confused. So Paul takes the time to give them the kind of teaching they will need to not only survive in this world, but to better understand the overall plan of their God. Otherwise, they would continue to misinterpret the events taking place around them. The absence of good theology can lead to all kinds of confusion and faulty views of God. The people to whom Paul was writing were thoroughly confused about the second coming of Christ. They had been led to believe that it was going to happen any day. They had begun their faith with the belief that Jesus had died, but had rose again and was some day going to come again. And in the simplicity of their faith, they just assumed that was going to happen immediately. Essentially, their view of the end times or future events concerning Christ's return were totally skewed. So Paul taught them the truth. And his letter was not the first time he had talked about these things. He wrote, "Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?" (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT). When Paul had been with them, he had taken the time to teach these people what some of us would consider to be pretty deep doctrine. But to Paul, it was simply the truth of God. It was all part of God's redemptive plan, just as much as the birth and death of Christ was. For us to understand God, we must understand His plan for mankind. Knowing that God had sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins must be understood alongside the fact that God is some day going to send His Son back to earth. The first time He came as a baby in a manger. The second time He will come as a conquering King. But it was important that the people understand that there were some key events that had to take place before Christ returned. One of those was the coming of the "man of lawlessness" – a reference to the Antichrist. Paul refers to "a great rebellion against God" that must take place. This whole passage is a reference to the Great Tribulation – a seven year period of time that will take place after Christ removes all the believers from the earth – an event Paul referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). One of the things that will happen as a result of the removal of the Church is that the Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers, will be removed as well. Paul refers to that fact in verse 7: "For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it backs steps out of the way." The Holy Spirit, who acts as a restraining force against evil in the world, will be removed, leaving a spiritual vacuum and the perfect environment in which the Antichrist might thrive. The presence of the Holy Spirit and the influence of the Church are all that holds back evil. When they are both removed, chaos will reign. This is what sets up the Great Tribulation.

Paul wants the Thessalonians to know about all of this – even though they will not live to experience it. He wants them to know how things are going to end, because it speaks volumes about their God. He tells them that this man of lawlessness will come, but that he will also ultimately destroyed by Christ Himself. The Antichrist will be under the power and control of Satan, performing miracles and signs and exhibiting Christ-like powers. He will deceive and manipulate, with a plan to destroy those who are living at that time. And they will believe his lies and enjoy evil rather than the truth, leading to their destruction. And Paul wants the Thessalonians to know all this. He wants them informed and educated regarding these future events. Why? Because it is all part of God's overall redemptive plan for mankind. It is as important as the virgin birth of Christ and His resurrection from the dead. Jesus' second coming is as important as His first. With His return, the plan of God would be incomplete. Satan must be defeated. Christ must come as the conquering King, fulfilling all the Old Testament Scriptures that predicted it. He must set up His Kingdom on earth, ruling from Jerusalem, fulfilling God's promise to David that a descendant of his would sit on a throne, ruling from the city of Jerusalem forever. Every story has an ending. And if we don't understand it, we will always be confused about what we see taking place around us. God's redemptive story has an ending and it is essential that every believer understand not only what God has done, but what He is going to do.

Father, You have a plan and You are working it to perfection, but for so many of us don't have a clue what You are doing Some of us don't even seem to care. We don't think it's important. And it leaves us with an incomplete understanding of what it is You are doing and an unclear view of who You really are. May we never be afraid to teach the deeper, more difficult truths of Your Word. Help us to understand that the end is just as important as the beginning. Help us to teach the entirety of Scripture, revealing Your complete plan so that we might know and understand You better. Amen.

God's Call.

2 Thessalonians 1

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. – 2 Thessalonians 1:11 NLT

A few months had passed since Paul had sent his first letter to the Thessalonians. Evidently, he had received word back that caused him to write them again, addressing additional concerns and confusion caused by his first letter. It seems that there was a problem with the Thessalonian believers having become so engrossed with the coming of Christ, that they had lost their focus. Some were saying that, due to the increase in persecution they were experiencing, the second coming of Jesus was just around the corner. This entire letter was written by Paul to clear up confusion and to encourage them how to balance their longing for the return of Christ with their need to live faithful, diligent lives in the meantime.

Paul starts out his letter with words of encouragement. He commends them for their flourishing faith and endurance in the face of growing persecution. It was not easy for these new believers to live out their new-found faith in Christ in the midst of a hostile, pagan culture. But he reminds them that God is just and right. He is fully aware of what they are going through and has a purpose behind it and a just outcome in store for them. Rather than view their trials as unjust and unfair, Paul encourages them to see them as part of God's righteous judgment. He uses them to separate believers from unbelievers. Trials and tribulations have a way of exposing the weaknesses and flaws in our faith, so that God, through His grace, can purify and refine us. They reveal our false idols and expose the self-righteous props on which we have built our lives. Paul wrote, "God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering" (2 Thessalonians 1:5 NLT). Rather than see God's justice and judgment as relegated to some future event tied to Christ's second coming, Paul wanted them to understand that God was at work at that moment, refining, separating, and preparing a people for Himself. And at the right time, God was going to deal justly with those who were doing the persecuting. But for the Thessalonians, the focus needed to be on living for Christ in the here and now, not waiting idly for Christ to come in the by and by. Yes, there is a time when Christ will return and "provide rest for you who are being persecuted" (2 Thessalonians 1:7 NLT). At that time He will come "bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:8 NLT). There is a time coming when God will separate the faithful from the unfaithful, the saved from the lost. But the greatest separator will be the way each has lived his or her life on this earth. The evidence of God's work and transformative power in their lives will be what sets them apart. So Paul's prayer is that God will enable them to live lives worthy of their calling. He asked God to give them the power they would need to live the life of faith in the midst of persecution. It is only God's grace that makes it all possible. So when Christ does eventually return and the saved are separated from the lost, God will receive glory and honor because the faith of the believers will be clear proof that they are His children, transformed by His grace and according to His power.

Father, sometimes this world does not make sense. There are days when the troubles and trials seem too great and appear to be purposeless and unfair. But You are just, righteous and always right. You know what You are doing. You have a plan in all that is going on around me and in me. You are refining and purifying me. You are exposing my weaknesses and removing my dependence on all those things I falsely rely on instead of You. You are making me worthy of Your Kingdom. Help me to see that truth every day of my life and view the difficulties of this life as instruments in Your hands to transform me and prepare me for eternal life. Amen

God's Will – Part 2.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

Earlier in his letter, Paul had told the Thessalonian believers that it was God's will for them to be holy. then he gave them a practical example of what that kind of life looked like. They were to avoid sexual sin at all costs. They were to control their own lustful passions and live holy lives, not impure lives. They were to love and honor one another. They were to live their lives in such a way that they honored and pleased God. And now, at the close of his letter, Paul gives them another practical application of what a holy life looks like – a life that reflects God's will for all believers. It is a life marked by joy. Not a giddy, unstable happiness based on changing circumstances, but a deep joy that is founded on the knowledge that we have a right relationship with God, our sins forgiven, our eternity secure and a God who loves us so much that there is nothing we can do that would ever cause Him to fall out of love for us. He is constantly out for our best interests and our circumstances, whether good or bad, are not an indicator of God's love for us. His love is expressed in our spiritual transformation, that was made possible by His Son's death on the cross. And that transformation is ALWAYS taking place within us, because of the indwelling presence of His Spirit. Which should bring us joy.

We are to pray without ceasing. In other words, prayer should be a constant part of our lives because God is a constant part of our lives. Prayer is not just petition, or asking God for things. It is also expressions of thanksgiving and praise. Prayer is the intimate communication between the Father and His child. And He wants to hear from us as much as we want to hear from Him. Prayer includes spending time listening to God, which is difficult, because we can't hear His voice audibly or out loud. He speaks to us through His Word and His Spirit. God is always speaking to us, but the problem is that we seldom take time to listen. So we are to pray or communicate with Him constantly, unceasingly.

And we are to live lives that are marked by thankfulness – not just for the good things that happen in our lives – but even for the trials and difficulties. Why? Because as believers, we should know that God is at work in our lives at ALL times, using even the difficulties of life to transform us into the likeness of His Son. And we can live our lives with the assurance that He ALWAYS loves us – at all times – even when our circumstances seem to shout otherwise. And we can be thankful for that love and express our gratitude back to Him. None of this comes naturally. It isn't a normal reaction for most of us, because it runs contrary to our sinful nature. We are wired to complain, not express thanks. We are prone toward dissatisfaction and discontentment, not gratefulness. Prayer is the ultimate expression of dependence on God, and we tend to be far too independent to have to rely on God. And since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and not a byproduct of our human nature, it must be produced by the Spirit in our life. We can't manufacture it or even fake it well. As we live in tune with and in obedience to the Spirit, He produces within us a joy that goes far beyond mere happiness. It is not based on circumstances, but on the certainty of God love for us.

God's will for us is that we live holy live. But holy lives are practical lives. And ultimately, Paul tells us, God must make us holy. That is his prayer for the Thessalonian believers and, by extension, his prayer for us. "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every Way and make your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT). It is not only God's will that we be holy. It is His mission. And one day He will complete that mission. There is a day coming when our holiness will be complete. Sin will be eradicated. Our transformation into the likeness of Christ will be finalized. We will be holy and blameless, because God is faithful and true.

Father, our holiness is of great importance to You, so it should be of great importance to us. Not that we should try to make ourselves holy, but that we should see it as our highest priority. We should view the circumstances of life as Your laboratory in which You are refining and perfecting us. You are always at work within and around us. Your ultimate goal is not our temporary happiness, but our eternal holiness. Give us that divine perspective. Help us to see our lives from Your viewpoint and with Your ultimate goal for us in mind. Amen.

Be Ready.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. – 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NLT

We don't know when Jesus will return, but we are to live in a constant state of readiness, as if it could happen at any time. Paul reminds his readers that the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. But if they are always ready for His return, they won't be surprised. They were to be ready. They were to be on their guard, alert and clearheaded. As far as Paul was concerned, there was no question as to whether or not the Lord was going to return. It was a matter of when. And since no one knows the date or time of His return, the best plan is to live as if it could be today.

The Thessalonians were concerned about what was going to happen to those who had died prior to Christ's return. Paul assures them that there is nothing to worry about. "Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever" (1 Thessalonians 5:10 NLT). But those who remained alive needed to live with a constant mindset of preparedness. They needed to live in the light, not the darkness. As Paul had stated earlier, "God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives" (1 Thessalonians 3:7 NLT). The Thessalonians, like all believers in every age, were to live lives that pleased the Lord. They were to be holy, living distinctively different lives, set apart from the rest of the world. Their lives were to be characterized by love. They were to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit, not giving in to the desires of their own sinful flesh. While the rest of the world lived in ignorance and darkness, they were children of the light, having had their sins exposed and their salvation assured by placing their faith in Christ as their Savior. That faith was to act as a kind of armor, protecting them from the attacks of the enemy and allowing them to survive in hostile territory until the Lord returned. Their confidence in their own salvation would be like a helmet, protecting their minds from doubt and fear, and preventing them from giving in to the lies of the enemy. Their knowledge of and confidence in their salvation would protect them, providing assurance of their future, whether they were to die or live to see the day of the Lord's return. Death was not to be feared. And difficulties in this life were not to be a cause for doubt or disappointment. Christ died so that we might have eternal life. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul writes, "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death not life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NLT). The ultimate expression of God's love for us is the death of His Son in our place. And His death took place so that we might have eternal life, lived in perfect relationship with God the Father forever. It's assured. It's guaranteed. So we are to live as if it could happen any day.

Father, help me continue to learn to live in a state of readiness. Show me how to live in this life, but with my eyes on eternity. Don't let me fear death or become distracted by the cares of this life. Whether I die or live until Your Son returns, I will enjoy the same unbelievable future. My eternity is secured. My future is settled. I want to be alert and clearheaded, prepared and ready at all times. And I want to help others do the same. Amen.

Words of Encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. – 1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT

The Thessalonian believers to whom Paul was writing this letter were wrestling with something. It's important to keep in mind that, not only were these people new to faith in Christ, but the Christian faith was still in its infancy. The Gospel was being spread around the known world, but it was still a relatively new teaching. And apart from the apostles, there were not a lot of seasoned teachers, pastors, elders or other spiritual leaders. There was no New Testament yet. There was no established or written doctrine to speak of. These new believers had only what Paul and Silas had been able to share with them on their first visit there. And most of what they knew revolved around the basic message of the Gospel – that Jesus had died on the cross as their sin substitute, and had risen from the dead in order to provide them with forgiveness of sin and the assurance of eternal life. Through belief in the saving work of Jesus, these people had been made right with God and given the hope of a restored relationship with God the Father.

But that's where the confusion came in. Having accepted Jesus as their Savior, they had assumed that they were now part of God's Kingdom and would enjoy eternal life. And yet, along with suffering and persecution, they had watched as some of their fellow believers had unexpectedly died. Of course, these events triggered questions in their minds. Why had they died? Where had they gone? What would happen to them when Jesus returned? This was all new territory for these new believers and Paul had received word about their confusion and distress. So he wrote them to let them know what to expect. He gave them assurances regarding their deceased brothers and sisters, and comfort about the return of Christ. These people had been grieving. They were sad and confused. They were wondering what their own fate would be, because each of them had fully expected to be around when Jesus came back. Paul had even alluded to it earlier in his letter. "May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people" (1 Thessalonians 3:13 NLT). So it was no wonder they had questions about the state of those who had died since accepting Christ as their Savior.

So Paul tells them, "we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT). Paul assures them that Jesus is going to come back, and when He does, He will bring with Him all those believers who have died prior to that point in time. Paul clearly states, "when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died" (1 Thessalonians 4:14 NLT). This event is what we call the Rapture. It is not the Second Coming of Christ, but the return of Christ for the Church, His bride. In this event, Jesus does not return to the earth, but He comes in the clouds, accompanied by angels and those believers who have died. "Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT). The words, "caught up" literally mean to be snatched up and are where we get the word Rapture. All believers who are alive at this point in time will be suddenly removed from the earth to meet Jesus in the air. Another important part of this event is that the bodies of those believers who have died will be raised, renewed and reunited with their souls, which have been with Christ in heaven. Then we will all return to heaven, where we will spend eternity with Him.

Paul says, "So encourage each other with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NLT). Why? Because this is our hope. This is our future. Death is not the end. One of the reasons this passage is frequently used in funerals is because it provides us with hope regarding those who have died. If they were in Christ, their souls have gone on to be with Christ. They are no longer with us physically, but they are far from gone and forgotten. And one day, they will return with the Lord to come get us who remain on the earth. That day is coming, We don't know when. We don't know exactly how it will all work, but it is going to happen. We can count on it. We can rest in it. We can encourage one another about it. One of two things is going to happen to every single believer. Either we will die and go to be with the Lord, or we will live to see the Lord's return. So there is no reason for us to grieve like those who have no hope. We know how the story ends, and it ends well.

Father, thank You for the assurance of Your Son's return for the Church. Thank You for the assurance of our place with You at death. We have nothing to fear and everything to hope for. Don't let us lose sight of that reality. Our future is secure and settled. Death has been conquered and the eternal security of our souls has been guaranteed by Christ. May we constantly encourage one another with these words. Amen.

God's Will For You.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT

Have you ever wanted to know God's will for your life? Have you ever wondered whether what you were about to do was something God would want you to do or not? The sad truth is that some of us just prefer to not even bother worrying about what God's will might be, preferring to do our own will instead. But the topic of God's will is a huge one among most believers. We constantly wonder about what God would have us do. Should we date that individual, buy that house, accept that job offer. put our kids in that school, or attend that church? We inherently know that living outside of God's will is not a safe place for us to be. So we wonder and worry about whether we are in God's will. We search the Scriptures, hoping to discover what He might have us do in any given situation. But in most cases, we find it hard to discover God's opinion on things like what dress to buy for the prom or even what person to marry. Our problem is that we tend to deal in specifics. I'm not implying that God doesn't care about the specific decisions we make, but I believe God is concerned about something far more general – something that would aid us in our daily decision-making and insure that we are well within His will at all times.

Here in chapter four of Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, he gives us a glimpse into God's will, and as you will see, it is quite broad when it comes to God's expectations. Paul simply says, "God's will is for you to be holy" (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT). As far as Paul is concerned, God's primary concern and desire for His people is their holiness, which really refers to their lives being set apart for His glory. In verse one, Paul puts it another way: "we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that please God" (1 Thessalonians 4:1 NLT). To be holy is to live your life in such a way that it pleases God, not you. It is to live according to His expectations, not your own inclinations. And Paul gives the Thessalonians a very real example of what he is talking about by telling them to stay away from all sexual sin. Don't allow yourself to be controlled by your own lustful passions. It is never God's will for a man to cheat on his wife or a woman to engage in sexual fantasies by reading sexually explicit romance novels. It is never within God's will for two young people to live together outside of marriage. It is never God's will for a young man to fill his mind and corrupt his soul with pornography. Paul makes it quite clear. "God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives" (1 Thessalonians 4:76 NLT). God has expectations and standards. While we are no longer required to live by the Law in order to gain acceptance with and access to God, we are still obligated to live lives that are in keeping with God's holy standards. He has even given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to do so. Before accepting Christ as our Savior, we were totally incapable of living holy lives, but now it's not only possible, but expected. Our lives are to be set apart, different and distinct from those of people who do not know Christ. We have a special capacity to live in such a way that God is not only pleased, but glorified, because it is all due to His power within us.

God's will is for us to be holy because it is an indication of His work in us. When we refuse to give in to our own lustful desires and abstain from sexual sin, it is a clear indication of His Spirit's work in us. Holiness is the byproduct of His presence and power in our lives. In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, Paul wrote, "throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy" (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT). Then he gave them specific examples: Stop lying and start telling the truth. Instead of letting anger control you, forgive. If you used to make a habit of stealing, work hard instead. Replace your foul language with words of encouragement. "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live" (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).

So does God care about what kind of car you drive or what particular neighborhood you live in? Most certainly. But His real concern is what motivations are driving our desires for that car or a home in that neighborhood. Are we driven by selfish and prideful passions? Are we attempting to impress others or build up our low self esteem? There is a simple question we can ask ourselves whenever we face a decision of any kind and want to know what God's will concerning that decision might be. Will it help our hinder my pursuit of holiness? To put it another way, will that car, dress, job, relationship, home, or whatever else it might be, make my pursuit of holiness easier or harder? If God's will is our holiness, shouldn't that be our will too? But sometimes we make it much more about our happiness. We buy things to make us happy. We decide to do those things that fulfill our own selfish, self-centered desires. And in many cases, those things are not wrong in and of themselves. But if we're not careful, we can lose sight of the real objective, which is to live in a way that pleases God. His will is our holiness. And that should be our will as well.

Father, You have made us Your own. You have purchased us with the blood of Your own Son and You expect us to live up to our calling as Your sons and daughters. Your will for us is holiness. You have placed Your Spirit within us in order to make it possible for us to live differently and distinctively in this world. There are all kinds of decisions we make every day. Help us to make them with holiness as the objective. Don't let us compromise and make it just about our happiness. Show us how to live our lives in such a way that they please You, not us. Amen.

Standing Firm.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles, and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. – 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 NLT

You can sense the love that Paul had for the Thessalonian believers. He longed to be with them. He had tried on numerous occasions to visit them, but had been prevented. We don't know what kinds of circumstances kept Paul from making the trip, but he believed Satan had played a role. He understood the reality and significance of spiritual warfare. He knew that the enemy was always trying to destroy the fruit of Paul's efforts and the work of the Spirit taking place around the world. The various letters of Paul reflect that kinds of spiritual conflicts that had risen up in the churches that had sprung up since Pentecost. Legalism, syncretism, factions, false teachers, errant doctrine, and a host of other issues had made their way into these local fellowships, causing all kinds of problems. As one of the few qualified leaders available to minister to these fledgling fellowships, Paul had a strong sense of responsibility for their well-being. He knew they were under attack, just as he and Silas were. He knew their faith was being tested and wanted to encourage them to remain strong and stand firm. Unable to make the trip to see them in person, Paul and Silas sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians in order to assess their condition. His report when he returned was positive and encouraging. Paul and Silas had sent Timothy to encourage and strengthen the young believers in Thessalonica, but what he found ended up being a source of encouragement to Paul and Silas. In spite of their difficult circumstances and the troubles surrounding them, the Thessalonians were strong in their faith. The Spirit was at work in their lives.

When he had been with them, Paul had warned them of the difficulties to come. He had not left them wide-eyed and innocent, unaware of the difficulties that accompany a life committed to Christ. "Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come – and they did, as you well know" (1 Thessalonians 3:4 NLT). Rather than leave these young converts with an impression that the Good News meant a life devoid of bad circumstances, Paul and Silas had told them the truth. "We are destined for such troubles" (1 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). They come with the territory. When we come to faith in Christ, we become enemies of this world. We become targets for Satan to destroy. Our very existence stands opposed to him and his plans for this world. We should not be surprised by trials or struggles. We should not be shocked by difficulties. We are immersed in a spiritual battle, surrounded by the enemy, and under constant attack. But we have the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower us. We have the body of Christ. We have the unfailing promises of God to trust in and the unquestionable assurance of our salvation to stand on. We can and will endure to the end. And our faith in the midst of difficulty should be a source of encouragement to us. When we see one another standing firm in the face of difficulty, we should rejoice. When we see another believer struggling with trials, we should come alongside them, strengthening and encouraging them. Then when we see them come out the other side stronger and firmer in their faith, we will be strengthened as well. Paul was encouraged by the faith of the Thessalonians. He was strengthened by the news of their steadfast commitment to the cause of Christ. And he prayed that their love and faith would continue to increase. "And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows" (1 Thessalonians 3:11 NLT).

Father, may my life be an example to all those who know me. May they be strengthened and encouraged by the way I handle and face the inevitable adversity of life. Trials are inevitable. They are part of life on this planet. But give me the faith to remain strong. Give me love for others so that I will stand by them as they struggle and rejoice with them when they come out the other side stronger in their faith. Keep us going and growing, Lord. Amen.

Committed to the Cause.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to love your lives is a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. – 1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT

Prior to visiting Thessalonica, Paul and Silas had been imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. They had had an encounter with a demon-possessed girl who had been used as a fortune teller by her "handlers." Paul had cast out the demon, and as a result, she lost her ability to tell fortunes and her bosses lost their source of revenue. Paul and Silas were dragged before the authorities and accused of "teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice" (Acts 16:21 NLT). The city officials had them severely beaten with rods and thrown into prison. Yet we read in the book of Acts that "around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening" (Acts 16:25 NLT). Suddenly massive earthquake struck the region and the doors of all the prison cells flew open. But rather than escape, Paul and Silas shared the gospel message with the jailer, who came to faith in Christ that night. Upon their release the next day, Paul and Silas left Philippi and headed to Thessalonica, where they shared the gospel for the first time with the readers of this letter.

Paul reminds the Thessalonian believers of the circumstances surrounding his first visit to their city. He and Silas had still been suffering the effects of their beating and imprisonment in Philippa, but yet they faithfully shared the Good News with them, even in the face of opposition. They didn't do it out of greed, false flattery, personal gain or any other impure or improper motive. They did it because God had entrusted the Good News to them. Paul reminded them, "We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too" (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT). They diligently and faithfully shared the gospel among the Thessalonians, pleading, encouraging and urging them to believe. And the recipients of Paul's letter had received their message as the very word of God. As a result, they too suffered persecution at the hands of their fellow countrymen.

Paul understood. He knew the cost of commitment to Christ. He had first-hand experience of just how high the price was for following Christ. But he encouraged these new believers to live their lives in such a way that they honored God. After all, He had allowed them to share in His Kingdom. Remaining faithful to Him even in the midst of persecution and difficulty was the least they could do in return. Persecution was not unique to the Thessalonians. Even back in Judea, Jews who had come to faith in Christ, had undergone intense persecution from their own people. This was a common place occurrence in those days. It was to be expected. It came with the territory. But Paul's life illustrated the faithful endurance to which he was calling the Thessalonian believers. He was committed to the cause. He was motivated out of love for Christ. He worked hard, setting aside his own personal agenda and needs for the sake of the gospel. Their conversion was a direct result of Paul's commitment. He didn't let persecution or difficulty dissuade or distract him. He didn't whine and complain. He simply shared, faithfully, passionately, honestly, obediently and lovingly.

Father, what an example Paul was and still is. He didn't just mouth the words, he lived them. He didn't just preach about commitment, he modeled it. How easy it is for us to find excuses and rationalize away our faithlessness. We use the slightest difficulty as a justification for spiritual laziness. When things heat up even slightly, we drop out. But Paul reminds us of the kind of commitment to the cause we should have. Help us to live like he did, to face opposition with the boldness he did, to endure difficulties with the kind of faith he did, and to remain committed to the cause of Christ as he did. Amen

Faith Under Fire.

1 Thessalonians 1

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it. – 1 Thessalonians 1:8 NLT

Paul is writing to the new believers in Thessalonica. It had been a year since he and Silas has been there, preaching the Good News and helping lead these pagan Gentiles to salvation in Jesus Christ. His letter, probably written from Corinth, was meant to offer them words of encouragement, exhortation and clarification. As was the case with all of Paul's letters, he was having to write them because he couldn't physically be with them. These people had not had it easy since their acceptance of the gospel message. Their conversions had not come without cost, in the form of persecution and, to a certain degree, confusion. Thessalonica was a wealthy and influential city in the region of Macedonia. The book of Acts tells us that those who accepted the message of salvation through Jesus Christ included some Jews, God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. These individuals found their faith in Christ immediately challenged because of the hostility of their own community to the Gospel message. During their missionary excursion to Thessalonica, Paul and Silas had been forced to flee for their lives when the crowds turned ugly, accusing them of treason against Caesar because they professed allegiance to another king – Jesus.

Like all new believers, these people were struggling with a certain degree of confusion. There was much they did not know. Their knowledge of Jesus and their understanding of His ultimate return were limited. While they had received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and knew first-hand that the message Paul had preached to them was true, they were limited in their understanding of what the Spirit-led life was to look like. Yet Paul was able to commend them for the faithful work, loving deeds and enduring hope. In fact, they had become an example of faith to all the believers in Greece. Word of their faith in the face of persecution and difficulty had gotten out. News of their acceptance of Christ and rejection of worthless idols had spread, influencing others to follow their example. Their commitment to Christ had not been without cost. But it had not been without real change either. These people had been radically transformed by the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Paul commended them. "So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT). Salvation had brought suffering. Faith had put them under fire. Accepting Christ had led to rejection and ridicule. But they had remained faithful. A year later, Paul had received news that they were still holding firm in their faith, and this letter was his attempt to encourage and exhort them to remain faithful and strong. How easy it is for us to lose hope when our faith gets challenged or our walk with Christ becomes difficult. Accepting Christ requires nothing on our part, but walking with Him daily demands a great deal from us. We have to trust Him when things don't make sense. We have to believe in His love when the circumstances we find ourselves going through seem anything but loving. We have to rest in His promises, even when they seem unlikely or uncertain. The life of faith is anything but easy. But it is worth it.

Father, salvation cost me nothing. But the life of faith costs me daily. I have to die to self. I have to endure the animosity and alienation of this world. I have to give up my will for Yours. I have to sacrifice my desires and place the needs of others ahead of my own. I have to wait when I would rather act. I have to trust You when I would rather trust my own judgment. But any cost to me is well worth it. The gain is so much greater than any pain I might have to endure. The benefits far outweigh the costs. Thank You for that reminder today. Amen.

The Law of Christ.

Galatians 6

Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2 NLT

Our freedom from the law does not give us license to live according to our own standard. It is not freedom to live and do as we wish. Paul uses this last section of his letter to let his readers know that their behavior to change. They were to live differently than they had before. But it was not simply behavior modification brought about by mere human effort. It was to be the result of the Spirit's presence and work in them. Rather than living selfishly and self-absorbed, they were to love sacrificially and selflessly. They were to care about the sins of one another, not in order to point fingers and make themselves feel better about their own righteousness, but in order to restore that brother or sister. Paul told them they were to "share each other's burdens." When they did, they would be obeying a different law altogether, the law of Christ. His is a law of love, of selfless sacrifice, that requires us to put others ahead of ourselves, rather than compete with them in order to get ahead. John Piper describes the law of Christ this way: "But when Christ summons us to obey his law of love, he offers us himself to slay the dragon of our pride, change our hearts, empower us by his Spirit, and fulfill his law." The old law could not change our heart, it could merely alter our behavior, but never perfectly or completely. The law of Christ is driven by love and is focused on changing our heart and modifying our behavior from the inside out.

Paul tells us, "If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important" (Galatians 6:5 NLT). This had been a theme of Jesus when He walked this earth during the three and a half years of His ministry. He was constantly teaching His disciples that life in His Kingdom was about placing the needs of others ahead of your own. It was about service, not being served. It was putting others first and ourselves last. It was about life within a community, not self-centered individuality. "Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith" (Galatians 6:10 NLT). Doing good to others. Loving others. That is the nature of life within the body of Christ. It is about caring and community. It is about the fruit of the Spirit being produced in our lives for the benefit of others, not ourselves. We are being transformed by Christ in order that we might be agents of transformation in the lives of one another. We are to love others as He has loved us – selflessly and sacrificially. We are to be instruments of change in the Redeemer's hands. As He works in us, He will use us to love the lost and lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ. But the antithesis of the law of Christ is the lure of pride. We are constantly battling our own selfish desire to make it all about ourselves. But Jesus gave us the greatest commandment when He said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT). Love God. Love others. And God has given us His Spirit to make it possible. So we have no reason to brag or be boastful. It is His love in us flowing through us and influencing those around us.

Father, I want to fulfill the law of Christ. I want to love as He loved. I want my life to be marked by selflessness, not selfishness. I want to lift the burdens of others, but sometimes I can become too consumed with my own cares and concerns. Help me to learn to take the focus off of me and place it where it belongs on others. Help me to understand that your fruit, produced by Your Spirit in my life, is not for me but for others. Give me a growing desire to give my life away. Amen.

The Fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26

But the Holy Spirit products this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:22 NLT

Not only are we free to love others, but we are free to live under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. But if we're not careful, we are also free to live according to the desires of our own sinful flesh – our sin nature. It's a choice. I can choose to let the Holy Spirit guide and direct my life, or I can give in to the constant cravings of my sin nature. It's not only a choice, it's a daily battle. "These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions" (Galatians 5:17b NLT). The Holy Spirit directs us one way, while our sin nature prompts us to take an opposite and radically dangerous path. Allowing ourselves to get enslaved to the law only feeds our sin nature. Paul pointed this out in Romans 7. "…it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, 'You must not covet.' But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me!" (Romans 7:7-8 NLT). The law tells me what I should not do, and then my sin nature desires to do just that. It's like telling a young child not to touch a hot stove, and that becomes the one thing they want to try and do. Their sin nature creates a desire for the very thing they have been denied. Like Eve in the Garden, we can't seem to stay away from the one thing God has told us is off limits. When you attempt to live according to laws, decrees, rules and standards, your sin nature will always resist, tempting you to break those rules or justify your ignoring of them. When you try to do what God wants in your own strength, you will fail. But when you live empowered and guided by the Spirit of God, you will have all the strength you need and the motivation to do what needs to be done.

Following the desires of our sin nature produces obvious outcomes. Paul gives us a comprehensive list. Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these" (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT). Notice the diverse nature of his list. He includes sexual immorality alongside jealousy. Drunkenness makes the list right there by envy. All of these things, from the dramatic to the seeming inconsequential, all have one thing in common – they are focused on self. They are self-centered and driven by selfish desires. This list contains destructive behaviors that are anything but conducive to community and selfless servanthood. Trying to live your life according to some set of standards or rules will feed your sin nature and produce an unhealthy and destructive list of outcomes. You'll end up comparing yourself with others. You'll compete and attempt to outdo others in rule-keeping. You'll attempt to justify your own insufficiencies and expose those of others. All this will lead to division, dissension, quarreling, jealousy, anger, and more.

It's interesting that when we try to produce the fruit of the Spirit on our own, we end up with results that look nothing like what we were aiming for. Rather than love that is focused on others, we end up loving ourselves. In place of joy, we find ourselves with discontentment and dissatisfaction. Instead of producing patience, we become irritable, judgmental and angry. Kindness gets replaced with pettiness and an overwhelming need to find fault in others so that we can feel better about ourselves. Goodness gets trumped by selfishness. Faithfulness comes out as unreliability and self-seeking. Gentleness becomes harshness. And self-control goes out the window, as love of self takes over our lives, turning out attention inwardly rather than outwardly.

Only the Spirit of God can produce the fruit God is looking for in our lives. These things are not self-produced. We are incapable of manufacturing any of them on our own. If we try, we only end up with cheap imitations that are like those knock-off perfumes you can buy at the local drug store. They may cost less, but they stink in comparison to the real thing. Paul encourages us to live by the Spirit, according to His power, not our own. Rather than having to live enslaved to the desires of our old sin nature, we are now free to live in the Spirit's power, allowing Him to produce in and through us what we could never have done on our own. He produces in us supernaturally what we could never have produced naturally. Like our salvation, it is the work of God, not man. This is no longer about trying to live up to some kind of standards, rules or laws. It is not about trying to behave in such a way that we somehow make God happy and satisfied with us. It is not about comparing ourselves with others and measuring our righteousness based on that of others. This is learning to recognize that our righteousness is the work of God, from beginning to end. It is the fruit of His Spirit, not our flesh. It is made possible by the work of Christ, not anything we do or don't do. So Paul encourages us, "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives" (Galatians 5:25 NLT). Let's live in His power. Let's operate according to His agenda. Let's seek His will, not our own. Let's watch Him produce His fruit in us, rather than try to produce it on our own. "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:1-2 NLT). We are free to live in the power of the Spirit and to bear the fruit of the Spirit – for the good of others, not ourselves.

Father, I want to live increasingly in the power of Your Spirit. I want to say no to my sin nature and yes to Your Spirit's leading. I desire to see His fruit produced in and through me. My attempts at fruitfulness always fall short and never produce what You're looking for. My sin nature tends to make everything about ME. But I want to live for You. Continue to patiently show me how to live in Your power, according to Your will, and expressing Your love for others through my life. Amen.

Free to Love.

Galatians 5:1-15

Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." – Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

When we become obsessed with earning favor with God or attempting to keep His righteous standards in our own strength, we end up self-obsessed. That kind of life can be totally self-centered, restricting us from loving others and pouring out our lives to them. Instead, we can end up seeing them as competition, causing us to find fault in them so that we can feel better about ourselves. We can heap them with guilt, demanding that they keep the same exactly standards that we have set for ourselves, causing them to be just as miserable with life as we are. Slavery to the law is debilitating. It robs us of joy. It is dead-end road that leads nowhere. But as Paul reminds us, Christ has truly set us free, but if we try to make ourselves right with God by keeping the law, we end up being cut off from Christ. In other words, we negate His saving work on our behalf and replace it with our own powerless attempt to save ourselves by some form of rule-keeping. Our righteousness comes through faith, not works. Once again, Paul states plainly, "For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness" (Galatians 5:5 NLT). We already have what is called "positional" righteousness. Because of Christ's death, we have been covered in His blood and are seen as righteous in God's eyes. He views us through the righteousness of Christ. But we are also in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ, through the presence of the indwelling Spirit and the power of the Word of God. We are becoming righteous in practice. But it is a process that takes place over time, and it is still the work of God. Paul puts it this way: "we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness." One day we will be like Christ. It won't happen in this lifetime. But it will be when Christ calls us home or returns for His Church. That is our hope. And it is based on the work of the Spirit and available only through faith.

This does not mean that we have nothing to do or that we can live our lives as we see fit. Paul is not against effort, but he stands completely opposed to earning. Paul tells us elsewhere to "work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear" (Philippians 2:12 NLT). In writing to the believers in Corinth Paul stated, "I don't meant to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me" (Philippians 3:12 NLT). Then he makes his famous statement: "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:14 NLT). Paul pursued practical righteousness in his life, but he knew that full righteousness would only come about when his time on earth was done. Like his salvation, his righteousness was ultimately the work of God, made possible through the death of Christ.

So what's the point of all this? For Paul, it was that we would understand our freedom in Christ. But not only are we free from having to earn God's favor through the law, we are free to love one another. The greatest expression of our new-found freedom in Christ is found in our love for those around us. No more competition or comparison. No more measuring ourselves against one another or attempting to outdo one another for God's love and attention. This is not a contest. We are not siblings vying for the favor and attention of our parent. Rather than serve ourselves in an effort to elevate our standing, we are free to serve one another. Remember how the disciples seemed to be constantly obsessed with who was the greatest? They were vying for positions of prominence in Jesus' coming kingdom. They wanted places of prominence and power. So they jockeyed for position. The same thing can happen with us as believers today. But Paul tells us "use your freedom to serve on another in love" (Galatians 5:13b NLT). We are free to love, not compete. We are free to serve, not be served. We are free to put others first and ourselves last. Because our place in God's Kingdom has been secured by Christ. We don't have to do anything to fight for or earn our rights or secure our place. We are free to spend our time loving others. If someone else gets the credit, no problem. If no one notices our efforts, it doesn't matter. We aren't trying to earn favor with God anyway. We're free!

Father, this is such a hard concept to get our heads around. We live in a society that is steeped in the idea of earning and effort. We have grown up with phrases like, "No pain, no gain." We have been told "there's no free lunch," "the early bird gets the worm," and "to the victor go the spoils." We struggle with the idea that our salvation and even our sanctification are totally the work of Christ and have nothing to do with us. But help us to fully understand and appreciate the joy that comes with knowing that we are free from having to earn favor with You. No more performance-based motivation. No more competing with one another. No more jockeying for position. We are loved by You because of Christ. And we are free to love others. Amen.