epcblog

Devotional thoughts (Monday through Thursday mornings) from the pastor of Exeter Presbyterian Church in Exeter, NH // Sunday Worship 10:30am // 73 Winter Street

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

2 Thessalonians 2

Positive realism is the appropriate state of mind for the Christian, since we live in the certain hope of future blessings that have been secured for us by Christ. The truth of the coming of the Lord is so good for us, and it should be such a regular and happy meditation for us, that we are more than permitted, we are even commanded to borrow joy from the inexhaustible supplies of eternal blessedness that are reserved for us already in the heavens in Christ. Yet instead of having this positive realism, there were some within the church in Thessalonica that were alarmed and troubled when they thought about the future, and this because they had some wrong understandings about the present and the future that were troubling them.

Some thought that the Day of the Lord had already come, and that they had missed it. As our Lord Himself makes clear in the gospels, the culminating events of the present age could not possibly be missed by anyone. Many will not be ready for the coming of Jesus Christ, but no one will miss His coming. In any case, there are certain things that must take place before Christ returns in glory. In the gospels we read that the message of Christ must be preached throughout the earth, but here we learn of some other important facts.

Paul speaks of a rebellion that comes first, and of a singular figure, a man of lawlessness, a son of destruction, who will set himself up as a god to be worshipped. Where will he do this? Paul says that he will take his seat in the temple of God. This expression admits of more than one interpretation. There is a temple of God in the heavenlies, there was once an Old Testament temple of God in Jerusalem, and there is a living New Testament temple of God in the people that comprise the church of Jesus Christ. Since this event of which Paul writes is something that takes place just before the end of this age, the third interpretation is the best one for our understanding of this prophecy. In the midst of a great turning away from the truth of Christ in the world-wide church, there will come a singular figure, who sets himself up as the great leader of the church, demanding and receiving worship, and proclaiming himself to be God.

Up until that final apostasy, this lawless one is being restrained, and the message of the truth of our Lord is being proclaimed throughout the earth. But the time will come for this leading figure of evil rebellion to be more fully revealed. Even from the time when Paul was writing this letter, he could plainly state that the mystery of lawlessness was already at work. In fact heresy, hypocrisy, and immorality have been seen within the church, the temple of God on earth, from the earliest decades after the resurrection, and throughout the later centuries that have taken place, even until today. At times it has appeared that such error would entirely overwhelm the Lord’s beloved, but some measure of recovery came, as it always may, thereby showing definitively that the great day of apostasy written of here, that day of overwhelming and fatal falling away from Christ right within his church, has not yet happened.

When the lawless one does come in that final apostasy, it is Christ Himself who will defeat Him in the glory of His return. Until then, when a beleaguered saint dies, it is Jesus who rescues him from an enemy that was too strong for him. Even now, there is a sense of that final great victory whenever the weakest child of God is snatched up from the hands of some deadly defeat and brought into the courtyards of life and love by the Savior.

But on that great day that is coming, the lawless one will be utterly and final defeated by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Himself, the very breath of His mouth, and the Word that once said to a legion of demons, “Go!” Do not be deceived by false signs and wonders, no matter how impressive they may seem. Love the truth of the Word, and do not join in the chorus of the perishing who are distracted by spectacular illusions that turn out to be only wicked deceptions. Will those who refuse the plain statements of our ancient and apostolic faith actually be given a delusion in that final time by the decree of God? When God wraps up this present fading order, it is His to do with everyone as He pleases. He can send a powerful delusion to the disobedient that brings such an apostasy as this, giving a platform to some impressive lawless one. Then Christ will come in judgment, and He will renew all things for those He has rescued from death.

Until that day, or until the day when we depart this world for our heavenly home, let us live as those who know these things, and who have this kind and good gift of positive realism. We have been justified by Jesus. He made us alive. We are growing in grace and knowledge. Faith is working itself out in love. We are pressing forward toward the world that lies ahead. We believe in the truth, and we are alive to the glory of Jesus Christ. As we consider the wonder of the present heavens and the certain fulfillment of all the promises of God, God Himself comforts our hearts even in the worst imaginable distresses, and we are established by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in every good work and word.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

2 Thessalonians 1

The coming of Christ again is not entirely good news for everyone. In fact one of the encouragements of the Lord to His persecuted people is that the Lord will one day afflict those who have afflicted the church. The church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ was severely afflicted, almost from the moment that Paul began to preach the message of Jesus Christ in the synagogue in Thessalonica. It was within this landscape of tribulation that the faithfulness of the new Christians in this important city was shining so brightly. They faced horribly unjust judgments and attacks from those around them, yet from the Lord they received grace and peace, and they flourished.

Paul was especially thankful to God for this church for the way that they shined in the midst of cruel assaults. Their faith was growing through trial, and that true faith was expressed and made visible with deeds of love for one another. That love was increasing, and had caused the apostle to boast to other churches concerning the life of love among these believers in Thessalonica. The kinds of persecutions and afflictions that they had endured might have caused many to drift away from each other in fear, since gathering together might have seemed too dangerous. Instead they had become evidence of the abounding grace of God in a difficult life situation.

When we seem to be singled out for providential bad news, and this is how churches may feel when they have seen their property destroyed and their lives threatened, it is easy to begin to wonder whether having trial upon trial is a sign of God’s displeasure with this gathering of worshippers. This is not the right way to understand what has happened in Thessalonica. Their response to their difficulties is the evidence of something that we would be afraid to say were it not in God’s Word, that they are “worthy of the kingdom of God” for which they have been suffering.

We know that there is one sense in which we could never be considered worthy of the Lord’s kingdom. We cannot satisfy all the righteous demands of God’s Law. This is the question of our justification, or legal standing, before the Almighty. That legal standing is based entirely on the perfect works of our Redeemer. Yet as those who have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, there is a life of steadfast faith and love that is consistent with this work of God’s grace, even proving the genuineness of it. This is what Paul is referring to here, that their good works under fire are evidence of something real among them, and is behavior appropriate to those who claim to be the people of the One who died for our sins on the cross.

For these beloved children of God, affliction is not a sign of God’s displeasure, but a privilege entrusted to them. They have an opportunity to stand firm in the truth they believe at a cost. They suffer now, and those who afflict them may seem to be strong, but a day of reversal is coming soon, most supremely at the return of Christ. On that day those who have afflicted them will be repaid by God with affliction, and His suffering people will be given the fullness of relief.

When did this actually happen for the church at Thessalonica. When we go to be with the Lord at our death, we enter into His paradise, but the persecutors of the church begin to face His indignation. This will be supremely and finally displayed when Christ returns, but all of the faithful from the churches Paul wrote to have already entered into the place of heavenly blessing, and Christ has not yet returned for the final Day of Judgment.

One day He will return, together with the inhabitants of heaven. Then His vengeance will be most fully displayed in the sight of all. Those who do not know God, and who do not obey the good news of our Lord Jesus will suffer something that words cannot adequately convey, a destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might consistent with a continuing existence that is called in an another place, everlasting destruction, and in still another place, the second death. Yet those who have called on the name of the Lord with a sincere heart shall be saved. His coming will be very bad news for those who face His wrath, but the best possible news of resurrection glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus for those who have believed the apostolic testimony.

A crucial part of that apostolic testimony is the cross of Christ. It is in God’s revelation of final judgment that we can have a deeper appreciation of the Lord’s death. All that the enemies of the church will one day face testifies to us of our Lord’s suffering for us many centuries ago. We deserved the second death, this everlasting destruction, because of our sin against God. Christ has taken this for us on the cross. Something of the horror of what He faced was, in a sense, obscured from the view of those who saw Him suffer that day. The Day is coming when the extent of that loss will be more visible, but not upon Him, for His suffering was finished long ago, but upon the troublers of His people. May we walk in the grace of God now, and pray for one another, that the Lord would grant us strength to fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith to the glory of the Triune God.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

1 Thessalonians 5

There are things that we need to know about the future, and there are many other things that we do not need to know. Unfortunately we have a tendency to give ourselves over to that which God will not tells us, and to count as of little consequence that which He has revealed. We would do well to keep these three clearly revealed things in the front of our minds:

1. A Day of Judgment is indeed coming. It is coming quietly, without a lot of preparatory signs, the same way that a thief comes in the middle of the night. On that day, people will be living their lives as if nothing is ever going to change. They will be sure that life is safe and wonderful, and suddenly destruction will come upon them, and they will not escape.

2. The church is not supposed to be surprised by this coming Day. That is not because we know when the Day will come, or because we will be experts at reading the cosmic indicators at that last minute, but because we are to always be in a state of constant readiness. If you and I lay down our heads for a peaceful rest, we can consider that we may very well wake up in heaven, or even to the sound of the Lord’s return. Others live in darkness and drunkenness, even if they never touch a drop of wine and the sun is bright and high in the sky. They are unaware of the facts of heaven and of God, so they do not expect anything to ever come to any conclusion. We may be blind and fast asleep, but we have been granted a sober understanding of the limits of this present existence. We are always waiting for the fullness of the Lord’s promises to arrive

3. Our beliefs about the future inform the way we live our lives today. We are keeping the faith, expressing that faith in love, and setting our minds on the life that is coming with a living hope. The ground of this faith, love, and hope is this: We have come to understand that we are no longer destined for wrath, but that we shall obtain the fullest blessings of life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. Our acceptance by God does not depend on our living on this earth until He returns. If we die, we go to live with Christ in the present heavens, though our mortal bodies “sleep” in the grave. If we live, we live as those who are awake to the truth of the Lord Jesus, waiting for His return, and encouraging one another through our present difficulties with the sure hope that we have in the life to come.

Just to review: 1. A Day of Judgment is indeed coming, 2. The church is not supposed to be surprised by this coming Day, and 3. Our beliefs about the future inform the way we live our lives today.

In this new life of faith, love, and hope, we are not alone, but part of a community, the church. Within that worshipping assembly, God has given some who provide leadership according to His Word. Theirs is an important work, and we are told here to respect them and to esteem them very highly in love because of the work that they do. We have come to see that these shepherds are watching over the flock for our good, and we thank God for their efforts of spiritual oversight. This is not some heavy-handed system of micro-management of people’s lives, but the care of friends who have been chosen by God to be examples to others of sacrificial love. As they follow Christ, we can safely follow them. This helps to seek unity and peace among those who want to love and serve the Lord together.

This way of life for us is a beautiful one, though it may not win us fame among men. We want to live out this kind of quiet life of diligent service, patiently helping the weak, and pursuing together what is true, good, and beautiful. We do not want to be loudly denouncing others or bringing harm upon those who do not agree with us. Instead we bear patiently the insults we may receive from those who reject the message of the cross and resurrection, and we pursue peace.

Let us put off glum despondency as much as it is within our power to do so. Remember the love of Jesus for you and be happy. Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing, since God is listening. In everything give thanks, for your heavenly Father loves you and provides you with many encouragements if you will only lift up your head today and see them. Is the sun shining again? No? Then even the clouds are a gift for you. Look and see the day that God has made for you. Has He entrusted you with some problem? Call upon His name, so that He knows you are there, that you love Him, and that you appreciate what Jesus has done for you. He will never forget you.

Then open up the Word of God again and read the next chapter. Do you know that God used His Holy Spirit in the lives of apostles and prophets to bring to you the words that you are reading today? Do not despise the Scriptures. Take them in as a person who wants to hear from God. And the Lord will carry you through another day, holding on to every good thing in front of you, and turning away from every evil snare. This is the way that the God who sent His Son to suffer for you will give you peace today. He can keep you going like this every day until you wake up in heaven, or until you are happily jolted awake by the sound of a trumpet announcing the glorious news that heaven has come to you and renewed the earth even before you had a chance to die and go to that place of blessing. This is the way to live in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

1 Thessalonians 4

The Apostle Paul received an excellent report regarding the faithfulness of the church in Thessalonica in the midst of persecution. In that kind of environment it is not safe to simply hear kind words noting our spiritual achievements. That’s good, be we need to remember that the battle continues, and we each need to take our spots in the kingdom, remembering that we have been called by the Lord to serve and to grow in our time and place. If we know anything about how we are to live a life that would be pleasing to God, we need to put that knowledge into practice.

Let’s be specific. Israel was delivered from Balak’s desire to have Balam curse them in the wilderness, but Balam’s efforts to lead the men into immorality still ended up proving deadly. It will not be good for the church in Thessalonica to stand strong against the onslaught of Jews and Gentiles who hate the message of Christ, only to sin against one another by lack of self-control in this and other areas of life.

It is God’s will that the church be sanctified. Congregations that are facing brutal persecution are not immune to the mortal dangers of unsanctified living. Paul speaks about such things not because he likes to judge other people, but because he loves the church, and he does not want to see people committed to behavior that could be deadly for them and displeasing to the Lord. This matter of pleasing the Lord with our lives does not receive enough of our quiet but serious attention. Dangerous sexual practices are not to be criticized just because of the facts of human biology and disease, though these are serious enough. The real problem with all kinds of sin is that there is a battle going on wherever the gospel is being preached, and when we ignore the life that God calls us to, this could mean danger from Him. That does not mean that He has withdrawn His electing love from us, may it never be! But it does mean that we may die. As Paul says here, “The Lord is an avenger in all these things.” And also, “God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

Sanctification is not only about what we do not do, but about what we must be committed to from the heart as a positive way of life. We are to love one another. Paul had already commended the church for this, but they must continue to pursue love. This does not mean self-promotion. There is something very unattractive about our protest that we are a humble and loving people. It would be better for us to live a quiet life, and to set this as a goal, rather than assuming that celebrity in Christ-likeness is the key to our happiness.

There is a way of life that is being recommended her that is consistent with living long on the earth, much as we are encouraged by the fifth commandment, telling us to honor father and mother. Yet this life of sexual fidelity, attention to our own duties, hard work, and a certain kind of appropriate independence with generous quiet giving still ends with death for ever person who hears this letter from the apostle Paul. They all died.

Paul addresses the fact some brothers and sisters in the church have already died. He speaks of these people as those who have “fallen asleep.” These loved ones God will bring with him when the Lord returns at the culmination of the age. Our plain understanding of what is to come is to be an encouragement to us as we live for the Lord.

These expectations begin with Christ Himself. Our Savior has died, and His death meant something for us. The reason we acknowledge a future for those we have lost is because we believe that His death was somehow connected to the people of His kingdom that He came to save. Jesus died and rose for us, and we are in Him. Through Jesus, those who have faced death will be brought back with him when He returns in glory. Those who are able to live in the light of these future facts will still grieve the death of loved ones, but they grieve as those who understand this expectation of the future, which is a hope of eternal life.

This comes not from the religious imagination of the minds of desperately grieving people. This comes from the Word of the Lord who came from heaven, and has now ascended back into heaven. The Lord who lives and reigns from on high will descend from heaven with the sounding of the great trumpet of the Lord. The Lord died in connection with the Jewish feast of Passover. His resurrection took place on the feast of Firstfruits. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit happened on Pentecost. Now we are waiting for the sounding of the trumpet of God. The Lord will return and He will come with His beloved, and we who remain until that day will be caught up with the Lord in a new realm.

Whatever else might be said about this future life of more blessing, we can surely say this: We will be with the Lord from that moment onward. We will always be with the Lord who gave His life that we might live. We will always be with the Lord who has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. We will be with the One who said, “I and the Father are one.” We will be with this one-and-only Jesus. If we must be persecuted for saying that to be with Him is better than anything else, so be it. One day we will be with the Lord forever. This is a word of the greatest encouragement to us as we fight the fight of faith in the present momentary affliction.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

1 Thessalonians 3

Paul loved his ministerial companions, but he was willing to be parted from Timothy for a time so that he might gain a first-hand report from his son in the faith about the persecuted new church in Thessalonica. He had a gospel affection and concern for the people in this church, though he had spent very little time with them. This is something that is a common Christian experience in every era. We may find ourselves genuinely concerned about some brothers and sisters in the faith that we have never even seen, but our sense of connection with others in far-off churches grows dramatically by our experience of visiting them in person and sharing with them, if only for one or two weeks, something of their lives.

That kind of experience makes sense for those who follow a God who was willing to visit us in person, and who has borne our grief and carried our sorrows. Christ not only has affection for us, He has proven His love. He gave His life that we might live. This is the One we worship, and it is completely appropriate for us to have not only feelings of love for others in far-off places who are a part of the Lord’s household, but even to be able to build on such gospel impulses with sacrificial gifts and works that display the love of Christ in person to others.

Paul’s concern for the church was in part based on the persecution that forced the apostle out of the city in the first place. He sent Timothy to find out how everything was going, but also because he saw the ministry of the Word as an important weapon in the fight for this church. In any kind of battle, we should expect both sides to have some power at their disposal. The forces against the gospel should not be underestimated. Affliction against the church can be very powerful. Some who profess faith in the Lord may be knocked off course by the unpleasantness of those against them. But we have power too. It is with this in mind that we need to consider the ministry of the Word. Here is the force of God by the power of the Spirit working through the words of this young servant Timothy. When Paul sends Timothy to Thessalonica, he expects that his words will be powerful by God’s own power, helping the church to hold on to the faith.

The force of gospel enemies should not surprise the church. It is part of our ministry of the Word to warn the beloved concerning the fact of opposition to the message of Christ. This is an element of the message of the cross. If they treated the King of glory that way, do not be surprised when His foot-soldiers face enemy fire. But remember that the Lord won through His suffering. There may be something of that kind of winning happening amongst us if we face significant persecution. If so, it is our destiny, for it is by the Lord’s hand that we are privileged to suffer for His name. We have been entrusted with suffering as a gift. It may require a faithful minister of the Word to remind us of this strangely comforting truth.

Ultimately our battle is not against flesh and blood. Some who may be throwing rocks against us today we expect to be fresh recruits for the Lord’s family of love tomorrow. The tempter seeks not only that we would shrink in the face of the one who threatens us as his enemy. He also would strike a blow against us by filling us with an ungodly hatred of others. If we turn away from the life of Christian love, we may bring disgrace upon those who led us to faith.

Thankfully the news from Timothy is far better than this fear. The saints in Thessalonica continue to have belief and trust in the Lord who persevered in love for us to the end. They are living out their faith in love, and they remember Paul and the messengers of the cross with gratitude, longing to see them again. This is good news three times over. The gospel itself is good news; when it is believed it is good news, and when young faith holds steady in the face of a formidable foe it is good news yet again. Though Paul himself will continue to face affliction as he serves the Lord, it is no small aid to him to hear this report. It helps us to know that the Lord is blessing. We understand from the Scriptures that He is for us, but it helps to have this truth supported by the progress of the church, especially when a concerted effort against the Lord’s people has failed. Thank God for His many blessings! We need them all.

That helps encourage us further in our prayers, since we see fresh evidence that God hears our cries. We thank Him for His abundant mercies. The greatest mercy we have is the cross. If everything else is taken away, nothing can separate us from that perfect expression of love. But we will take all of the Lord’s help for us as we seek the glory of His Name in a dangerous world.

A report like Timothy’s is very good, yet it is still not enough for people who know the blessing of a visit from God in the person of Jesus Christ. Loving Him, we love His people. We cannot be fully satisfied until we see the ones we love in person. Most of all we long for the return of our Savior. On that day we will have the blessing of His return forever, and He will not come alone. He will have with Him all who are His, even the great church in Thessalonica from so long ago, and Paul, Timothy, and so many others who have known the love of God expressed to us so powerfully in Christ. Until that day may we continue to grow in love and holiness as those long for His appearing.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

1 Thessalonians 2

We would love to see throngs of people praising God unanimously when we proclaim the glorious message of the Lord Jesus Christ. There may be many motives for this desire, but not all of them are good. We may long for celebrity, or for the approval of men rather than God. It is very natural to want to be liked, and it is not ultimately a bad desire, but it cannot be our first goal in life without serious spiritual danger. We need to preach as those who have been approved by God and who want to please God, even when what we say may displease men.

Paul was well aware that the best message that God has ever made known throughout the universe is often greeted not only with disdain and rejection, but even with violent hatred. In the ministry of Jesus and the apostles, the preaching of salvation through a Redeemer normally caused a division among those who hear it. Some embraced it as life, while others considered it to be unworthy of their trust. Given this fact of a divided response, it is of great practical importance to the church that her preachers not demand universal approval in order to continue with their efforts.

The fact that the death and resurrection of Christ for us is good news is not dependant upon our approval ratings. The message of Jesus is the good news of God. It will not get better by our adding error, impurity, flattery, or deception to it. It is perfect. Instead of attempting to change what cannot possibly be improved, the message recorded for us in the Scriptures, we should give more serious attention to something that could be better, our behavior as servants of the truth. Are we gentle among the people who are hearing the Word, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children? Are we affectionately desirous of those who would be our brothers and sisters in the Lord, ready to share not only our words, but also our lives? Are the people that we want to teach dear to us? Are we willing to work hard for their benefit? Does our conduct match the excellent message that we preach?

Our doctrine has everything to do with a righteousness that is not our own. We know that the cross would have had no power if the One who willingly died there for us had been lacking in that love which is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. We cannot improve His righteousness by changing the Bible to please our detractors, but we can easily distract from God’s Word through our own unrighteousness. That means we need to consider our ways.

Attention to life is not only for apostles and ministers of the Word. Paul says here that the church in Thessalonica needed to walk in a manner worthy of God, especially in an environment of significant persecution. Our behavior can be witnessed by others, even though it is not our intention to put on a show of our obedience. People are fairly perceptive. They pick up clues that we may be hiding from ourselves. Ministers can be seen and known, and so can those who make up the beloved body of Christ. Our life of love matters, and it needs to be genuine.

There was much to thank God for concerning the church in Thessalonica, this despite the fact that Paul was only able to preach there for three Sabbaths because of the persecution that erupted out of the synagogue there. We could look at the facts of this ministry and conclude that there was much cause for a godly lament, and we would be right. People in the church were suffering unjustly. Many Jews had utterly rejected the good news of the Jewish Messiah. They were actively attempting to prevent the expansion of the message of salvation through Jesus from having any positive reception by the Gentiles in that region. Paul had wanted to come to them many times, but Satan had hindered him. These are very sad facts. Yet Paul writes to the church that he and those who are with him in this apostolic mission are thanking God constantly for the way that the new church in Thessalonica received the word of God as what it really is, a definitive message from the Creator and Sustainer of the world, a word that must be received with full trust, a word that is not only to be believed, but which must be at work in and among believers. This good testimony could not have taken place in the absence of suffering.

The story of the rejection of the gospel of Christ by so many Jews is a very sad story, but it is not a different story than the rejection of the Old Testament prophets by the people of God in their own day, only a new chapter of that same Old Testament story. Thankfully this rejection of the Son of God is not the final chapter in God’s dealings with the Jews. Though many Jews have not received Jesus as the Messiah, the fact is that many Jews have embraced Him, and have been willing to suffer for the sake of the Man who suffered so powerfully for our salvation.

The final chapter of the Lord’s dealings with mankind involves the fullness of His wrath against His enemies and the fullness of His mercy. As the reception of the message of Christ has been a divided issue over the centuries of its proclamation, the fact of Christ’s return will also be a matter of division. For those who see their own unworthiness and flee to Jesus, the fact of His coming, and even the present faithfulness of the body of Christ under lamentable trials, is a matter that has become our hope, our joy, our crown, and our glory. We will be with Him, and we will be together. This is why we can be full of thanks to God even now. Those who reject Him and persecute His church need to consider what their reaction will be in the day of His coming.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

1 Thessalonians 1

We long for a world full of grace and peace. While we can have a measure of these things now, we live in a world of noticeable turmoil. Even if we could find our way to some protected island where no one could trouble us, we still would not be able to be rid of all the disquieting doubts and sins that are within us. As those who have heard and believed the Word of hope, how are we to live in this time of trouble and opportunity as we wait for the appearing of our confident expectation?

In First and Second Thessalonians, Paul writes to a very new Christian church that faced almost immediate opposition from other Jews who had once been their companions in synagogue worship, but who had come to reject the message of grace and peace preached by the Apostle. Their disdain for the gospel was not passive or casual, but active and destructive. Some were willing to bring bodily harm on others in their hatred of the message of the Father and the Son. They were not content merely to drive Paul out of Thessalonica; they even followed him to a neighboring town and stirred up opposition to him in that place.

The account that we read about these matters in Acts 17 and in these two letters should remind us that it is not such a surprising thing for us to find that some have a violent response to the message of divine love. These kinds of troubles are not signs that we are rejected by God. Nor are they an indication that something has gone terribly wrong. They may instead be reason for thanksgiving, for the Lord has permitted us to face some measure of suffering for the sake of the Name of His Son. If we are able to persevere in works of faith, in the labor of love, and in the steadfastness of hope, that stability is a gift from the Lord, and will cause many to give thanks to God for His work in us. These troubles are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned us. We are loved by God and chosen for His kingdom purposes in our generation in the midst of suffering.

When the gospel of the sacrificial love of God in Christ is preached in any place, the reaction to that Word can be varied. The message could be completely rejected. It is also possible for Christian preaching to be received, but in word only. Our reception of the truth is tested when trouble or persecution comes, or when the demands of a busy life resurface after our initial enthusiasm begins to wane. There is also the possibility that the gospel will come to us in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is in the midst of suffering that true spirituality is proven. If we stand firm in the face of danger, the power of God is at work. This was the way for believers in Judea, and for the apostolic messengers who spoke the Word of the Lord Jesus. It was also the case for those who trusted Christ in this important city in the Roman province of Macedonia.

Can we find the joy of the Holy Spirit though we may be despised and afflicted by men? If we can, it is very likely that the persecution we face will not halt the forward momentum of the message of Christ’s death for sinners. News like that spreads quickly. Who is standing firm in a day of severe testing? People want to know that sort of thing, and we have the privilege of being examples to them of the Word of the Lord in action. It is Christ, our head, who is at work in His church, His body. Are we standing firm? Are we still believing and living out the faith in love? Our heavenly Captain, the Lord Jesus, is the One who should be praised for that victory.

If a message of glory is to be proclaimed involving us, let is be a message of the power of the Lord working through weak sinners, and not the message of our own success. If we are to be an example to anyone else, may they know for certain that Christ has done a good work through us as His unworthy servants. Our obedience to the Lord in the face of even murderous opposition is about God’s work in us, and is not a reflection of our own natural courage or ability. Have we turned from the idolatries of the place we once called home? Have we begun to worship a God who really hears, sees, and speaks? He is certainly to be preferred to lifeless statues fashioned by the hands of men. Even better, we worship the God who became man, and dwelt among His people, demonstrating His divinity, and then dying for our sins.

It is this Jesus we are waiting for from heaven. He was raised from the dead, and He lives and reigns from that higher realm that we cannot presently see, except by faith. He is able to deliver us from the wrath to come. The idols of our hearts and our hands cannot save us.

We have grace and peace from the Son of God who died for us, and from the Father who sent His Son to atone for our sins. When our grace and peace is seasoned with suffering, it is only so that the genuineness of our faith can be proven to be more than a proud flurry of empty words. If we live today in a place and time where believing and proclaiming the gospel of the cross-love of Christ will not put us in serious danger, it is ours to make the best use of this time of peace. But if it is our privilege to suffer the hatred of the enemies of the cross, let us do so as those who have come to see our wounds as a privilege, for the nail prints in the hands and feet of Another have secured our eternal redemption.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Preaching on Job this week in Morning Worship

I will begin 1 Thessalonians when Matt returns from Texas. Until then I will continue in the Old Testament book of Job. Monday: Job Chapter 7.