SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/22/2014 9:55 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Do Not Be
Weak
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2
Thessalonians 2:15-17
Message of the
verses: “15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which
you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and
God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by
grace, 17 comfort and
strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
We look at the last exhortation that Paul gives to the
Thessalonians that is found in this second chapter of 2 Thessalonians and it
covers the last three verses of the chapter.
I want to focus in on the word “traditions” which has caused some
problems in the past as people have used this word to bring into their churches
things that are not Biblical and thus cause much pain and trouble within their
churches. The word literally means “things
handed down” according to John MacArthur, and what we are talking about here is
what these believers learned from Paul and the other Apostles, things that are
written in the Scriptures. Paul actually
reminded them in his first letter to them that he was writing the Word of God
to them as Paul knew that what he was writing was from the Holy Spirit as were
all the Scriptures. Paul wanted the
Thessalonians to hold fast to what they were taught from him and the other
Apostles things that he had told them by word of mouth and also had written to
them. They certainly had some troubles
with false letters and so Paul wants them to make sure that they are to believe
only the letters that he had sent to them and to make sure of this he had a
distinguishing signature that he would use at the end of his letters so that
they would know it was from him.
In other letters that Paul wrote he would give a
benediction as is the case here, and in this benediction Paul prayed that God
would bring them comfort and also strengthen the church. He realized that they could not do this in
their own strength, but needed the help of the Holy Spirit of God to fulfill
this benediction of comfort and strength.
There can be a great problem when believers begin to rely on themselves
and not rely on the blessed Holy Spirit who lives within all believers to work
in their lives. MacArthur writes on this
subject “He (Paul) expressed that balanced view of the Christian life when he
wrote to the Colossians ‘For this purpose also I labor, striving according to
His power, which mightily works within me (Col. 1:29; cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).”
He goes on writing “The pronoun translated Himself stands
in the emphatic position in the Greek text, which could be translated, ‘Now may
Himself our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, viewing both as the source of
comfort. That provides powerful evidence
of Christ’s deity; He is fully equal with the Father in person, power and
respect.”
It is because of the fact that Jesus Christ and the
Father loved believers from all eternity that they can receive comfort and
strength from them along with good hope by grace.
As we study the end times we must learn that we must
believe only what is taught in the Scriptures and not do what the Thessalonians
did in believing a false letter or message from a false prophet. The study of the end times is a very important study in the Word of God
for it tells us what is going to happen to us when our Lord comes to take us to
be with Him, and it also teaches us what will happen to those who do not accept
the salvation offered to them. We
learn about the Day of the Lord and also what will happen in the Millennial
Kingdom after the Lord returns to separate the sheep and the goats, and then we
also learn about the destruction of planet earth and all the other stars as
they all will be burned up. After that
we learn about the new heaven and the new Jerusalem which will be the home of
believers. For more on this read the
last two chapters of Revelations.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I want to
remember exactly why I study about the end times and not read anything else
into it.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to give me the help and
strength that I need to overcome a big problem.
Memory verses for the
week: Colossians 3:8-11.
8 But now you also, put
them all aside; anger, wrath, malice slander, and abusive speech from your
mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another,
since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and put on the
new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the
One who created him-11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek
and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman,
but Christ is all and in all.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Priests.”
Today’s Bible
question: “What did Joseph want to do
with Benjain after finding the silver cup in his sack?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/22/2014 10:29 AM
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