SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/10/2014 9:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Pastor’s
Desire Their People to Grow Spiritually
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2
Thessalonians 3:5
Message of the
verses: “5 May the Lord direct your
hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”
In this short verse Paul asks two things 1 that the Lord
direct the hearts of the Thessalonians into the love of God, and 2 that the
Lord direct the Thessalonians into the steadfastness of Christ. Now in reading the commentary that John
MacArthur has he states that in accordance with the Greek language there can be
one or two or even both meanings in the first part of this verse and even in
the second part of this verse. He states
“Direct, ‘make straight,’ is the same word (kateuthuno)
used in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 to indicate the removing of all obstacles and
hindrances as someone opened a pathway or road.
Paul did not want their spiritual progress to come to a halt, but rather
that the Lord would clear the way so their hearts or inner persons would move
into the love of God.
“The phrase of God in the Greek can be either an
objective or subjective genitive: into God’s love for the believer, or the
believer’s love for God. The Greek
grammar provided Paul with a certain ambiguity of expression so that he could
convey a complete, well-rounded sense of truth to the Thessalonians.”
The second part of the verse can also have two meanings
or can have both, that is that Christ’s steadfastness with the believers or the
believers steadfastness for Christ.
MacArthur states “steadfastness (hupomone,
also rendered ‘patience,’ as in ‘patient enduring’) with believers, or
believers’ patience in His strength, through their endurance. Paul wanted the Thessalonians to increasingly
understand how patient Christ was with their sins, problems, and struggles and
to understand better His own endurance in trials.” As we read through the four Gospels we can
see the struggles that Christ had and how He patiently endured them. I will give one example from the fourth
chapter of Matthew which happens right after the baptism of Christ, at the very
beginning of His ministry as he was tempted by the devil. “1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted
by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3
And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command
that these stones become bread." 4
But He answered and said, "It is written, ’MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON
BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’" 5
Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle
of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself
down; for it is written, ’HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ’ON
their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT
AGAINST A STONE.’" 7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is
written, ’YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’" 8 Again, the
devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the
world and their glory; 9 and he said to
Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship
me." 10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, ’YOU
SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’" 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels
came and began to minister to Him.”
John MacArthur finishes this portion with a short review
of what we have been looking at in these first five verses of 2 Thessalonians
chapter three: “So in this passage, the
apostle Paul provides an excellent example of genuine pastoral concern that his
people prosper spiritually and thereby contribute to the edification and
glorification of Christ’s church. No
shepherd of a local congregation could ask more from his flock than that they
pray for him, trust in the Lord, obey what is taught from the Word, and grow
spiritually.”
My plans are to go back to the book of Ezekiel for the
rest of the month and then finish 2 Thessalonians next month, and then go back
to Ezekiel in January also beginning the book of Colossians. I have some more material to look at from the
first three chapters of Ezekiel before we move into chapter four.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It is my desire
to follow the things that are written in these first five verses of 2
Thessalonians chapter three that we have covered and stated in the summary of
these verses by John MacArthur.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to guide me throughout this
day in order to bring glory to His name.
Memory verses for the
week: Colossians 3:10-11.
10 and have 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: “Shiloh” (1 Samuel 1:3).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who lived longer than any
other man and how long did he live?”
Answer in our next SD.
11/10/2014 11:06 AM
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