As badly as it hurt, I had to face the truth with some people in my family.
I just went through the most horrible divorce and marriage that I have ever experienced- I just have no words. Your husband- the man you love and marry, is supposed to love and care just basic ass needs.
I was deceived by the devil, but not anymore.
Not one of them, texted me asking how I was doing during the last 2 years.
They really actually don’t care.
Do you know how easy it is to send a text message?? Not once did they think of me.
But on the Gregorian calendar days they did… do you see how that’s withholding good all year round, and is actually sin, and is greed.
“to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 2:5, 9-10, 16, 20-21 KJV
Proving all things-
To discern spirits is a supernatural ability enabled by God's Holy Spirit that allows a person to determine the source of a spiritual manifestation, whether it emanates from God, the Devil, the world, or man. If we have this gift, God will reveal information about the presence or absence of spiritual entities. Usually, people regard this gift as useful to detect evil spiritual forces or influences. It can also detect the presence or absence of angelic intervention or the prompts of God's Holy Spirit working within us.
The apostle John writes in I John 4:1, "Beloved do not believe every spirit, but test [try] the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." We are commanded to examine thoroughly any spiritual teaching with our critical faculties to see whether the presenter is handling the Word of God accurately. Because evil spirits have the capacity to produce paranormal phenomena, the Scriptures exhort us to prove or test the spirits, proving all things, holding fast only to what is good (I Thessalonians 5:21).
It is highly imperative that we use our God-given reasoning and understanding in doing this, but we should not rely exclusively on our intellect. Likewise, it is unwise to allow our inward feelings to sway us, but we should seek the guidance of God's Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, the most reliable guide concerning the testing of Spirits would be the Scriptures. We know that God's Word—the Bible—is truth (John 17:17).
We must remember that just reading or mumbling God's Word without understanding is next to useless. We have leaders who eloquently read teleprompters but have not the foggiest notion of what they are saying. Likewise, reading the Word of God without understanding makes us a spiritual "empty suit." Reading God's Word with understanding via the Holy Spirit enables us to tap into the spiritual realm, know "the things of God," and make right judgments (I Corinthians 2:10-16).
Ryle
"Prove all things—hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21
You live in days when the text before your eyes is one of the first importance. The truths it contains are especially truths for the times. Give me your attention for a few minutes, and I will try to show you what I mean.
There were three great doctrines or principles which won the battle of the Protestant Reformation:
first, the sufficiency and supremacy of Holy Scripture
secondly, the right of private judgment
thirdly, justification by faith alone, without the deeds of the law.
These three principles were the keys of the whole controversy between the Reformers and the Church of Rome. Keep firm hold of them when you argue with a Roman Catholic, and your position is unassailable; no weapon that the Church of Rome can forge against you shall prosper. Give up any one of them, and your cause is lost. Like Samson, with his hair shorn, your strength is gone. Like the Spartans, betrayed at Thermopylae, you are outflanked and surrounded. You cannot maintain your ground. Resistance is useless. Sooner or later you will have to lay down your arms, and surrender at discretion. Remember this.
The Roman Catholic controversy is upon you once more. You must put on the old armor, if you would not have your faith overthrown. The sufficiency of Holy Scripture, the right of private judgment, justification by faith alone—these are the three great principles to which you must always cling. Grasp them firmly, and never let them go. Reader, one of the three great principles to which I have referred appears to me to stand forth in the verse of Scripture which heads this tract—I mean the right of private judgment. I wish to say something to you about that principle.
The Holy Spirit, by the mouth of Paul, says to us, "Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." In these words you have two great truths:
I. The right, duty, and necessity of private judgment. "Prove all things."
II. The duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth. "Hold fast that which is good."
I propose to dwell a little on both these heads.
I. Let me speak first, of the right, duty, and necessity of private judgment. "Prove all things." When I say the right of private judgment, I mean that every individual Christian has a right to judge for himself by the Word of God, whether that which is put before him as religious truth, is God's truth, or is not. When I say the duty of private judgment, I mean that God requires every Christian man to use the right of which I have just spoken—to compare man's words and man's writings with God's revelation, and to make sure that he is not deluded and taken in by false teaching. And when I say the necessity of private judgment, I mean this—that it is absolutely needful for every Christian who loves his soul and would not be deceived, to exercise that right, and discharge that duty to which I have referred; seeing that experience shows that the neglect of private judgment has always been the cause of immense evils in the Church of Christ!
Now the Apostle Paul urges all these three points upon your notice when he uses those remarkable words, "Prove all things." I ask your particular attention to that expression. In every point of view it is most weighty and instructive. Here, you will remember, the Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians, to a Church which he himself had founded. Here is an inspired Apostle writing to young inexperienced Christians, writing to the whole professing Church in a certain city, containing laity as well as clergy, writing too with especial reference to matters of doctrine and preaching, as we know by the verse preceding the text: "Despise not prophesyings." And yet mark what he says: "Prove all things." He does not say, "Whatever apostles, whatever evangelists, pastors and teachers, whatever your leaders, whatever your ministers tell you is truth--that you are to believe." No! he says, "Prove all things." He does not say, "Whatever the universal Church pronounces true--that you are to hold." No! he says, "Prove all things."
The principle laid down is this, "Prove all things by the Word of God. All ministers, all teaching, all preaching, all doctrines, all sermons, all writings, all opinions, all practices—prove all by the Word of God. Measure all by the measure of the Bible. Compare all with the standard of the Bible. Weigh all in the balances of the Bible. Examine all by the light of the Bible. Test all in the crucible of the Bible. That which can abide the fire of the Bible--you are to receive, hold, believe and obey. That which cannot abide the fire of the Bible--you are to reject, refuse, repudiate, and cast away."
Reader, this is private judgment. This is the right you are to exercise if you love your soul. You are not to believe things in religion merely because they are said by Popes or Cardinals—by Bishops or Priests—by Presbyters or Deacons—by Churches, Councils, or Synods—by Fathers, Puritans, or Reformers. You are not to argue, "Such and such things must be true--because these men say so." You are not to do so. You are to prove all things by the Word of God.
I know such doctrine sounds shocking in some men's ears. But I write it down advisedly, and believe it cannot be disproved. I want to encourage no man in ignorant presumption or ignorant contempt. I praise not the man who seldom reads his Bible, and yet sets himself up to pick holes in his minister's sermons. I praise not the man who knows nothing but a few texts in the New Testament, and yet undertakes to settle questions in divinity which have puzzled God's wisest children. But still I hold with Bilson, that "all hearers have both liberty to discern, and a charge to beware of seducers; and woe to them that do it not." And I say with Davenant, "We are not to believe all who undertake to teach in the Church, but must take care and weigh with serious examination, whether their doctrine is sound or not."
Reader, men may dislike the doctrine of private judgment, but there is no doubt that it is continually taught in the Word of God. This is the principle laid down in the eighth chapter of Isaiah, 19th verse. These words were written, remember, at a time when God was more immediately King over His Church, and had more direct communication with it than He has now. They were written at a time when there were men upon earth who had direct revelations from God. Yet what does Isaiah say? "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light or truth in them." If this be not private judgment what is?
This again is the principle laid down by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. Remember what He says: "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruit." (Matt. 7:15.) How is it possible that men shall know these false prophets, except they exercise their private judgment as to what their fruits are?
This is the practice you find commended in the Bereans, in the Acts of the Apostles. They did not take the Apostle Paul's word for granted, when he came to preach to them. You are told, that they searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so," and "therefore," it is said, "many of them believed." (Acts 17:11, 12.) What was this again but private judgment?
"The people of God are called to test the truth, to judge between true and false, between light and darkness. God has made them the promise of His Spirit, and has left unto them His Word. The Christians of Berea, when they heard the preaching of Paul, searched the Scriptures daily, to ascertain whether those things which Paul taught were true. So must you. Give heed to instruction--and yet do not receive any teachings without proof and trial that they are the wholesome doctrine of the Word of God." Jewell.
This is the spirit of the advice given in 1 Cor. 10:15, "I speak as unto wise men—you judge what I say." Coloss. 2:18, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit." 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God." 2 John 10, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house." If these passages do not recommend the use of private judgment, I do not know what words mean. To my mind they seem to say to every individual Christian, "Prove all things."
Reader, whatever men may say against private judgment, you may be sure that it cannot be neglected without immense danger to your soul. You may not like it, but you never know what you may come to, if you refuse to use it! No man can say into what depths of false doctrine you may be drawn—if you will not do what God requires of you, and "Prove all things."
Suppose that, in fear of private judgment, you resolve to believe whatever the Church believes. Where is your security against error? The Church is not infallible. There was a time when almost the whole of Christendom embraced the Arian heresy, and did not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be equal with the Father in all things. There was a time, before the reformation, when the darkness over the face of Europe was a darkness which might be felt. The General Councils of the Church are not infallible. When the whole Church is gathered together in a General Council, what says our Twenty-first Article? "They may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they he taken out of Holy Scripture."
The particular branches of the Church are not infallible. Anyone of them may err. Many of them have fallen foully, or have been swept away. Where is the Church of Ephesus at this day? Where the Church of Sardis at the present time? Where the Church of Hippo in Africa? Where the Church of Carthage? They are all gone! Not a vestige of any of them is left! Will you then be content to err merely because the Church errs? Will your erring in company with the Church, remove your responsibility for your own soul? Oh, reader, it were surely a thousand times better for a man to stand alone and be saved—than to err in company with the Church, and be lost! It were better to prove all things, and go to heaven—than to say, "I dare not think for myself," and go to hell.
But suppose that, to cut matters short, you resolve to believe whatever your minister believes. Once more I ask, Where is your safety? Where is your security? Ministers are not infallible, any more than Churches. All of them have not the Spirit of God. The very best of them are only men. Call us Bishops, Priests, Deacons, or whatever names you please—we are all earthen vessels. I speak not merely of Popes, who have promulgated awful superstitions and led abominable lives. I would rather point to the very best of Protestants and say, "Beware of looking upon them as infallible—beware of thinking of any man (whoever that man may be)—that he cannot err!"
Luther held to consubstantiation—that was a mighty error. Zwingle, the Swiss Reformer, went on to battle, and died in the fight—that was a mighty error. Calvin, the Geneva Reformer, advised the burning of Servetus—that was a mighty error. Cranmer and Ridley urged the putting of Hooper into prison because of some trifling dispute about vestments—that was a mighty error. Whitgift persecuted the Puritans—that was a mighty error. Wesley and Toplady in the last century, quarreled fiercely about doctrine—that was a mighty error. All these things are warnings—if you will only take them. All say, "Cease from trusting in man." All show us that if a man's religion hangs on ministers, whoever they may be, and not on the Word of God—it hangs on a broken reed!
Never make ministers into Popes. Follow us so far as we follow Christ, but not a hair's breadth further. Believe whatever we can show you out of the Bible, but do not believe a single word more. Neglect the duty of private judgment, and you may find, to your cost, the truth of what Whitby says: The best of overseers do sometimes make oversights. You may live to experience the truth of what the Lord said to the Pharisees: When the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch!
Reader, be very sure no man is safe against error, unless he acts on Paul's injunction—unless he "proves all things" by the Word of God. Reader, I have said that it is impossible to overrate the evils that may arise from neglecting to exercise your private judgment. I will go further, and say that it is impossible to overrate the blessings which private judgment has conferred both on the world and on the Church. I ask you to remember that the greatest discoveries in science and in philosophy, have arisen from the use of private judgment. To this we owe the discovery of Galileo, that the earth went round the sun, and not the sun round the earth. To this we owe Columbus' discovery of the new continent of America. To this we owe Harvey's discovery of the circulation of the blood. To this we owe Jenner's discovery of vaccination. To this we owe the printing press, the steam engine, the power-loom, the electric telegraph, railways, and gas. For all these discoveries we are indebted to men who dared to think for themselves. They were not content with the beaten path of those who had gone before. They were not satisfied with taking for granted that what their fathers believed must be true. They made experiments for themselves. They brought old established theories to the proof; and found that they were worthless. They proclaimed new systems, and invited men to examine them, and test their truth. They bore storms of obloquy and ridicule unmoved. They heard the clamor of prejudiced lovers of old traditions without flinching. And they prospered and succeeded in what they did. We see it now. And we who live in the nineteenth century are reaping the fruit of their use of private judgment.
And, reader, as it has been in science—so also it has been in the history of the Christian religion. The martyrs who stood alone in their day, and shed that blood which has been the seed of Christ's Gospel throughout the world—the Reformers, who, one after another, rose up in their might to enter the lists with the Church of Rome—all did what they did, suffered what they suffered, proclaimed what they proclaimed, simply because they exercised their private judgment about what was Christ's truth.
Private judgment made the Waldenses, the Albigenses, and the Lollards, count not their lives dear to them, rather than believe the doctrines of the Church of Rome. Private judgment made Wyckliffe search the Bible in our land, denounce the Romish Friars, and all their impostures, translate the Scriptures into the vulgar tongue, and become "the morning star" of the Reformation. Private judgment made Luther examine Tetzel's abominable system of indulgences by the light of the Word. Private judgment led him on, step by step, from one thing to another, guided by the same light, until at length the gulf between him and Rome was a gulf that could not be passed, and the Pope's power in Germany was completely broken. Private judgment made our own English Reformers examine for themselves, and inquire for themselves, as to the true nature of that corrupt system under which they had been born and brought up. Private judgment made them cast off the abominations of Popery, and circulate the Bible among the laity. Private judgment made them brake the fetters of tradition, and dare to think for themselves. They refused to take for granted, Rome's pretensions and assertions. They examined them all by the Bible, and because they would not abide the examination, they broke with Rome altogether. All the blessing of Protestantism in England, all that we are enjoying at this very day, we owe to the right exercise of private judgment.
Surely if we do not honor private judgment, we are thankless and ungrateful indeed! Reader, I warn you not to be moved by the common argument, that the right of private judgment is liable to be abused—that private judgment has done great harm, and should be avoided as a dangerous thing. Never was there a more miserable argument! Never was there one which when thrashed proves so full of chaff! Private judgment has been abused! I would like the objector to tell me what good gift of God has not been abused! What high principle can be named that has not been employed for the very worst of purposes? Strength may become tyranny when it is employed by the stronger to coerce the weaker, yet strength is a blessing when properly employed. Liberty may become licentiousness when every man does that which is right in his own eyes, without regarding the rights and feelings of others; yet liberty, rightly used, is a mighty blessing. Because many things may be used improperly, are we, therefore, to give them up altogether? Because opium is used improperly by some, is it not to be used as a medicine on any occasion at all? Because money may be used improperly, is all money to be cast into the sea? You cannot have good in this world without evil. You cannot have private judgment without some abusing it, and turning it to bad account.
But private judgment, people say, has done more than good! What harm has private judgment done, I would like to know, in matters of religion, compared to the harm that has been done by the neglect of it? Grant, for a moment, that among Protestants who allow private judgment, there are divisions. Grant that in the Church of Rome, where private judgment is forbidden, there are no divisions. I might easily show that Romish unity is far more seeming than real. Bishop Hall, in his book called The Peace of Rome, numbers up no less than three hundred differences of opinion maintained in the Romish Church. I might easily show that the divisions of Protestants are exceedingly exaggerated, and that most of them are upon points of minor importance. I might show that, with all the varieties of Protestantism, as men call them, there is still a vast amount of fundamental unity and substantial agreement among Protestants. No man can read the "Harmony of Protestant Confessions" without seeing that.
But grant for a moment that private judgment has led to divisions, and brought about varieties. I say that these divisions and varieties are but a drop of water, when compared with the torrent of abominations that have arisen from the Church of Rome's practice of disallowing private judgment altogether! Place the evils in two scales—the evils that have arisen from private judgment, and those that have arisen from no man being allowed to think for himself. Weigh the evils one against another, and I have no doubt as to which will be the greatest. Give me Protestant divisions, certainly, rather than Popish unity, with the fruit that it brings forth! Give me Protestant variations, rather than Romish ignorance, Romish superstition, Romish darkness, and Romish idolatry!
Let the two systems be tried by their fruits—the system that says, "Prove all things," and the system that says, "Dare to have no opinion of your own," let them be tried by their fruits in the hearts, in the intellects, in the lives, in all the ways of men—and I have no doubt as to the result!
Reader, I warn you above all things not to be moved by the specious argument, that it is humility to disallow private judgment, that it is humility to have no opinion of your own, that it is the part of a true Christian not to think for himself! I tell you that such humility is a false humility, a humility which does not deserve that blessed name. Call it rather laziness! Call it rather idleness. Call it rather sloth. It makes a man strip himself of all his responsibility, and throw the whole burden of his soul into the hands of the minister and the Church! It gives a man a mere vicarious religion, a religion by which he places his conscience and all his spiritual concerns under the care of others. He need not trouble himself! He need no longer think for himself! He has embarked in a safe ship, and placed his soul under a safe pilot—and will get to heaven!
Oh, beware of supposing that this deserves the name of humility. It is refusing to exercise the gift that God has given you. It is refusing to employ the sword of the Spirit which God has forged for the use of your hand. Blessed be God, our forefathers did not act upon such principles! Had they done so, we should never have had the Reformation. Had they done so, we might have been bowing down to the image of the virgin Mary at this moment, or praying to the spirits of departed saints, or having a service performed in Latin. From such humility, may the good Lord ever deliver you!
Reader, as long as you live—resolve that you will read for yourself; think for yourself, judge of the Bible for yourself; in the great matters of your soul. Have an opinion of your own. Never be ashamed of saying, "I think that this is right—because I find it in the Bible," and "I think that this is wrong—because I do not find it in the Bible." "Prove all things," and prove them by the Word of God. As long as you live, beware of the blindfold system, which many commend in the present day—the system of following a leader, and having no opinion of their own—the system which practically says, "Only keep your Church, only receive the sacraments, only believe what the ordained ministers who are set over you tell you—and then all shall be well."
I warn you, that this will not do. I warn you that if you are content with this kind of religion, you are periling your immortal soul. Let the Bible, and not any Church upon earth, or any minister upon earth, be your rule of faith.
"Prove all things" by the Word of God. And, above all, as long as you live, look forward to the great day of judgment. Think of the solemn account which every one of us shall have to give in that day before the judgment seat of Christ. We shall not be judged by Churches. We shall not be judged by whole congregations. We shall be judged individually, each by himself! What shall it profit you in that day to say, "Lord, Lord, I believed everything the Church told me. I received and believed everything ordained ministers set before me. I thought that whatever the Church and the ministers said, must be right"? What shall it profit us to say this, if we have held some deadly error? Surely, the voice of Him who sits upon the throne will reply, "You had the Scriptures. You had a book plain and easy—to him that will read it and search it in a childlike spirit. Why did you not use the Word of God when it was given to you? You had a reasonable mind given you to understand that Bible. Why did you not 'Prove all things,' and thus keep clear of error?" Oh, reader, if you refuse to exercise your private judgment, think of that awful day—and beware!
II. And now let me speak of the duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth. The words of the Apostle on this subject are pithy and forcible. "Hold fast," he says, "that which is good." It is as if he said to us, "When you have found the truth for yourself; and when you are satisfied that it is Christ's truth—that truth which the Scriptures set forth—then get a firm hold upon it, grasp it, keep it in your heart, never let it go!" He speaks as one who knew what the hearts of all Christians are. He knew that our grasp of the Gospel, at our best, is very cold—that our love soon waxes feeble—that our faith soon wavers—that our zeal soon flags—that familiarity with Christ's truth often brings with it a species of contempt—that, like Israel, we are apt to be discouraged by the length of our journey—and, like Peter, ready to sleep one moment and fight the next—but, like Peter, not ready to watch and pray.
All this Paul remembered, and, like a faithful watchman, he cries, by the Holy Spirit, "Hold fast that which is good!" He speaks as if he foresaw by the Spirit that the good tidings of the Gospel would soon be corrupted, spoiled, and plucked away from the Church at Thessalonica. He speaks as one who foresaw that Satan and all his agents would labor hard to cast down Christ's truth. He writes as though he would forewarn men of this danger, and he cries, "Hold fast that which is good." Reader, the advice is always needed as long as the world stands.
There is a tendency to decay in the very best of human institutions. The best visible Church of Christ is not free from this liability to degenerate. It is made up of fallible men. There is always in it a tendency to decay. We see the leaven of evil creeping into many a Church, even in the Apostle's time. There were evils in the CorinthianChurch, evils in the Ephesian Church, evils in the GalatianChurch. All these things are meant to be our warnings and beacons in these latter times! All show the great necessity laid upon the Church to remember the Apostle's words: "Hold fast that which is good!"
Many a Church of Christ since then has fallen away for the lack of remembering this principle. Their ministers and members forgot that Satan is always laboring to bring in false doctrine. They forgot that he can transform himself into an angel of light—that he can make darkness appear as light, and light appear as darkness; truth appear as falsehood, and falsehood appear as truth. If he cannot destroy Christianity, he ever tries to corrupt it. If he cannot prevent the form of godliness, he endeavors to rob Churches of the power. No Church is ever safe which forgets these things, and does not bear in mind the Apostle's injunction: "Hold fast that which is good!"
Reader, if ever there was a time in the world when Churches were put upon their trial, whether they would hold fast the truth or not—that time is the present time, and those Churches are the Protestant Churches of our own land. Popery, that old enemy of our nation, is coming in upon us in this day like a flood. We are assaulted by open enemies without, and betrayed continually by false friends within. The numbers of Roman Catholic churches, and chapels, and schools, and convents and monasteries, are continually increasing around us. Month after month brings tidings of some new defection from the ranks of the Church of England, to the ranks of the Church of Rome. Already the clergy of the Church of Rome are using great swelling words about things to come, and boasting that, sooner or later, England shall once more be brought back to the orbit from whence she fell, and take her place in the Catholic system! Already the Pope is parceling our country into his bishoprics, and speaks like one who thinks that by-and-by he shall divide the spoil. Already he seems to foresee a time when England shall be as Rome, when London shall be as the Vatican itself. Surely, now or never, we ought all of us to awake, and "Hold fast that which is good."
We supposed, some of us, in our blindness, that the power of the Church of Rome was ended. We dreamed, some of us, in our folly, that the Reformation had ended the Popish controversy, and that if Romanism did survive, Romanism was altogether changed. If we did think so, we have lived to learn that we made a most grievous mistake! Rome never changes! It is her boast that she is always the same. The snake is not killed! He was wounded at the time of the Reformation, but was not destroyed. The Romish Antichrist is not dead. He was cast down for a little season, like the fabled giant buried under Etna, but his deadly wound is healed, the grave is opening once more, and Romish Antichrist is coming forth! The unclean spirit of Popery is not laid in his own place. Rather he seems to say, "My house in England is now swept and garnished for me; let me return to the place from whence I came forth."
And, reader, the question is now, whether we are going to abide quietly, sit still, and fold our hands, and do nothing to resist the assault. Are we really men of understanding of the times? Do we know the day of our visitation? Surely, this is a crisis in the history of our Churches and of our land. It is a time which will soon prove whether we know the value of our privileges, or whether, like Amalek, "the first of the nations," our "latter end shall be that we perish forever." It is a time which will soon prove whether we intend to allow our candlestick to be quietly removed—or repent, and do our first works, lest any man should take our crown.
If we love the open Bible—if we love the preaching of the Gospel—if we love the freedom of reading that Bible, and the opportunity of hearing that Gospel, with no man forbidding us—if we love civil liberty—if we love religious liberty—if these are precious to our souls, we must all make up our minds to hold fast, lest by and by we lose all.
Reader, if we mean to hold fast, every parish, every congregation, every Christian man, and every Christian woman, must do their part in contending for the truth. Each should work, and each should pray, and each should labor as if the preservation of the pure Gospel depended upon himself or herself, and upon no one else at all. The rich must not leave the matter to the poor, nor the poor to the rich. We must all work. Every living soul has a sphere of influence. Let him see to it that he fills it. Every living soul can throw some weight into the scale of the Gospel. Let him see to it that he casts it in. Let everyone know his own individual responsibility in this matter; and all, by God's help, will be well.
If we would hold fast that which is good, we must never tolerate any doctrine which is not the pure doctrine of Christ's Gospel. There is a hatred which is downright charity—that is the hatred of erroneous doctrine. There is an intolerance which is downright praiseworthy—that is the intolerance of false teaching. Who would ever think of tolerating a little poison given to him day by day? If men come among you who do not preach "all the counsel of God," who do not preach of Christ, and sin, and holiness, of ruin, and redemption, and regeneration; and do not preach of these things in a Scriptural way, you ought to cease to hear them. You ought to act upon the injunction given by the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction which causes to err from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19:27.) You ought to carry out the spirit shown by the Apostle Paul, in Gal. 1:8: "Though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other doctrine unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed!"
If we can bear to hear Christ's truth mangled or adulterated—and can see no harm in listening to that which is "another Gospel"—and can sit at ease while "sham Christianity" is poured into our ears—and can go home comfortably afterwards, and not burn with holy indignation—if this is the case, there is little chance of our ever doing much to resist Rome! If we are content to hear Jesus Christ not put in His rightful place—we are not men and women who are likely to do Christ much service, or fight a good fight on His side. He who is not zealous against error—is not likely to he zealous for truth. If we would hold fast the truth—we must be ready to unite with all who hold the truth, and love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. We must he ready to lay aside all minor questions as things of subordinate importance. All minor points of difference, however important they may be in their place and in their proportion—all ought to be regarded as subordinate questions. I ask no man to give up his private opinions about them. I wish no man to do violence to his conscience. All I say is, that these questions are wood, hay, and stubble, when the very foundations of the faith are in danger! The Philistines are upon us! Can we make common cause against them, or can we not? This is the one point for our consideration.
Surely it is not right to say that we expect to spend eternity with men in heaven, and yet cannot work for a few years with them in this world. The presence of a common foe ought to sink minor differences. We must hold together. Depend upon it, all Christians must hold together, if they mean to "hold fast that which is good." Some men may say, "This is very troublesome." Some may say, "Why not sit still and be quiet?" Some may say, "Oh, that horrid controversy! What need is there for all this trouble? Why should we care so much about these points of difference?" I ask, what good thing was ever gotten or ever kept, without trouble? Gold does not lie open in the fields, but deep in the earth. Pearls do not grow on trees, but deep down in Indian seas. Difficulties are never overcome without struggles. Mountains are seldom climbed without fatigue. Oceans are not crossed without tossings on the waves. Peace is seldom obtained without war. And Christ's truth is seldom maintained, without pains, without struggles, and without trouble.
Let the man who talks of "trouble" tell me where we would be at this day—if our forefathers had not taken some trouble? Where would be the Gospel of England—if martyrs had not given their bodies to be burned? Who shall estimate our debt to Cranmer, Latimer, Hooper, Ridley and Taylor, and their brethren? They held fast that which is good. They would not give up one jot of truth. They counted not their lives dear, for the Gospel's sake. They labored, and they travailed—and we have entered into their labors. Shame upon us if we will not take a little trouble to keep with us—what they so nobly won!
Trouble or no trouble—pains or no pains—controversy, or no controversy—one thing is very sure: that nothing but Christ's Gospel will ever do good to our own souls. Nothing else will maintain our Churches. Nothing else will ever bring down God's blessing upon our land. If, therefore, we love our own souls, or if we love our country's prosperity, or if we love to keep our Churches standing, we must remember the Apostles words, and "hold fast," hold firmly the Gospel, and refuse to let it go!
And now, reader, I have set before you two things. One is the right, the duty, and necessity of private judgment. The other is the duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth. It only remains for me to APPLY these things to your own individual conscience by a few concluding words.
For one thing, if it is your duty to "prove all things," let me beseech and exhort you to arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the Word of God. Read your Bible regularly. Become familiar with your Bible. Prove all religious truth when it is brought before you—by the Bible. A little knowledge of the Bible will not suffice. Depend upon it, a man must know his Bible well if he is to prove religious teachings by it; and he must read it regularly if he would know it well. There is no royal road to a knowledge of the Bible. There must be reading daily, regular reading of the Book—or the Book will not be known. As one said quaintly, but most truly, "Justification may be by faith, but a knowledge of the Bible comes only by works." The devil can quote Scripture. He could go to our Lord and quote Scripture when he wished to tempt Him. A man must be able to perceive error, from his knowledge of Scripture, when he hears error taught—lest he be deceived. Neglect your Bible, and nothing that I know of can prevent your becoming a Roman Catholic, an Arminian, a Socinian, a Jew, or a Turk—if a plausible advocate of any of these false systems shall happen to meet you.
For another thing, if it be right to "prove all things," take care to test every Roman Catholic doctrine, by whoever put forward, by the written Word of God. Believe nothing, however speciously advanced—believe nothing, with whatever weight of authority brought forward—believe nothing, though supported by all the Fathers— believe nothing, except it can be proved to you out of Scripture! That alone is infallible. That alone is light. That alone is God's measure of truth and falsehood. "Let God be true—and every man a liar."
The New Zealanders' answer to the Romish priests who went among them, is an answer never to be forgotten. They heard these priests urge upon them the worship of the Virgin Mary. They heard them recommend them to pray to saints. They heard them advocate the use of images. They heard them speak of the authority of the Church of Rome, the supremacy of the Pope, the antiquity of the Romish church. They knew the Bible, and they heard all this calmly, and gave one simple but memorable answer: "It cannot be true—because it is not in the Book!" All the learning in the world could never have supplied a better answer than that! Latimer, or Knox, or Owen, could never have made a more crushing reply. Let this be our rule when we are attacked by Romanists; let us hold fast the sword of the Spirit, and say in reply to all their arguments, "It cannot be true—because it is not in the Book!"
Last of all, if it be right to "hold fast that which is good," let us make sure that we have each laid hold personally, upon Christ's truth for ourselves. Reader, it will not save you to know all controversies, and to be able to detect everything which is false. Head knowledge will never bring you to heaven! It will not save us to be able to argue and reason with Roman Catholics, or to detect the errors of Popes' Bulls, or Pastoral Letters. Let us see that we each lay hold upon Jesus Christ for ourselves, by our own personal faith. Let us see to it that we each flee for refuge, and lay hold upon the hope set before us in His glorious Gospel. Let us do this, and all shall be well with us, whatever else may go ill. Let us do this, and then all things are ours. The Church may fall. The State may go to ruin. The foundations of all establishments may be shaken. The enemies of truth may for a season prevail. But as for us—all shall be well. We shall have in this world, peace—and in the world which is to come, life everlasting; for we shall have Christ, and having Him, we have all. This is real good, lasting good—good in sickness, good in health, good in life, good in death, good in time, and good in eternity! All other things are but uncertain. They all wear out. They fade. They droop. They wither. They decay. The longer we have them the more worthless we find them, and the more we realize, that everything here below is "vanity and vexation of spirit."
But as for hope in Christ, that is always good. The longer we use it—the better it seems. The more we wear it in our hearts—the brighter it will look. It is good when we first have it. It is better far when we grow older. It is better still in the day of trial, and the hour of death. And best of all, depend upon it—it will prove good in the day of judgment. Reader, if you have not yet laid hold on this hope in Christ, seek it at once. Call on the Lord Jesus to give it to you. Give Him no rest until you know and feel that you are His. If you have laid hold on this hope, hold it fast. Prize it highly, for it will stand by you when everything else fails!
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:21)
We live in an age that has a lot of ideas about a great many things even when it comes to matters of theology. Peruse many of the latest titles in your Christian bookstore and you will find series of books that compare and contrast various viewpoints on any number of theological issues with scholars presenting their position and then commenting on the pros and cons of the assertions made by their fellow scholars. I will admit that I do enjoy these types of books at times, especially when they are on a subject matter that peaks my interest.
With that said, what is of greater interest to me is the variety of positions that continue to remain on a great many biblical subjects. For example, if we take the issue of the beginning portion of Scripture (i.e. creation), one can find a variety of positions on the when, why, and how of creation to include Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, Intelligent Design, Theistic Evolution, and many other combinations. How is one to select which viewpoint to take? There are after all passionate pleas by scholars on all of these viewpoints and since most if not all positions use Scripture, how does one go about selecting a position, if any of them? Perhaps this is the reason far too many believers fail to engage in theology as a whole and leave the Bible study to their pastor and academics, hoping that what they are being taught is biblically sound.
Is the throw your hands up in the air and hope what you are being taught is biblically sound how Scripture desires us to approach our understanding and application of Scripture? Are we just supposed to read Christian books and blogs under the impression that what we are reading is correct? Are we supposed to affirm everything our denomination teaches or what a particular church creed asserts as being completely correct?
I do not see anywhere in Scripture that states we are to accept the words of finite man as the final arbiter of truth. Conversely, what we do find are commands such as found in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 which states, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” So what does this mean to prove all things? Is “all” really “all” when it comes to the need to prove the validity of a position?
The word translated prove is the Greek verb dokimazō which means “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not); to recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy”. Since this is a verb, it connotes the reality of action on the part of the individual. As we move to the next word in this verse we find the word translated all which is the Greek adjective pas meaning “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything”. So clearly we have the command to investigate and test every single thing we hear, read, or think.
The standard by which we are to investigate everything is not what our favorite Christian author, pastor, denominational creeds, or what some scholar has stated at some point in church history. Certainly such individuals and writings are informative on matters of truth; however, they are not the ultimate source of truth as that honor resides with God’s Word. Thus, we have to be quite careful as to how we conduct our examination. The setting aside of presuppositions and personal opinions, much of which has been impacted to a large degree by our experiences, where we worship, what we have read, and what we have heard over the years, is arguably one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. Even so, it is absolutely necessary. If we are commanded to prove all things, our presuppositions also fall into the category of all the things which must be scrutinized.
The end goal is to find out what is genuinely true and what is not. That which is truth and only that which is the truth is what we are to hold fast. To hold fast is to “to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of”. Anything that does not pass muster must be jettisoned. It is not deemed worthy according to Scripture as being truth and thus should not be something we keep secure.
This process takes effort and an honest assessment of the things we hold dear as being the truth. Furthermore, this is a constant process of refinement. What I find more often than not with believers is the willingness to allow for ten different views on a theological matter as all being equally correct. Returning to the aforementioned example of the Genesis creation account, all of the various positions noted and the many I did not note cannot all at the same time be all equally valid positions. The universe cannot be both old and young at the same time. There is a single correct position to be had that perfectly aligns with everything revealed in the pages of Scripture.
Now I am a firm believer in Young Earth Creationism. I believe based on the approach of proving from the pages of Scripture that such a position is most closely aligned with Scripture. There are likely elements of this position that will continue to need to be refined. Certainly scientific discovery plays a part in the overall analysis, but ultimately the decision on whether this view can continue to be stated as being genuine after examination rests on whether it consistently aligns itself with God’s Word. Again, there is the constant need for refinement and evaluation. That which continues to be true can continue to be held fast to, and that which is proven to be false needs to be rejected.
I have found over the years that after serious reflection and investigation, there have been a number of positions I have taken on matters of Scripture that have been refined and adjusted. As I have come to realize this reality, it has done much to spur further investigation of Scripture and analysis of my beliefs in many areas. Many things I continued to hold onto, at least for the time being, and many things I have had to let go in favor of a more consistent approach to Scripture. In my humble opinion, this is what being a Berean and growing in the Word of God is all about. To simply accept everything you read or hear as being the truth without going to the Word of God and doing serious Bible study to prove all things is not what God demands. In fact, taking that approach could make you susceptible to falsehood given you have not done the requisite investigation to obtain an understanding of that which is good and that which is false.
We live in an age where falsehoods abound. The tickling of the ears has become the sad hallmark of the day in many corners of Christianity with little pushback or research being done on the part of the hearer. Does this mean we should never trust that our pastor or favorite author is preaching or writing the truth? In the words of former President Ronald Reagan, “Trust but verify” as that is what Scripture demands of us. Church creeds, the writings of many wonderful men of God and most certainly the passionate preaching of your pastor are all great and definitely can be a starting point for further Biblical study. They are all just that – a starting point. The end point must be Scripture and the fervent examination of whether such things meet the ultimate standard of God’s Word. Don’t take my word for it. Dig into Scripture and find out for yourself under the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
I Thessalonians 5:21 instructs us to "test [prove, KJV] all things," which would include our old notions, and then"hold fast" to the good ones—the ones that pass the test. A mistake many make is to follow tenaciously the instruction of Revelation 3:11 to "hold fast to what we have" while completely ignoring the additional instructions of I Thessalonians 5:21 to test first.
Experience proves that not all that we believe is truth, even if held fast for forty years. We have to test our beliefs continually and rigorously against the only standard that counts—the Bible (Acts 5:29).
Human nature is lazy and takes the easy road at every opportunity. It will rely on human reasoning, the word of others, or tradition rather than do the hard work of studying the Bible and believing what it actually says. Human nature also will not naturally do the humbling work of allowing the Bible and its plain, unambiguous verses to prove matters rather than following humanly devised ideas. The church's history over the last few decades displays the fruits of taking doctrine for granted rather than allowing clear scriptures to guide our understanding of the truth.
Why do people have so many different opinions about what the Bible says? Generally, people come to the Bible with preconceived ideas and latch on to any scripture that seems to prove their belief. At the same time, they will ignore or make light of a clear verse that obviously contradicts their belief.
God can use this as a test to determine the true intents of the heart. Where does one's allegiance really lie? Will a person humbly submit to the clear instructions of God, allowing them to lead him or her to create a true spiritual foundation (Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Psalm 149:4)? Alternatively, will they choose instead to hold on to their preconceptions or other ideas of men—their idols (Revelation 21:8)—desperately grasping at the straws of unclear scriptures to build a shaky foundation?
When doctrinal disputes arise, if a person cannot or will not prove beliefs using clear and unambiguous scriptures, that fact should raise a red flag. Clear scriptures are a solid-rock foundation. Ambiguous scriptures, open to private interpretation, lead to a foundation of sand. Only one of these foundations will stand when storms come (Matthew 7:24-27).
The Bible is the source of truth. But men have developed conflicting teachings, seemingly based on the Bible. Principles of logic can help us test for truth.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 we are exhorted to “test [prove, King James Version] all things; hold fast what is good.” The word translated “test” or “prove” can also mean to examine (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). But how do we go about testing beliefs in an objective and fair-minded manner?
For those who have proved that the Bible is true, the basic answer is to compare all religious teachings with Scripture as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11).
This blog post shares several logical tests that can help us discern the biblical soundness of doctrinal arguments.
An argument, as the word is used here, is a set of statements consisting of a conclusion and reasons for that conclusion. The conclusion is what the writer or speaker decides to believe because of the reasons given.
Three ways to test an argument
1. Restate the argument clearly.
The first step is to restate the argument in your own words in a way that clearly identifies the reasoning and conclusion. This makes it easier to separately test the reasons and the conclusion.
You can do this by first analyzing the argument with the aid of the following questions:
- What is the person’s conclusion?
- What are the reasons stated and/or implied for the conclusion?
Write down the answers to the questions, stating the reasons first, then the conclusion that follows from them.
For example, consider the Pharisees’ argument found in Matthew 12:1-2: “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!’”
First, analyze: What was the Pharisees’ conclusion? It was that the disciples were doing something unlawful on the Sabbath. What were the reasons stated and/or implied for the conclusion? They were plucking grain on the Sabbath; doing so is working on the Sabbath, and working on the Sabbath is unlawful.
Second, restate the argument, listing the Pharisees’ reasons first, then their conclusion:
Reason 1: The disciples were plucking grain on the Sabbath.
Reason 2: Plucking grain on the Sabbath is working on the Sabbath.
Reason 3: Working on the Sabbath is unlawful.
Conclusion: The disciples were doing something unlawful on the Sabbath.
When stated in this step-by-step format, it is easier to spot the strengths and weaknesses in the Pharisees’ argument. We can note that reason 2 is not taught in the Bible. The Jews had added their own traditions and burdens to the Sabbath law (Matthew 15:9; 23:4). Picking a few grains to eat was not against God’s law, so the argument and conclusion are incorrect. (Read more about this in our article “Lord of the Sabbath: Did Jesus Christ Break the Sabbath?”)
2. Compare the statements with the standard.
We can test for truth by comparing the statements (reasons and conclusions) with a standard of truth (in this case, the Bible). If the reasons are false, the conclusion cannot be trusted.
To illustrate, notice the following argument:
Reason 1: The Old Covenant is being superseded.
Reason 2: The 10 Commandments are the Old Covenant.
Conclusion: The 10 Commandments are being superseded.
In this example, the first reason is true (see Hebrews 8:13), but the second reason is false. The 10 Commandments were around before the Old Covenant and continued in the New Testament. (If you are unsure of these facts, read our articles “Were the 10 Commandments Around Before Moses?” and “Are the 10 Commandments Upheld in the New Testament?”) The fault with the covenant was not with the law, but with the people (Hebrews 8:8).
Since reason 2 is false, the conclusion is also false.
We should be careful to note any attempt to present generalizations, theories, informed guesses or outright speculation as absolute truth. A highly probable conclusion can be tentatively accepted with the understanding that it is speculation and may have to be revised if additional evidence comes to light.
3. Make sure that words are correctly used and understood.
Any word or phrase in the argument that has a wrong or unclear meaning can lead to a conclusion that is totally false, partially false or simply uncertain.
We can use the following two scales to test the accuracy and clarity of the meaning of words used in an argument:
- Test for correctness of meaning. Are the uses of the words totally wrong, partially wrong or correct? In addition to checking the meanings of the English words, it can be good to check the meanings of the original biblical words. A meaning that is correct in the context used passes this test.
- Test for clarity of meaning. Are the uses of the words meaningless, vague or ambiguous? Or do they have one clear meaning? A word used with one clear meaning passes this test.
To illustrate, consider the following argument:
Reason 1: All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved.
Reason 2: John believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: John is saved.
In this argument, the words believe and saved can mean different things to different people.
If they use believe to mean “faith without keeping the commandments” and if they use saved to mean “finally saved,” then the conclusion would be false according to the Bible.
On the other hand, if we use biblical definitions, we understand that believecan mean “faith demonstrated by works” and saved can mean “saved from past sins.” Using these biblical definitions, the conclusion would be true. (For more on the biblical meaning of belief and salvation, read our articles “What Is Faith?” “Epistle of Straw—or a Book of Faith?” and “What Does It Mean to Be Saved?”)
Watch out if the meaning of terms is either partly or totally incorrect or partly or totally unclear! Then the conclusion should not be trusted.
Using logic to avoid fallacies
You can see from the above sample arguments how convoluted, entangled and tricky arguments can be. Taking the time to prayerfully apply such logical tests when studying doctrine can go a long way toward avoiding being trapped by inaccurate or deceptive teachings.
For more about biblical truth, read “What Is Truth?” “What Is Doctrine?” and “How Do We Know the Bible Is True?”
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
In the post about John 14:1, we covered how the essential starting point of true Christianity is a genuine belief in God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 the apostle Paul shows us the great extent to which that belief in God extends into every aspect of our lives. God’s way of life revealed through the Bible is to be the filter through which we “test,” or examine, all ideas, beliefs and activities.
Here are three keys to fulfilling this scripture:
- Any individual who claims to represent and teach about God is to be tested against the Bible—the Word of God. The starting point for this testing is whether or not the teacher teaches and observes the law of God (Isaiah 8:20). Jesus Christ also admonished us to watch for false religious teachers (Matthew 7:15-16, see also 1 John 4:1).
- To “test all things” we must have the approach of the Bereans, testing all things by studying the Word of God (Acts 17:11).
- Every idea or activity that comes before us in life should be scrutinized through the filter of God’s truth. To mature as a Christian is to become skilled at discerning between “good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14) and between what is and is not acceptable to God (Ephesians 5:10).
Once we determine the truth, we must hold fast to it, meaning we must be “steadfast” and “immovable” (1 Corinthians 15:58) in our belief in God and His truth!
To learn more about what you need to find and hold fast to, read “What Is Truth?”
The Holy Ghost, by the mouth of Paul, says to us, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thes. 5:21). In these words you have two great truths:
• The right, duty, and necessity of private judgment. “Prove all things.”
• The duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth. “Hold fast that which is good.” I propose to dwell a little on both these heads.
Right, Duty, and Necessity of Private Judgment
When I say the right of private judgment, I mean that every individual Christian has a right to judge for himself by the Word of God, whether that which is put before him as religious truth, is God’s truth, or is not.
When I say the duty of private judgment, I mean that God requires every Christian man to use the right of which I have just spoken; to compare man’s words and man’s writings with God’s revelation, and to make sure that he is not deluded and taken in by false teaching.
And when I say the necessity of private judgment, I mean this, that it is absolutely needful for every Christian who loves his soul and would not be deceived, to exercise that right, and discharge that duty to which I have referred; seeing that experience shows that the neglect of private judgment has always been the cause of immense evils in the church of Christ.
Now the Apostle Paul urges all these three points – right, duty, and necessity – upon your notice when he uses those remarkable words, “Prove all things.” I ask your particular attention to that expression. In every point of view it is most weighty and instructive.
Remember, the Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians, to a church which he himself had founded. Here is an inspired apostle writing to young inexperienced Christians, writing to the whole professing church in a certain city, writing too with special reference to matters of doctrine and preaching, as we know by the verse preceding the text, “Despise not prophesyings” (v. 20). And yet mark what he says, “Prove all things.”
He does not say, “Whatsoever apostles, whatsoever evangelists, pastors and teachers, whatsoever your bishops, whatsoever your ministers tell you is truth, that you are to believe.” No: he says, “Prove all things.” He does not say, “Whatsoever the universal church pronounces true, that you are to hold.” No: he says, “Prove all things.”
The principle laid down is this: “Prove all things by the Word of God. All ministers, all teaching, all preaching, all doctrine, all sermons, all writings, all opinions, all practices – prove all by the Word of God. Measure all by the measure of the Bible. Compare all with the standard of the Bible. Weigh all in the balances of the Bible. Examine all by the light of the Bible. Test all in the crucible of the Bible. That which can abide the fire of the Bible, receive, hold, believe and obey. That which cannot abide the fire of the Bible, reject, refuse, repudiate, and cast away.”
A New Testament Principle
This again is the principle laid down by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount. Remember what He says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits...” (Matt. 7:15-16). How is it possible that men shall know these false prophets, except they exercise their private judgment as to what their fruits are?
This is the practice you find commended in the Bereans, in the Acts of the Apostles. They did not take Paul’s word for granted when he came to preach to them. You are told, that they “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” and “therefore,” it is said, “many of them believed” (Acts 17:11-12). What was this again but private judgment?
This is the spirit of the advice given in First Corinthians 10:15, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say”; and in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit...”; and in First John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God...”; and in Second John 10, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house....”
Duty and Necessity of Keeping Firm Hold upon Truth
The words of the apostle on this subject are pithy and forcible. “Hold fast,” he says, “that which is good.” It is as if he said to us, “When you have found the truth for yourself, and when you are satisfied that it is Christ’s truth, that truth which the Scriptures set forth – then get a firm hold upon it, grasp it, keep it in your heart, never let it go.”
The advice is always needed – needed as long as the world stands. There is a tendency to decay in the very best of human institutions. The best visible church of Christ is not free from this liability to degenerate. It is made up of fallible men. There is always in it a tendency to decay. We see the leaven of evil creeping into many a church, even in the apostle’s time. There were evils in the Corinthian church, evils in the Ephesian church, evils in the Galatian church. All these things are meant to be our warnings and beacons in these latter times. All show the great necessity laid upon the church to remember the apostle’s words: “Hold fast that which is good.”
Many a church of Christ since then has fallen away for want of remembering this principle. Their ministers and members forgot that Satan is always laboring to bring in false doctrine. They forgot that he can transform himself into an angel of light – that he can make darkness appear light, and light darkness – truth appear falsehood, and falsehood truth. If he cannot destroy Christianity, he ever tries to spoil it. If he cannot prevent the form of godliness, he endeavors to rob churches of the power. No church is ever safe that forgets these things, and does not bear in mind the apostle’s injunction: “Hold fast that which is good.”
If we would hold fast that which is good, we must never tolerate or countenance any doctrine which is not the pure doctrine of Christ’s Gospel. Who would ever think of tolerating a little poison given to him day by day? If men come among you who do not preach “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), who do not preach of Christ, and sin, and holiness, of ruin, and redemption, and regeneration; and do not preach of these things in a Scriptural way, you ought to cease to hear them. You ought to act upon the injunction given by the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament, “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge” (Prov. 19:27).
Thorough Knowledge of the Word
I have set before you two things. One, is the right, the duty, and necessity of private judgment. The other is the duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth. It only remains for me to apply these things to your own individual conscience by a few concluding words.
If it be your duty to “prove all things,” let me beseech and exhort you to arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the written Word of God. Read your Bible regularly. Become familiar with your Bible. Prove all religious truth, when it is brought before you, by the Bible. A little knowledge of the Bible will not suffice. Depend upon it, a man must know his Bible well, if he is to prove religious teachings by it; and he must read it regularly if he would know it well. There is no royal road to a knowledge of the Bible. There must be reading, daily, regular reading of the Book, or the Book will not be known. As one said quaintly, but most truly, “Justification may be by faith, but a knowledge of the Bible comes only by works.” The devil can quote Scripture. He could go to our Lord and quote Scripture when he wished to tempt Him. A man must be able to say, from his knowledge of Scripture when he hears Scripture falsely quoted, “Thus it is written” again, lest he be deceived. Neglect your Bible, and nothing that I know of can prevent your becoming the prey of any false system you happen to meet.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21).
Many have quoted this verse as if it were a command to believe nothing unless it has been proven by careful demonstration or logic. But this is not the proper meaning of this verse, for it runs counter to Scripture’s grand theme of faith.
This is not to say, of course, that the Christian faith is unfounded, for it is validated time and again by science, history, logical argument, personal experience, etc. The apostles preached, “That . . . which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (I John 1:1). Paul, in our text, insists instead that we “prove all things” in the sense of putting them to the test in order to demonstrate that they are Scripturally sound, in agreement with relevant Scriptural passages.
Our text must be considered in its context, for it follows the commands, “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings” (I Thessalonians 5:19,20). It seems he is saying that while allowing the Holy Spirit to work freely, we should not blindly accept all spiritual manifestations, but test them in relation to result and Scriptural teaching. Note the similar teaching, “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (I John 4:1).
Elsewhere we are encouraged to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove [or ascertain by trial] what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). The will of God is a life wholly conformed to that of His dear Son and in unity with other believers. Such a life can only be known by experience, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).
Let's turn to first Thessalonians chapter four. Paul the apostle was called of God by the Spirit to go to Macedonia, as he saw in a vision a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over and help us." It was good that Paul did have a dramatic call of God, because I'm certain that once he arrived in Macedonia and experienced some of the adverse reception, he could've very well questioned "Lord, did you really call me here?"
His first stop was at Philippi where evil men were stirred up against him, and they had him arrested and beaten, and he was thrown in the dungeon and then ordered out of town. He next went to Thessalonica where after three Sabbath days in the Synagogue almost the whole town gathered to hear his message, but the Jews were stirred by envy, and again Paul had to leave town to save arrest. They had gone to the house of Jason, where Paul was staying, to arrest him, but he had already escaped. Having been such a short time in Thessalonica, they went to Berea; trouble stirred in Berea. Paul left Timothy and Silas there as he went on to Athens to sort of get the whole situation cooled down a bit.
When Timothy and Silas had strengthened the brethren in Berea, they met Paul in Athens, but Paul's heart was stirred concerning those in Thessalonica, that he had had such a short time to minister to only three Sabbath days. Wondering how they were doing, he was stirred in his heart for them. He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica. He went on to Corinth and began a ministry in Corinth. Timothy met Paul in Corinth, reported to him the condition of the church in Thessalonica.
Basically things were going on very well, but some problems had arisen, and so Paul immediately wrote to them to encourage them in the faith. And now as we come into the fourth chapter, we have a definite change in the division of the book, because in chapter four, Paul begins his exhortation. Up to this point it's been sort of an apologetic, and now he begins to exhort them and he declares that in verse one.
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more (1Th 4:1).
Again, as we mentioned last week, I am amazed that Paul was able to give them so much instruction in so many areas of doctrine in such a very short time. With them less than a month, and yet, he established them in sound doctrine. But, as he said, he was laboring night and day among them. "But, even" he said, "as I talk to you before, how you ought to walk and please God." The basic desire for each of us should be to please God. That's the key to the Christian life.
The man who is outside of Jesus Christ lives to please himself. The man who is in Jesus Christ lives to please God. The man who lives to please himself is rarely pleased. The man who lives to please God has found real satisfaction. I think one of the greatest pleasures in life is to know that you've done that which pleased the Father. I walked today in the will of God. As Jesus said, "I do always those things that please the Father," and so ought we to live to please God.
For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication (1Th 4:2-3):
Now, you remember the fifteenth chapter of Acts when the early church had gathered to determine what relationship the Gentile believers should have to the law. Peter said, "I suggest that we put no burden upon them that neither we... the yolk of bondage of them, that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." Paul testified of the miracles that were wrought through grace among the Gentiles. And then James said, "Let's put on a no greater burden that you've already received. Keep yourself from things that are strangled and from fornication and if you do this you do well. God bless you."
The Greek culture, the Roman culture, was a culture in which fornication was a very common practice. In that pagan society, much of the worship of their gods involved fornication as they sought to become one with their gods. And many of the spiritual rights within their temple were fornication. It was a very common practice in that culture. And so Paul is exhorting them again to live a pure life, a sanctified life, a life that is set apart unto God and to keep themselves from the common practice of fornication. If ever there was a time when Paul's exhortation was needed, it is today, as we have again evolved into a pagan society and their very practices have become extremely common again. It's a very accepted thing in our society.
I was reading an interesting commentary that was written back in nineteen fifty-one. And in this commentary, it told about an article in the Woman's Home Journal in the nineteen... October, nineteen fifty-one issue (I believe it was) that was an article against the smut and pornography that had begun at that time to enter into the United States, and how the city of Chicago was able to deal with it and get rid of all the smut peddlers and all of the pornography out of the city. Nineteen fifty-one. But look at how much we have degraded since then.
And with the introduction of all of the pornography, I don't know if you can get a novel that's been written in the last forty years that isn't centered around sexual subjects, incest and all kinds of sexual experiences. It's in all of the novels. It's just something that has pervaded the literature and with it an attitude of laxity towards real moral living. And so, Paul's exhortation to the Thessalonians is an important exhortation in our day: that we are different from the world. We are not to live to please our own flesh. We are to live to please God. We are to keep our lives separate from the world and from the corruption of the world, in order that we might live a life that is pleasing unto Him. And so, this is God's will for you: that you live a separated life, a life of dedication and consecration to God, and keep yourself from fornication.
Paul, in Galatians five, lists fornication as a part of the works of the flesh. But at the end of that list of the works of the flesh, he says something that we better pay close attention to: he said, "For we know that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Paul said, "Don't be deceived on this issue." And there are a lot of people that are deceived thinking that they can live any kind of a life that they want, and God will accept their lower standard of living. But God demands a high standard from His children. And Paul said that every one of you should know how to posses his vessel in sanctification and honor, your vessel being your body.
"We have this treasure," Paul said, "in earthen vessels are in our bodies that the glory may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
So...
That every one of you ought to know how to posses his vessel [how to keep your body] in sanctification and honor [in purity]; And not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God (1Th 4:4-5):
Vast difference between us and the world around us, and there should be.
That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified (1Th 4:6).
Now again Paul said I... you remember I told you about this. "I testified to you about this. Be honest and fair in your dealings with your brothers." We're not to defraud our brothers. My heart is grieved over the problems that have arisen within the body of Christ, and especially in these days when a lot of the various businesses advertise with Christian symbols, and you expect from a Christian you want to patronize them because, first of all, you want the Christians to have the business. You hope for their success in business, but you also expect honesty, forthrightness. In dealing with a Christian you expect them to be honest.
You know the problems of taking a car to a mechanic. There's just a lot of corrupt practices. There's a lot of unnecessary charges; there're a lot of charges for work that isn't done. And so if you find a Christian mechanic, you get excited and say, "Oh, I can trust him." And we should be able to, and so in any business. But, Paul here is warning, "Don't defraud, don't cheat, be square, be honest. I told you this when I was there. I forewarned you that God is the avenger."
Now this is the problem, I think, with our society, is that we have failed to take into consideration that there is a day of reckoning coming; that there is a day of judgment coming. People have gotten by with so much. They've been able to get by and, of course, with the leniency of our court today, they're getting by with more and more. Just hope that you don't get arrested for, or pressed by the IRS; that's about the only thing you go to prison for anymore you know. Or like this poor woman Betty DeDe who hid her child because the courts ordered her to deliver him over to her homosexual husband. So she's facing imprisonment, though murderers and rapists can walk our streets. She's a danger to our society hiding her husband from her...I mean hiding her son from her homosexual husband, and not turning him for the visitation rights. And she needs to be dealt with and put in prison and taught a lesson. What a danger to our society, but don't you worry, you know. I cannot understand...there's no sense getting into that. I just...
So, don't defraud your brother, because God's gonna judge you. God is the avenger of all such which do that. And we've warned you about the judgment of God that's gonna come. Paul was faithful in warning them, and I think that we need to warn people about the judgment of God; you're not gonna get by. Ultimately God is going to judge. He is the avenger of those that do such things.
For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness (1Th 4:7).
God said, "Be ye holy for I am holy, saith the Lord" (1 Peter 1:16). And God has called us to holy living, to pure living, living before Him in all righteousness and purity and holiness.
And he therefore that despises [that is despises holiness, the holy life] despises not man, but God, who has also given unto us his Holy Spirit (1Th 4:8).
A lot of times when, you know, you start really emphasizing the living of a holy life and things of this nature, people get upset with you, as though we were the ones that made the rules. No, we didn't make the rules. We weren't called to make the rules; we were called to declare to you the rules that God has made, and if you have any argument with holiness, your argument is with God. And this is what Paul is saying to them. You're not really having an argument with man; you're having an argument with God. He is the one that has given His Holy Spirit.
Psychologists tell us that a person's mental equilibrium or well-balanced life depends upon the difference between their ego and their super ego. Your ego being your real self, and super ego being your ideal self. And if there is a vast difference between your ego and your super ego, then you are mentally disturbed because of this difference that exists between the two. And the closer a person's ego is to their super ego, the more well adjusted that person is mentally.
And so, when a person is having a conflict and he has very high ideals, the super ego (this me as I really, you know, am within my heart and all) this the way I really know I should live and want to live, but this is the way I'm living. And if there is a vast difference between the two, then I have real mental problems, and I go to a head-shrink and I tell him, "Hey, I know I just am not getting along with anybody and all." And so, he seeks to understand what my super ego is: how do I perceive myself, and then these things that I'm doing and that are troubling me. And the general practice is to bring my super ego down closer to my ego. You're unrealistic; nobody lives that purely. You know that's foolish to think that you should, you know, not do those things. Everybody is doing those things. And what they're trying to do is bring down the level of the super ego or bring down your ideals more in keeping with the reality of your own nature. When we come to Jesus Christ, He seeks to bring the ego up to the super ego.
Now, if we are guilty of trying to bring man's super ego down to the level of the ego, then we're not really following the scriptural pattern. For the gospel of Jesus Christ is always lifting and elevating a man into a life of purity and righteousness and holiness. And so God has given to us His Holy Spirit. And what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? To conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. "For you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you and you will be witnesses" (Acts 1:8). You can achieve the ideal. You can walk in holiness and purity, as God has required us to walk. And God, by the power of His Spirit, will lift us into a higher level of living, closer to the ideal and, in fact, more and more we come closer to the ideal. As we, with an open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, we're being changed from glory to glory into the same image.
So the gospel is so elevating as it brings man up into the level that God would have him to live. God's not called us unto uncleanness, He's called us to holiness and He's given us His Holy Spirit.
But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you (1Th 4:9):
You remember in the first chapter, Paul said that everywhere they had such love. Not only for... their love was known and all. It was something that was a mark of the church there in Thessalonica, and the word of their love has spread abroad.
But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all of Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase [do it] more and more (1Th 4:9-10);
In other words, increase. "Though you have a great reputation of having love and all, I would that you would even continue to increase in this love."
We had a wonderful time at the family camp this last week, as the Spirit ministered to us from the first epistle of John. And as God's Spirit ministered to us out of this epistle, the message that the Spirit kept bringing us back to and emphasizing was the importance of love towards one another. As John said, "He that saith he love God and hates his brother is a liar; the truth isn't in him. By this we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren."
The mark of the true body of Christ is that of great love for one another. Jesus said, "By this sign shall men know that you are my disciples that ye love one another" (John 13:35). And so the love among the body of Christ is, first of all, a sign to the world that indeed they are the disciples of Jesus, but it also becomes the personal sign unto me that I have passed from death into life, because of the love that I have for the brethren.
Now, as John told them, "Beloved, let us not love in words but in deeds and truth." It isn't just saying, "Oh, I love you, brother." In fact, there was a fellow around here for quite a while that used to always come up and say, "Oh, we love you so much. Oh, we love you so much," and he hated me more than anybody else. It was like Shakespeare said, "Thou protesteth too much." In the words, oh he had the words, but in the action, in the deeds, there were cruel cutting things. It isn't what I'm saying; it's what I am doing that God is observing. And so we found that in first John. People say a lot of things, but what they say isn't necessarily true unless their life backs up what is being said. "So let us not love in words," John says, "but in deed and in truth." And so you've been taught of God to love one another.
And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all of Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase more and more; And that you study to be quiet (1Th 4:10-11),
Now this means to live sort of a quiet life. You know, with some people everything is a crisis, and they live from one crisis to the next. But he says, "Study to be... just live a quiet life." And that really is a simple life, and we need to learn to just live a simple life, a quiet life.
And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you (1Th 4:11);
Now, evidently there were some problems in the church in Thessalonica of some lazy brethren who would take advantage of the love. Oh, we're supposed to love one another, well great. "Just love me, brother, and pay my rent you know, and bring me food and support me." And they weren't really willing to work. They just wanted to go surfing all the time and be supported by the church. And when Paul wrote his second letter, which we'll be getting into next week, Paul in his second letter talked about these fellows a little more directly. And he said, "Look, if they don't work, don't feed 'em. Let everyone work laboring with his own hands that he might provide that which is honest in the sight of the Lord."
So Paul's encouragement for us to be diligent in our business, to work laboring with our own hands.
That you might walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you (1Th 4:12-13)
So now he leaves this area, and now we go into the interesting area of where are those who have died.
In the church of Thessalonica, Paul had taught them concerning the coming again of Jesus Christ in the establishing of God's kingdom upon the earth. A glorious truth and a blessed hope. But since Paul had been there, some of the members had died. And they were grieving. They thought, "Oh, what a shame. They died before Jesus came and thus they're gonna miss the glorious kingdom of God." And they were really sorrowing and grieving over those who had died prior to the return of Jesus, figuring, "Aw, they missed it. They died before He came."
So this section, Paul is devoting to correct their misconceptions concerning those who were asleep in Christ. And the term asleep does not at all connotate soul sleep, but it is only a figure of speech to describe death, and the death of the believer. You remember when Jesus came to the house of Jairus and the daughter? They said, "Don't trouble the Lord any more, your daughter is dead." And Jesus said, "Fear not, only believe." And they came to the house and everybody was wailing and crying and Jesus said, "The little girl isn't dead, she's only sleeping." And they laughed in discorn, and so He put them out. You remember when He was at the Jordan River with His disciples and they received a message from Mary and Martha, "Come quickly. Lazarus is dying." And He had stayed for a couple of days at the Jordan River and He said, "Now let us go that we might see Lazarus." And as they were talking, Jesus said, "Well, he's asleep." And the disciples said, "Well, that's good; if he's sleeping he's probably getting better." But Jesus was referring to the fact that Lazarus had died.
It's a phrase that was used in the Old Testament. You remember how many times... and it referred to the king "and he slept with his fathers"? It was a term that was used, too, for the death, usually of the believer, but does not connotate soul sleep doctrine. For those that are dead are certainly in a conscious state, as is declared by Jesus. Now you have Ecclesiastes, Old King Solomon coming as a humanist saying that, you know, that the grave is the end, there's no thought, there's no consciousness or whatever.
But you have Jesus, on the other hand, saying that there was a certain rich man that faired sumptuously every day, and a poor man was brought daily and laid at his gate. He was full of sores, and the dogs came and licked his sores, and he ate the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. And the poor man died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. Moreover, the rich man died and in hell lifted up his eyes being in torment, and seeing Abraham afar off and Lazarus being comforted said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus unto me that he may take his finger and dip it in water and touch my tongue. I am tormented in this heat." So Jesus speaks of Hades as being a conscious state. Lazarus being comforted, the rich man in a conscious state of torment.
Now, you may try and pass that off as a parable, but there is no reason to pass that off in a parable. Never in a parable was any person named. And if it was a parable, what is the purpose of the parable but to illustrate a truth? And if what Jesus said was not a truth, how can you illustrate a truth with a lie? And what was Jesus trying to illustrate? Somebody definitely taught that Hades was a conscious state.
So I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, sorrow not, even as others which have no hope (1Th 4:13).
Now, there is two kinds of sorrow for the dead: that sorrow for them because you have no hope, the world sorrow for the dead. They're gone. It's all over, that's the end. But the sorrow of the believer is not as those who have no hope. You see, our sorrow really isn't for the person that is gone. Our sorrow is for ourselves because we're still here, and we're going to miss them. We sorrow for what's been taken from us. I won't be able to call them on the phone anymore. I won't be able to go over and see them. I won't be able to go over to receive the input that they have given into my life that has blessed me and meant so much to me. And I sorrow for what I have lost, but if they are a child of God, I rejoice for them that they are there in the presence of our Lord. So we sorrow not as those who have no hope.
For if we believe [and surely we do] that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him (1Th 4:14).
Now, Jesus is coming again for His church. And when He comes, here Paul tells us that God is going to bring them (those who are asleep in Jesus), that He's going to bring them with Him. And this is important to note, because a lot of people become confused on this issue.
For this we say unto you [and Paul says this is] by the word of the Lord [this is a revelation from the Lord to us], that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep (1Th 4:15).
They have actually preceded us. We're not going to precede them.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1Th 4:16-18).
In writing to the Corinthians in his second epistle, Paul said,
"We know that when this earthly tent, our body, is dissolved that we have a building of God that is not made with hands, that is eternal in the heavens. So then, we who are living in these bodies do often groan, earnestly desiring to be freed from the body. Not that we would be unembodied spirits, not that we might be naked, but that we might be clothed upon with a body which is from heaven. For we know that as long we are living in this body, we are absent from the Lord, but we would chose rather to be absent from this body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore, we labor, that whether present or absent, we be accepted of Him."
The Bible, you see, teaches that man basically is a spirit living in a body possessing a consciousness. The body is the instrument that God has given to me to be the medium by which I can express myself. The body is not me; it's only a tent in which I'm living for a while, a tent that is gradually wearing out. And when this tent wears out, when the body, through age, accident, illness, can no longer fulfill the purposes for which God planned and designed, then God, in His love, is gonna release this spirit from this body. And when this tent is dissolved, I have a building of God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And so death for the child of God is just moving day, when you move out of the tent and into the house, the building of God not made with hands. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions. I'm going to prepare one for you"(John 14:2).
I heard the other day of some high-pressured evangelist who had some vision of dying and going heaven, and the Lord showing him his glorious new mansion. And he described, you know, the columns and everything. Well, I hope my body doesn't look like that when I get there. The word is actually "there are many abiding places, I'm going to prepare one for you." The building of God not made with hands, eternal in heaven. It's a reference to our new bodies that our spirits will move into you. Bodies that are designed by God to exist in the environmental conditions in heaven, even as God designed these bodies to exist in the environmental condition of the planet earth. And He made them out of the earth for the earth. So, God has made a new body for me that is designed by God to exist in the environmental conditions of heaven. A universal model, one that is adaptable, probably for all climates and environments, whereas this body is quite limited. It is necessary that I keep it right here close to earth.
A couple months ago at the Beale Air Force Base, we saw them suiting up the pilot for the SR-71, gonna fly that thing up eighty-five thousand feet or so. And so as they suited him up, it's the very same suits that they use in the... for the astronauts' moon flights and all. And we watched them as they put on the suit, fastened on the helmet, fastened everything down and then pressurized it. Checked all the gauges to see that there was no leaks. The man who was giving us the briefing said that when you get up to eighty thousand feet, if you did not have this pressurized suit on, the fluids in your body would begin to boil and they would pass right on out through the skin, because the body is made and designed to withstand the fourteen pounds per square inch. You get up there, you don't have that pressure pushing against the body, and so you have to put on the pressure suit.
God could give us all pressure suits. But, we saw this guy as he then walked out to the van. And they were carrying the two tanks of nitrogen and oxygen, and he had to walk sort of funny because of the suit and all, and clumped on out. And they helped him to get in the van and then they helped him out of the van and up the ramp and into the SR-71, where he sat down and then took off and went skyward.
But God has designed a new body, a building of God not made with hands, eternal in heaven, vastly superior to the body we now have. One that will not know aging processes, one that will not experience pain. Directly from God...perfect. One that will not age or grow tired. And so, we who are in these bodies do often groan earnestly, desiring to be delivered or move out, not that I would unembodied, an unembodied spirit out there in the ethereal universe someplace, but that I might be clothed upon with the body which is from heaven.
Now, another aspect of the whole thing that needs to be taken into consideration, and that is, I live in a time dimension continuum while I'm in this body and living on the planet earth. And so I talk about last week and next week and I think of things in terms of past, present and future. The moment I leave the earth plain, the body plain, I enter into the eternal where there is neither past or future, but everything is present. So to be absent from the body is to be present in the eternal presence of the Lord. So you can't really say that something is future once you enter into the eternal, for everything is now.
Those who are asleep in Jesus, the Lord is gonna bring with Him when He comes. For we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord aren't going to precede them, they have preceded us.
"But the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a voice of the archangel, the trump of God, the dead in Christ have risen first really and we who are alive and remain a that point shall be caught up to meet them together with the Lord: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Now that's the important thing. "So shall we ever be with the Lord." The Lord is coming again to this earth to establish His kingdom reign, and He shall rule and reign over the earth for a thousand years, so shall we ever be with the Lord. We will come and we will reign with Him as a kingdom of priests upon the earth. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
And so the rapture of the church; the catching up. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15said, "Behold, I show you a mystery. We're not all going to all sleep, but we're all going to be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. For this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality." We won't die, but there is a necessary change. We will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, as move out of our tents and into our new buildings of God not made of hands, the new bodies that God has prepared for us.
How old will I be? What will I look like? Well, you know there is some people that sort of object to the change of body. They wanna sort of hang on to what they look like. Personally, I don't anticipate having gimpy football knees anymore. I imagine I will have a head of hair and a few other things that have been missing for a while. Won't be wearing these glasses. It's interesting, we really don't know, except that Paul said, "Some of you will say, 'How are the dead raised and what kind of a body will they come?'" In other words, when they come with Jesus, what kind of a body will they have? Will we know them? Will we recognize them? And he said, "When you plant a seed into the ground it does not come forth into new life until it first of all dies. And then," notice, "the body that comes out of the ground is not the body that you planted, but God gives it a body as pleases Him, so is the resurrection of the dead."
I don't expect this body to be resurrected and refurbished, refitted. I'm looking forward to moving into a whole new model, a building of God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The body that comes out of the ground is not the body that you planted. All you planted was a bare grain, by chance weed or some other grain, and God has given it a body as pleasing to Him, so is the resurrection of the dead. We are planted in corruption, but we are gonna be raised in incorruption. We were planted in weakness, but we're gonna be raised in power. We are planted in dishonor; we are gonna be raised in glory. We are planted as a natural body; we're gonna be raised as a spiritual body. And the difference between the celestial and the terrestrial, and so forth, and as we are born in the image of the earth and been earthly, so shall we bear the image of the heavens.
So, you can interpret and understand that as you wish, but I'm looking forward to that building of God not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. That new body where my spirit shall dwell and I shall live and be with Him and His kingdom forever. That's the important thing. This corruption must put on... metamorphosis, change of body, and the Bible teaches us what death is to the child of God.
Chapter 5
But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety: then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, [and here's the key] are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief (1Th 5:1-4).
The day of the Lord is coming. Jesus referred to His coming as a thief in the night. But Paul is saying, "You are the children of the light, so that that day should not overtake you as a thief." I believe that the Lord intended us to be knowledgeable of Bible prophecy, and thus knowledgeable of the signs of His coming. And certainly, there are interesting signs of His coming in the world today. Israel existing as a nation: tremendous sign of the coming again of Jesus Christ. Europe gathered together in a community of ten nations: an interesting sign of the return again of Jesus Christ. The capacity of man to destroy himself off of the planet earth: another sign for "except those days be short and no flesh would remain, but for the elect sake, they shall be shortened."
The development of electronic funds transfers, the development of an I.D. system now putting a computer chip upon a card that can store all kinds of information, even record and keep in memory every transaction that you've made with the card; being used now in Europe, being tested in France, used in Europe as a possible model for a worldwide monetary system. And the talk of taking that same computer chip, because the cards are lost and stolen, and implanting it within a person's wrist. So a mark, an identity where people buy and sell with that mark and identity. "The times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. You know He's coming as a thief, but you are not the children of darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief."
You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (1Th 5:5-6).
Now, as Jesus talked in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew concerning His coming again, there were two things that He emphasized on into chapter twenty-five. One, watch; two, be ready. Paul here is emphasizing watch, be sober. And so, I do believe that it is the intent of the Lord that His church in all ages live in anticipation of His imminent return, and that two things they should number one, be watching and number two, they should be ready.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath [Praise the Lord!], but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1Th 5:6-9),
God's wrath is going to come upon the earth. Jesus said, quoting from Daniel, "And there shall be a time of great tribulation, such as the world has never seen before or ever see again." And from the book of Revelation, from chapter six through eighteen, we have details of that great judgment of God that will be coming upon the earth. And as we are moving in the book of Revelation now on Thursday evenings, we'll be studying this as we go along. But, this great judgment that is coming in the book of Revelation is called, in the book of Revelation, the day of His wrath, "the wrath of His indignation being poured forth as the rich men and the kings of all of the earth call unto the rocks and the mountains to hide them from the face of the Lamb and from His judgment. For the day of His wrath has come and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16)
As far as the church is concerned, Jesus said, "In this world you'll have tribulation"(John 16:33). But Jesus identifies Satan as the culprit behind the tribulation that the child of God experiences living on this alien world. But the Bible definitely identifies the source of the great tribulation as being God in His judgment as He comes to judge those who are dwelling upon the earth. And when the wrath of God is poured out... we have not been appointed unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord. And that is why we should be watching, and we should be sober. Jesus said that that day is going to come and catch many as a snare. And so pray that you will always be accounted worthy to escape these things that are gonna be coming to pass upon the earth, and to be standing upon... before the Son of Man, for as a snare it shall come upon the earth. And therefore, he warns us against drunkenness, against surfeiting, against living after the flesh, that we be caught unaware. And so the same message of watching, be sober, be diligent.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him (1Th 5:9-10).
And that is the whole thing, whether dead or alive, I'm going to be living together with Him. That's what Jesus was talking about when He said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the light. He that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and if you live and believe in Me, you'll never die"(John 11:25). I'm never gonna die. I'm gonna always live for Jesus and with Jesus, and whether, you know, in this body or in my new body, I'm gonna be living with Him. So, as Paul said, "Whether we wake or sleep, we are living together with Him in one form or the other, in this body or my new one. I won't die; I will be living together with Him."
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify [build up] one another, even as you do (1Th 5:11).
And so the building up of one another in Christ, the encouraging of one another in the Lord.
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you (1Th 5:12);
So, those that God has chosen to have the oversight of the body of Christ, to minister to them and admonish them in the truth of God. Paul said,
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly (1Th 5:13-14),
Now he's gonna give us a bunch of little exhortations here.
Warn those that are unruly (1Th 5:14),
You see a person that is not living right, warn him. God called Ezekiel to warn him, and told him the importance of his ministry of warning those unrighteous people, and those righteous who had turned on their righteousness.
comfort the feebleminded (1Th 5:14),
We have a tendency many times to become annoying with the feebleminded. You know, to pass them off. But we are told here we ought to be comforting the feebleminded. God bless them, man. You know, our hearts should be going out to them and we should be patient and seek to comfort them, rather than being brisk and short.
support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man (1Th 5:14-15);
Oh, isn't that difficult? How we love to get even, but see that we don't.
but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1Th 5:15-18).
Again, I would call attention to the fact it doesn't say, "For everything give thanks." That would be hypocritical. I cannot honestly give thanks for a lot of things, but I can give thanks in them. I can't give thanks, really, for the problems that I face, but I can give thanks in the problems. I don't give thanks for the trials, but I give thanks to God in the trials. If I've lost everything, I don't thank God for the fact that I've lost everything, but I thank God in the losses, not for the losses, because I know that God is control of my life. I know that God is controlling those things that happen to me because I've committed my life to Him and I know that God loves me. And I know that God is working out a wise plan in my life, and He is wiser than I. And I know that God can see the long term, where all I can see is the short term. And so, in everything that happens to me, because God is controlling those happenings, because God is governing my life, I give thanks to God in everything; that He loves me, that He's in control, that He is guiding the things of my life, and that He's gonna work out His good eternal plan and purposes in me. "In everything give thanks."
Quench not the Spirit (1Th 5:19).
Now, a lot of people use this scripture to tolerate all kinds of foolishness going on within the body of Christ. You know, someone screaming outlandishly and running up and down the isles screaming and all, and in their second pass, Romaine catches them and takes them outside. And you know the first thing they say to Romaine, "The Bible says, 'Quench not the Spirit.'" Well, that's not what Paul's talking about. There is a spirit that is to be quenched: the human spirit.
We are told grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. How is the Holy Spirit grieved? How do we quench the Spirit? You know one of the greatest quenches of the Spirit is a lack of love? That's how we quench the Spirit. The Spirit's work in our hearts and in our lives can be hindered by bitter feelings, by hatred, and jealousy, and animosity, and those kind of feelings; that's what quenches the work of the Spirit within your life. And so, it's really talking about that work of God's Spirit within your life, don't quench it. The fruit of the Spirit, you see, is love, and that is what the Spirit is speaking to, is seeking to produce in you is that love. Don't quench the Spirit, open up to love. Open up to be an instrument of love. Open up to be a channel of God's love. Release yourself to love.
A lot of times we have a hesitancy in this because we've been burned in the past. We've been hurt. I loved them and then they rejected me, and we feel so rejected that we begin to close up and we won't open up to love. And as we close up and tighten up we're actually quenching the Spirit. "Quench not the Spirit."
Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things (1Th 5:20-21);
And, of course, with prophecy, that is necessary to be proved. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14, "When one prophesies, let the others judge." And so, it is tied together here, "Despise not prophesyings. And yet prove all things."
I've had some people give me some off-the-wall "thus saith the Lord" prophecies. Several years ago, I had a man prophesy that I was gonna be carried out of the church in a casket within two weeks. He didn't like the fact that I didn't go along with his "Jesus only" doctrine. He said God was going to judge me. He had this vision and he prophesied, "Thus saith the Lord," you know, "in two weeks they're gonna carry you out in this black coffin." Well, I knew that was wrong, because my wife would never get a black coffin. An interesting thing, I had that man's funeral service within two weeks, so I just told my wife, "Evidently he saw the wrong face in the casket."
Prove all things. Someone gives you a prophecy, just don't accept it. Prove it. Don't despise it, though. And I get a lot of... I get a lot of, "Thus saith the Lords," and a lot of mail, and a lot of people feel that God has used them as a channel to speak to me. And I want to be open. God knows my heart; I want to be open. There are a lot of times, you know, you get sort of burned on these things. You say, "Aw, I... " and you don't even bother to read them, because there's a certain kind of a pattern to them all. And yet, I don't want to despise prophecy. I want to be open. I want God to be able to speak to me through ever... I can recognize, I accept that God can use others to speak to me, and I am open to God speaking to me. However, I want God to speak to me however He wants to speak to me.
But on the other hand, I feel that it is incumbent that I do prove all things and then,
hold fast that which is good (1Th 5:21).
I think that this is Chuck Missler's sort of motto in every speech. He just says, "Hey, I'm gonna say a lot of wild stuff, and I don't want you to believe anything I say. I want you to prove all things, and then hold fast that which is true. Be like the Bereans, 'More noble than those in Thessalonica, and that they went and searched the scriptures to see if these things be of God.'" Prove all things, and then hold fast that which is good.
Here's an important one:
Abstain from all appearance of evil (1Th 5:22).
I love this sparkling apple juice. And now Treetop has come out with Sparkling Apple Juice, but they put it in these large green bottles, you know, with the gold foil at the top and all. And I hate to buy it, because I'm afraid someone will see me checking out and say, "Oh, he's buying wine or champagne," or something, you know, because of the bottle that they put it in. So, sort of a dilemma. I want to abstain from all appearances of evil. But the Lord's taking care of that. Price Club has it in the case, and they're little twelve ounce bottles and no foil or anything, so I'll now get my sparkling apple juice.
I do think we need to be very sensitive on the appearances of things, to shun the appearances of evil. There are those couples that often come and say, "Well, we're living together in the same house, but we're not sleeping together." Well, who knows? You know, the neighbors, surely they don't know, and it has the appearance of evil. And we are told, and I think we need to abstain from all... even the appearances of evil. We don't want to stumble anybody.
And the very God of peace sanctify [set you apart] wholly [or completely]; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved (1Th 5:23)
Notice, Paul recognizes the tricotomy of man: your whole spirit, your whole soul, and your whole body. The three parts of man's being: body, soul, consciousness and spirit. Spirit, which is dead, until we receive the Lordship of Jesus Christ and we are made alive. Once dead in trespasses and sins, but now alive unto God through the Spirit. The spirit is come alive.
Now, psychology and humanism in the universities today teach the dichotomy of man. They teach that the soul and spirit of man are synonymous. It is only those who have been born again by the Spirit of God and experience the spiritual life are trichotomists, and the reason why we are trichotomist is because our spirit has come alive, and we know that the spirit of man is separate and distinct from the consciousness of man.
But the natural man cannot understand the things of the spirit, and neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So try to argue this with a natural man and you get nowhere. He has no way of understanding, no way of comprehending. And the Lord brought me to this after several arguments with the college professor in my sociology class on the subject of the soul and the spirit being separate entities, distinct. And he was a dichotomist, a humanist, and we went round and round until one day, as I went out of the class talking to myself about that pour ignorant man, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "Look, you're trying to teach him something he cannot know." The natural man cannot understand the things of the spirit neither can he know them. They are spiritually discerned.
It is only when you're alive in the spirit that you can understand the things of the spirit, the realm of the spirit. And so, those who are natural, trying to approach the word of God with a natural wisdom and understanding, become confused when you get to the realm of the spirit. But he which is spiritual understands all things, though he is not understand.
So,
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Th 5:23).
That is your whole man. God, preserve me physically, my body. God, preserve my mind, my consciousness. And God, preserve my spirit, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1Th 5:24).
Oh, how glorious to be called of God, because God is faithful, and having begun a good work in us, He will continue to perform it.
Brethren, pray for us (1Th 5:25).
In almost all of his epistles, Paul was asking the people to pray for him as he mentioned how he prays for them. And that's what the body of Christ is all about: bearing one another's burdens, and fulfilling the law of Christ, praying one for another.
Brethren, pray for us. And greet all the brethren with a holy kiss (1Th 5:25-26).
Now, there over in Greece we went to church in Athens, and the brothers all came up and they came up and kissed ya on both cheeks. The practice is still there in Greece. In Rome, the same thing, the brothers all come up, kiss you on both cheeks, and you know, it's a neat experience. It's something that is sort of different to our culture here, but it is a common greeting in that area.
I charge you by the Lord, that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren (1Th 5:27).
So we really sort of obeyed the commandment here in reading this epistle to all of you holy brethren.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen (1Th 5:28).
So, next week into the second Thessalonians, and we'll take the whole book of second Thessalonians next week. Only three chapters, and they're all short. So second Thessalonians for next week as we move through the Bible.
"And now, be ye doers of the word and not hearers only." May God help us to put into practice those things that He has taught us in His word. Following the exhortations of Paul, may we live a holy, righteous life before God and man. Loving one another more and more as we look for that glorious day when our Lord shall come, and we shall be changed by His Spirit into His own glorious image, according to His mighty power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the peace of His Holy Spirit keep you in Christ. In Jesus' name.
Paul had come to Thessalonica with the gospel of Jesus Christ from Philippi where, as the result of his preaching, he had been imprisoned, beaten and really ordered out of the city. There in Thessalonica, he went into the synagogue for three Sabbath days reasoning with them out of the scriptures. And the interest became so intense that on the third day, almost the whole city had gathered together, which created a jealousy by some of the Jews that were there.
And so they began to stir up trouble against Paul. And they came to the house where Paul was staying to arrest him. And Paul had already got word of the problems, and so he had left and gone towards Berea. Trouble also developed in Berea after a few weeks. And so Paul's companions, Silas and Timothy, stayed in Berea to strengthen the brethren while Paul went to Athens. When they joined Paul in Athens, Silas and Timothy, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage the brethren and find out how they were doing. And he and Silas and Luke headed on down to Corinth.
While Paul was in Corinth, and Paul was there for about two years, Timothy came with word concerning the Church in Thessalonica, which prompted Paul's first epistle, some of the problems that were there. And so Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica with the first letter. And still other questions were unresolved, or problems still existed that Timothy told Paul about when he returned again. And so Paul wrote this second letter, probably within a year from the first letter. These are the first two letters of Paul written from Corinth, in his second missionary journey back to the church that had been established in Thessalonica. And so because Silas and Timothy were with Paul in the establishing in the church, Paul joins their name with his in the greeting to the Church.
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus [or Silas and Timothy,] unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2Th 1:1-2).
This salutation is identical to the salutation in his first epistle, which we commented on last week.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you toward each other abounds (2Th 1:3);
And so Paul, giving thanks unto God. He felt it was necessary to give thanks to God for two very positive traits and characteristics in this church. One, their faith was growing exceedingly. Secondly, their love for all of the brethren was just abounding. What tremendous characteristics to mark a church, a church of great faith and a church where God's love among the people was just abounding.
So that we ourselves [Paul said] glory in you in the churches of God (2Th 1:4)
So Paul is saying that we are actually, we glory in you when we go around and share in the other churches. We glory in what God has done in you; we love to share what the Lord is doing there for you.
for also the patience and the faith in all of your persecutions and tribulations that you endure (2Th 1:4):
So this church was a church that was experiencing a lot of persecution. It is interesting as you study church history, persecution never hurt the church. The church always thrived in persecution. The church in China has been severely persecuted as the result of the communist takeover. And yet during this period of great tribulation, when in some of the provinces they have only one Bible for every one hundred thousand believers, yet the church has grown and expanded tremendously until there are some who estimate that there are as many as one hundred million believers within the home church in China.
We had Mama Quan with us awhile back, who was one of the leaders of the home church in China. And she was sharing with us of the millions that are coming to Jesus Christ even in the face of great persecution. You see the effect of persecution of the church is really separating the wheat from the chaff, and it causes the true believers to really make their stand and their faith grow. So in a church that was being persecuted, their faith was increasing exceedingly, and of course, it really brings you together. Persecution brings the body close together, the support of one another and the love of one another.
During the early period of the church history from the book of Acts, the result of the first persecution against the church in Jerusalem is that the church was scattered throughout the whole area, but the results of the church being scattered churches opened up all over the area. Wherever they went, they started their faith in Christ and the result of the persecution was actually just an expanding, a rapid expanding, of the ministry of the church. And the church grew exceedingly under the persecution in the first century, second and third.
The church began to wane when the persecution ceased, the influence, the power of the church. As the church began to be an accepted institution within the society, and as they began to be embraced by the world and accepted, the effect was a diminishing of the power of the church, of the faith in the church, of the effectiveness of the church. And so persecution has really never hindered the work of the Lord, but oftentimes has had the opposite effect of really expanding.
So here in Thessalonica persecutions and tribulations. They were enduring them with patience, but the net effect of them in their lives was this increasing faith and the abounding love. Now these persecutions and tribulations that they were enduring was
a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God (2Th 1:5),
In other words, Paul is gonna talk here in a little bit about a period of time that is coming in which God is going to judge the world. There is gonna be a time of tremendous tribulation that is going to come to pass upon the earth. I believe that it isn't far off. This period of great tribulation is described in detail in the Book of Revelation, beginning with chapter six, the opening of the seven seals, and then the sounding of the seven trumpets, and then the pouring out of the seven vials of God's wrath. And as God's judgment comes forth upon the earth, it's gonna be so severe that people will be prone to challenge the fairness of God, the righteousness of God. But God will indeed be righteous in his judgment. And the persecution that they were going through when God's judgment came upon the unbelievers, it would be a manifest token of God's righteousness.
It is interesting to me that during this period of great tribulation, as the vials of God's wrath are being poured upon the earth, voices come from the altar of God declaring, "Holy and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord." God is going to judge the world, a great time of tribulation, and people are going to be prone to challenge the righteousness of God because of the severity. We're studying Revelation on Thursday night, so we'll get to these things, in the details in Revelation as we move along on Thursday night. But Jesus said there is going to be a great time of tribulation such as the world has never seen before and will ever see again.
In the first four seals that are open, the ensuing judgments upon the earth will bring death to one quarter of the earth's inhabitants, which is estimated to be a little over four billion people. Can you imagine devastation coming upon the earth, wars and famines and all that will wipe out one quarter of the earth's inhabitants? We are prone to say, "God, that doesn't seem fair to destroy that many people." But the fairness of God will indeed be manifested as the character of those that are destroyed is revealed.
And then later on, in another series of judgments, one third of the earth inhabitants will be killed when the abyssos is opened, and these creatures go forth upon the earth. So a time, as Jesus said great tribulation, an earthquake that will be second to none, and God said I will shake the earth once more until everything that can be shaken shall be shaken until only that which cannot be shaken shall remain. Great tribulation; but God will be fair, God will be just. He will be righteous in it. And the attitude of the world toward the true believer was only going to be a manifest token of the righteousness of the judgment of God that he is going to bring upon the earth.
That you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which also you suffer (2Th 1:5):
Now, when Jesus was talking to His disciples concerning the Great Tribulation that was going to come, telling them of some of the cataclysmic events that would be taking place, he said to His disciples, "Pray always that you will be accounted worthy to escape all these things and to be standing before the Son of man"(Luke 21:36). When these cataclysmic judgments begin to happen, when the stars begin to fall, meteorite showers striking the earth, tremendous devastation, "Pray", He said. "When these things happen, pray that you will be accounted worthy to escape all of these things and to be standing before the Son of man".
Now here Paul speaks of them as being worthy to be there in the kingdom of God, and it is for this kingdom that they are suffering.
Seeing that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them which trouble you (2Th 1:6);
But it would not be a righteous thing with God to bring the tribulation upon His children. That was the whole premise of Abraham in dealing with the Lord over the destruction of Sodom. "Shall not the Lord of the earth be fair, be just, be righteous. Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked?"(Genesis 18:23) That wouldn't be fair, Lord, to destroy the righteous with the wicked. And so God delivered Lot before the destruction or the tribulation or the judgment came. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels (2Th 1:7),
Rest in this fact, the Lord is coming for you with His mighty angels. He made mention of this in the first letter, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a voice of the archangel the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). So you that are troubled over this great period of tribulation and judgment that is coming, rest with us for the Lord is going to be revealed with His mighty angels.
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God (2Th 1:8),
Notice upon whom the vengeance is going to be taken. Not upon the children of God, not upon the church; He is going to be taking the vengeance upon those who know not God,
and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2Th 1:8).
They are the ones upon whom this great judgment shall fall. And I will tell you what; I surely wouldn't want to be around when God's wrath begins to be poured out. As again when we get to the details in Revelation, I am certain that you won't want to be here either. But He is talking on those that obey not the gospel.
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (2Th 1:9);
Eternally separated from God.
I cannot think of anything more awesome than that...
When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all of them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day (2Th 1:10).
So the Lord is coming as far as the sinner is concerned to take vengeance, to bring judgment. As far as the saint is concerned, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe. And so He is coming to receive the glory and the honor and the power and the authority and the dominion that is rightfully His. Again Revelation five, "Thou art worthy to receive glory and honor, dominion, authority, thrones," the worthiness of Jesus to receive the glory, glorified in His saints, admired in all of them that believe because of our testimony among you.
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling (2Th 1:11),
Now Jesus said, "Pray always that you'll be accounted worthy to escape these things". Paul said, "I am praying always that you will be accounted worthy of this calling".
and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power (2Th 1:11):
So these are the things that Paul was praying for them. First of all, that they would be accounted worthy, that the Lord will account them worthy of being in this heavenly company, that he might fulfill all of the good pleasure of goodness in them and His work of faith with power.
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2Th 1:12).
And so the whole glory that shall be revealed in the church, through the church and in Christ at His coming.
Chapter 2
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, [in virtue of this, because of this] and are gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is already present (2Th 2:1-2)
Now there were some there who said this persecution that we are going through is the Great Tribulation; this is the day of God's vengeance. It is already here. And they even produced letters, supposedly written by Paul, saying yes, these fellows are right; this is the day of vengeance. This is the Great Tribulation. And so Paul is writing to correct this. Don't believe any supposed letters from me.
At the end of this epistle Paul makes the note that, "I have signed this in my own hand which I do with all of my epistles". These false epistles that they had been receiving weren't signed by Paul's own hand, and so he makes reference to the fact that he personally signs those epistles that he writes. It is a mark of Paul's. Though he dictated and someone else wrote them, he would sign his name to the end that they might have the authority and know that it was indeed from Paul.
So don't be troubled in your spirits, by someone's word, or by a letter that was supposedly from us, in believing that the day of the Lord is already present, or is now present.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2Th 2:3);
So two things must precede the day of the Lord's vengeance and wrath that is coming upon the earth. Number one, a great apostasy. Now this word "apostasy" has been argued by some as meaning departure. And there are some that try to relate it to the rapture of the church, referring to the departure. There are problems with that. And rather than trying to take a position on that, we only mention it as definitely a possibility. However, we do know that Jesus in speaking of His coming again said, "When the Son of man shall come again, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) He questioned. And then again He said, "And because the iniquity of the earth will abound, the love of many will wax cold" (Matthew 24:12). So Jesus seemed to indicate an apostasy.
I personally believe that that apostasy is upon us. As I look at the general condition of the church of Jesus Christ, there is great apostasy. When I see these churches ordaining avowed homosexuals, we -- I see the homosexual church, the Metropolitan church and all. When I read the statements of some of these ministers who join the fight against anything that is good and decent, there is a tremendous apostasy.
Churches such as ours are the exception, not the rule. There is a great apostasy today, but then there is the second thing that must happen before the Great Tribulation, and that is that the man of sin, the son of perdition must be revealed. This man of sin, son of perdition is commonly called the anti-christ.
This title son of perdition is an interesting title because it is really son of Satan. And even as Jesus was God incarnate, in flesh, so the anti-christ will be Satan incarnate. Satan will take on a body or take over a body, probably more literally. And even as demons are able to possess bodies, so Satan himself will take residence in a body. And thus he is titled the son of perdition.
Now there is one other person we know where Satan took over his body and that was Judas Iscariot. The Bible says, "And Satan entered into him." And it is interesting that Jesus called Judas Iscariot the son of perdition, now again Satan taking over a body. And in Revelation thirteen, he tells us that he gives to Satan, gives to this anti-christ, all of his power, all of his authority, all of his throne. Now he gives the world over to him, because the world belongs to Satan.
You remember Jesus came to redeem the world to God. And Satan took Jesus up to a high mountain and he said "Look at all of the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. I am going to give them to you, if you will just bow down and worship me. For they are mine". Satan was bragging. And he said I can give them to whomever I will. Jesus did not dispute that, but Jesus refused it. He came to redeem the world, but not by bowing down to Satan, but by paying the price of redemption upon the cross.
But Satan is going to give to this man of sin, the son of perdition, his throne, his authority, his power. And he is going to rule over the world. And the first three and a half years of his reign are going to be very prosperous times upon the earth. They are going to be singing, "Happy days are here again." This man is a miracle worker. This man has brought marvelous solutions to troubling world situations. This man has brought an end to the economic difficulties and the economic malaise that the world is in. This man has brought an end to all of these horrible wars, and he has brought peace and prosperity and everyone has jobs and things are going great. And the world is going to hail this man as its savior.
One of his exploits will be to bring a peaceful solution to the problem of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Now many devote orthodox Jews desire fervently to rebuild the temple. Many other Jews really don't care. But those Orthodox Jews are really determined to rebuild the temple. A major problem exists, mainly that the Temple Mount is under Moslem control. And there almost, in the middle of the Temple Mount, stands the Dome of the Rock, a sacred site to the Moslems, for they felt that it was from this rock that Mohammed ascended into heaven after his overnight ride from Adena.
Recently there were Jews who were apprehended as they were trying to slip onto the Temple Mount site with explosives to blow up the Dome of the Rock. And there are many who are crying for a return to Israel of the Temple Mount. This has the leaders in Israel deeply concerned, for they have enough problems already and don't wish to compound them with religious problems. And they know if any overt action is taken against the Moslem control of the Temple Mount, that it will precipitate a holy war by the Moslems against the Jews. And though the Jews have been able to hold their own in their battles against Egypt and Jordan and Syria in the past, they don't want to deal with the fanaticism of the religious Moslems coming with religious fanaticism to destroy the nation of Israel. They just don't want to face that. That is a problem they believe they can live very well without. And so the official government view is to let things be. Don't create any waves. But there is that fanatic element that are determined to create waves. So, it remains a very sensitive issue.
But this man of sin, the son of perdition, when Satan turns over to him the control of the world, one of things that he is going to have is a tremendous solution for the problem, for he is going to offer a covenant to Israel. And he will say, now look, there is plenty of room here on the north side of the Temple Mount. And you can rebuild your temple here on the north side of the Temple Mount. All we have to do is put a wall right across the center of the Temple Mount leaving the Dome of the Rock, and Aloxi Mosque on the south side. And you can have this whole ten to fifteen acres out here on the north side and you can build your temple here.
The Moslems will be satisfied because they have retained the title to their holy sites. The Jews also will be satisfied because now they have a place to build their temple on the Temple Mount. And I do believe that it is going to be shown and proven soon that Solomon's Temple actually is north of the Dome of the Rock, some three hundred and twenty-two feet, so that they will be very satisfied because they will be able to rebuild their temple right over the site of Solomon's temple.
Now there is a couple of interesting scriptures that sort of verify this whole theory. When Ezekiel was taken by the spirit through time and saw the temple that is to be rebuilt, that has not been built yet, Ezekiel gave him the measurements. The Lord gave him a ruler and says now measure this temple and the wall and the courts and so forth. And so as he was measuring the temple, he said, "and I measured the wall that was around the temple four hundred and fifty meters" and he said, "This wall was to separate the holy place from the profane place". And interesting enough, the Dome of the Rock has profanity written in Arabic around the top -- profanities against Jesus Christ. "God is not begotten, neither does He beget", a definite profanity against Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.
There is another scripture in Revelation eleven, which is quite interesting, because John also was taken by the spirit unto the day of the Lord where he to saw the new temple which was to be rebuilt. And like Ezekiel was told to measure it. He was given a rod and said now measure the temple and the courts, but then he was instructed. "Don't measure the outer court because it has been given to the heathen". And the Dome of the Rock would stand in the outer court of the rebuilt temple.
So the anti-christ when he arises is going to make a covenant with the nation of Israel. And the covenant, no doubt, will include their privilege to rebuild their temple by building this wall and satisfying both parties and everybody in the world is going to say, "Isn't that brilliant. The man is a mastermind. Who could have thought of that solution". And they are going to worship that man as the savior.
But after three and a half years, he is going to come to that temple that is going to be rebuilt, and Paul tells us about it in just a moment here, verse four:
Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God (2Th 2:4),
That is this man of sin, the son of perdition. He opposes himself. He exalts himself above all that is called God.
or that is worshiped (2Th 2:4);
Now you remember in Isaiah fourteen, as he speaks of the fall of Satan, "O Lucifer, son of the morning, how art though fallen from heaven, O Lucifer son of the morning, for though didst seek [really] to exalt your position. You said, I will exalt myself above the angels of heaven. I will sit in the congregation in the sides of the north. I will be like the most high. And yet God said you will be brought down to hell".
But here is the anti-christ doing the same thing, exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he as God will sit in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. In other words, after three and a half years, after the temple has been rebuilt, he will return to Jerusalem, he will sit in the Holy of Holies of the rebuilt temple and declare, "I am God," and will demand to be worshiped as God.
This is called in the book of Daniel, "the abomination of desolation", Or the final abomination which will bring the desolation of the earth as God, at this point, will pour out his judgment and wrath. The cup of his indignation at this point will overflow. This is the final straw. This will perpetrate the judgment of God coming upon the earth in this three and a half-year period known in the Bible as the Great Tribulation.
So Paul said don't think that this is the tribulation, that the tribulation is now present. Don't be troubled in your spirit. Yes, it is tough. Yes, you are really going through a lot of persecution and all. But, the Great Tribulation cannot come, the day of God's judgment cannot come until first of all there be this spiritual apostasy and the man of sin, the son of perdition is revealed. And then he tells us a little bit about what this son of perdition is going to do. And so the Great Tribulation cannot happen until these things take place.
Paul said,
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? [Now I have already instructed you in these things.] And now you know what witholdeth that he might be revealed in his time (2Th 2:5-6).
In other words, there is a force that is holding him back, holding back the power of darkness from taking over the world completely.
For the mystery of iniquity is already at work: only he who is now hindering will hinder, until he be taken out of the way (2Th 2:7).
So the powers and the forces of darkness are working in the world, but there is a hindering force that is keeping them from taking over complete control. The question; what is the hindering force? People say the Holy Spirit. That is probably correct. So where is the Holy Spirit dwelling? In the church. Now if you say the Holy Spirit is to be withdrawn from the world and the church remain, then God help us all. We are in horrible trouble. I can hardly make it with the power of the Holy Spirit and the help of the Holy Spirit. If He were withdrawn, I would be totally destitute, bereft.
I believe that the restraining power that is keeping back evil from taking over the world today is the Light that is still here, the church of Jesus Christ. That is the thing that is keeping darkness from just totally engulfing the world. "Ye are the light of the world". But when Jesus takes His church out of this earth, then there will be no longer any restraining power or force and the anti-christ will at that point take over. "But he cannot as long as he which is hindering continues to hinder until it is taken out of the way". So I really believe that the Lord is taking the church out of the way, is the next major event that must take place before the final sequences of events can happen.
In the book of Revelation, chapter one, verse nineteen, the book is divided into three sections. "Write the things which you have seen, the things which are and things which will be after these things." And so John recorded in chapter one the things that he saw: the vision of Jesus Christ walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, holding the seven stars in His right hand.
In chapters two and three, the second section of the book of Revelation, John wrote the messages to the seven churches as they were dictated to him by Jesus Christ, covering the seven periods of church history. In chapter four, it begins with the Greek word, "meta tauta", after these things. After what things? Logically after the things of chapters two and three, which are the church things. "I saw a door open in heaven: and the first voice was as of a trumpet saying unto me; Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be after these things" (Revelation 4:1). After the church things.
And so John is representative of the church, as he is caught up by the spirit into heaven, at the trump of God. Now the trumpets were sounded in those days among the troops to give messages, even as was done in our army and all for so many years, the bugle call. And each bugle call had its separate message that is declared; one said go to sleep, another said come and eat, another said charge, another said mail call, and still another said, get up. But each one was a distinct bugle sound that conveyed a message. When the trump of God sounds it is going to convey a message. The message is come on up, "Come up hither. The trump of God, come up hither."
And so from chapter four, John is now viewing the things that are happening on the earth from the heavenly viewpoint. He looks down as the seals are open in heaven. He looks down and sees the corresponding judgments upon the earth. But before this scroll is open, he first of all introduces the scroll in Chapter five, with writing both inside and outside, sealed with seven seals. And he hears the angel proclaiming with a strong voice, "Who is worthy to take the scroll and loose the seals" (Revelation 5:9). The scroll being the title deed to the earth, which Jesus died to redeem back to God.
But no one is found worthy in heaven and earth to open the scroll or loose the seals. So John begins to sob, until the elder says, "Don't weep John, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed and he is going to take the scroll and loose the seals" (Revelation 5:5). And John turned and saw Jesus as a lamb that has been slaughtered. And He stepped forth and he took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who was sitting upon the throne. And immediately the twenty-four elders came forth with little golden bowls that were filled with incense, odors, which are the prayers of the saints.
How many times have you prayed "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven"? It is about to happen. The prayers are about to be answered. And they offer these prayers before the throne of God and then they sang a new song saying, "Thou are worthy to take the scroll and loose the seals. For you were slain and you have redeemed us by your blood out of every nation and tribe and tongue and people and you have made us unto our God kings and priests, and we are going to reign with you upon the earth"(Revelation 5:9-10). Who can sing that song? The church of Jesus Christ. Where is the church? Standing before the Son of Man in glory.
The tribulation hasn't begun yet and it won't begin until He opens the seals of the scroll, which he proceeds to do in chapter six. And the first seal that is broken brings forth the entrance of the anti-christ upon the earth coming forth conquering and to conquer riding his white horse; the coming of the anti-christ. And then it is followed by the wars, the ensuing wars, the red horse. And then the black horse of famine, and the pale horse of death. So the sequence remains the same. The anti-christ first of all being revealed and then the great day of God's wrath and vengeance coming forth upon the earth.
You have the same sequence in Revelation. For the anti-christ comes forth and then there follows the wars, the famines, the plagues. Six seals of cataclysmic events of the heavens are casting forth the meteorite showers, like a fig tree casts it untimely figs in the wind, and all of this great cataclysmic judgment that begins to fall upon those upon the earth.
So Paul said, don't be fretting in your spirit, or thinking, hey this is the day of God's judgment, the day of the Lord has come. It is now present. He said no, there are things that have to happen before that can happen, namely the great apostasy and the unveiling of this man of sin, which cannot take place until that which hinders is taken out of the way, is removed. That which hinders shall hinder until it is removed, taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked one be [unveiled] revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming (2Th 2:8):
So this man of sin who will have his day, and have his time will be destroyed when Jesus returns with His church to establish God's kingdom upon the earth. And when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute His judgment upon the earth."
And the first thing the Lord does as He returns to the earth is gather together the survivors for judgment to determine which ones of those that survived will be allowed to go into the kingdom age. And then He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, chapter twenty-five. And to those on his right side he will say, "Come, ye blessed of the Lord, enter the kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundations of the earth: for I was hungry, and you fed me: thirsty, and you gave me to drink: naked, and you clothed me: sick, and in prison and you visited me". (Matthew 25:32-36) But to those on his left he will say, "Depart form me you cursed into the everlasting fire that was prepared for Satan and his angels. For I was hungry and you did not feed me: thirsty, and you did not give me to drink: naked, and you did not cloth me. Lord when did we see you like this? In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren you've done it unto me".
If you give a cup of water to a prophet in the name of the Lord, you receive a prophet's reward. And so the anti-christ, when Jesus comes with His church will be destroyed
with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming [the anti-christ who will be coming] after the working of Satan with power and signs and lying wonders (2Th 2:9),
There is a dangerous curiosity in man to be attracted and drawn after signs and wonders, but the fact that something is done that is scientifically or physically unexplainable, it does not necessarily follow that God's power is behind the miracle. When the anti-christ comes, he will be working miracles. He will come with signs and powers and wonders. People will wonder at the things that are being accomplished, wondering how can he do that, supernatural manifestations. And so be careful of following after miraculous phenomena just for miraculous phenomena sake. You really could be deceived if you develop a credibility in anything unexplainable, well it must be of God, because look at the miracle. I can't explain it.
Paul warns Timothy that Satan is able to transform himself into an angel of light in order to deceive, and such will be the case with the anti-christ for the first three and a half years. He will come
With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish (2Th 2:10);
In other words, who is to be deceived? Those who are going to perish.
Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they might all be damned who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness (2Th 2:10-12).
Now Paul tells us in Romans one that it was when man did not want to retain God in his mind, God gave him over to a mind that was empty of God. Because they didn't want the truth of God, then God allowed them to believe a lie. Here the same thing is declared. They don't want to believe the truth, so what does God do. He says, oh, you don't want to believe the truth, then go ahead and believe a lie, and He allows them to be deceived into believing a lie.
Now as a child of God, God won't let you believe a lie. God's spirit will warn you. I'm thrilled when some of these new babes in Christ come to me and they say, "Chuck I was watching someone on TV today and it just didn't seem right to me." All right. He won't let them believe the deception and the lies that these guys are coming off with. And I think oh, great, but you know there are some people that seem to fall for every gimmick that comes down the road. They have a penchant towards false doctrine. They have a desire almost to just gobble up anything that comes along, any new weird tangent or doctrine that comes by. Oh, there they go traipsing after it. They just seem to have a total lack of discernment. That is hurtful. As a pastor that is probably one of the most hurtful things to see your little sheep following after a lie, after a deceiver, after a fraud. But one of the most rewarding things for a pastor is for someone to come up and say, "I was just watching this fellow and it just -- something is wrong there Chuck. I can't tell you what. Something is wrong." Yes.
Paul said,
We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God from the beginning has chosen you to salvation (2Th 2:13)
Hey, this is interesting. From the beginning God has chosen you, He said, for salvation. Here again this interesting doctrine that Paul taught in his book to the Ephesians is taught here again where he said, "You were chosen in Him from the foundations of the world." Isn't it exciting that of all the people God chose you to be His child? That is so thrilling to me.
Last night for a little while Kay and I were watching a documentary on channel 28. I think it was of some of the Indian tribes down in the Amazon area of Brazil, and some of their practices, the various rituals that they have for the various gods that they worship. And we were quite fascinated from a cultural, sociological kind of a standpoint of watching these people in the various religious rituals that they went through. Naked all of them. Superstitious. And Kay said, "For the grace of God we could have been born in that tribe." I thought oh, my. I guess you're right, Oh thank you, Lord.
For God chose you from the beginning,
Unto this sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the truth (2Th 2:14):
The word "sanctification" is to be set apart. God has chosen you to be set apart from the world. To be set apart is an instrument through which the spirit of God might work. From the beginning God chose you; that thrills me. And because He chose you, then He called you by our gospel by our declaring to you the good news actually, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate, and those that He predestinated, He also called. And those He called, He also justified, and those He justified, He also glorified.
Paul follows the same progression of thought in the eighth chapter of Romans. First of all chosen in Him, and because you were chosen, God called you. A spirit of God reached out and touched your heart, made it open to the things of God, made it receptive to the things of God. How thrilling that God should choose us. And then having made this receptive, then called us so we could hear the call and respond, that we might be the children of God set apart by the spirit. "Here you are my children".
You know I don't appreciate it so much, until I talk to people who seem to have absolutely zilch, as far as spiritual comprehension or understanding or even interest. They are not interested. What a shame. What a tragedy. Their voice is totally closed to the gospel, or their ear is totally closed to the gospel. No interest, no concern. How was it that I'm so interested? How is it that I'm so concerned? Because God chose me and God called me, and so I rejoice in that I've been chosen.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast (2Th 2:15),
You're going to go through persecution. You're having tribulation but stand fast,
And hold the traditions which you have a point of, whether by our words or our epistles (2Th 2:15).
Those things that I have talked to, those truths that I have taught you, hold on to them.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us, and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work (2Th 2:16-17).
So Paul's little benedictory-type of prayer for them at this point that God would comfort them and establish them in the word and in the work.
Chapter 3
Finally, brethren, pray for us (2Th 3:1),
Now again Paul is calling for prayer for him. I think that maybe sometimes we are guilty of not praying for those in spiritual leadership feeling they've got it made. Far from the truth. Those in the position of spiritual leadership really have probably greater trials, greater temptations than the average person. Satan, I think, works harder against spiritual leadership. How many pastors have fallen in the snare of the devil? Because you see, if Satan can snare a pastor then the repercussions go through the whole congregation. Many people are hurt. So the pastor needs prayer.
Pray for us, Paul says. I would say the same to you, pray for me. I need your prayers. For what?
that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you (2Th 3:1):
That God's word might just come forth freely from us. That we would remain faithful to the Word of God and to the truth of God. People often ask me what can I pray for you? And I answer, pray that God will keep me usable.
Paul the apostle said, "I'd beat my body to keep in subjection lest having preached to others I'd be put on the shelf"(1 Corinthians 9:27). If we don't keep our body in subjection, we can be put on the shelf very easily. So many ministers have been destroyed by pride or by greed or by lust. And they let the body get the best of them and they become destroyed, no longer usable. My prayer that I will remained usable. I only have one purpose for living, and one main purpose for living and that is to do the work of the Lord, that which God has called me to do. Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and he be glorified, through his word, even as you have experienced the power of God's word in your life:
and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith (2Th 3:1-2).
And that is one of the problems of the ministry, some of the unreasonable people that you have to deal with. And what happens is that they can waste your time. Totally unreasonable. They really don't want to reason, they just want to throw their trip on you and they become so demanding and so pushy. Paul said pray that God will just deliver me from unreasonable men. For not everybody has the faith.
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you, and keep you from evil (2Th 3:3).
The Lord is faithful and God will establish your walk and your life, and God will keep you from evil. He is faithful.
And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you [Paul said, what is it?] that you both do and will do the things which we command you (2Th 3:4).
I have this confidence that you are going to obey the instructions and the exhortations in this epistle. I just have this confidence, I know.
And that the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ (2Th 3:5).
Other commentators and translators translate this "and to the patience of Christ", but "that the Lord will direct your hearts in the love of God". How we need God's love to be working in our hearts and lives more and more. For all of our efforts, all our works, all of our sacrifices, all of our gifts, all of our anointings are of no value if the love of God isn't there working through it.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not love, it is just a meaningless empty sound. Though I can prophesy, I understand all mystery, if I have not love it is worthless. Though I give my body to be burned or I sell everything that I have and bestow on the poor, if I have not love it really profits mean nothing". Oh, may the Lord cause his love to abound in our hearts, direct our hearts into love and into the patience of Christ.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (2Th 3:6),
Now this becomes very serious when you start commanding people in the name of Jesus. That is the way you deal with demons.
That you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, and not after the truths which you have received from us (2Th 3:6).
Now Paul is commanding them that you really separate yourselves from the disorderly brothers.
When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he said we are not to have fellowship with those who are drunkards, who are committing fornication, who are living after the flesh, who claim to be brothers in Christ. He said you can't just exclude yourself from mixing with everyone who does these things. In other words, you live in the world, you can't get out of that. But with those that say they are brothers, don't eat with them. Don't fellowship with them if they are walking disorderly. He is saying now the same thing, only commanding them in the name of Jesus that you withdraw from these disorderly people.
For yourselves know how that you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you (2Th 3:7);
And so there were those that were coming in after Paul who were creating divisions and all, and Paul said withdraw from them. These guys are teaching you junky stuff, withdraw from them. They are not following the teachings that we gave to you. Now follow after those things that we taught you, for we taught you the truth through the Holy Spirit. And,
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing (2Th 3:8);
We set an example for you, and the pastor should be setting an example for the flock, but a good example to be sure.
I heard of this one pastor who, with his deacon, decided to go hunting one day. And so they got in their pickup and they had their guns on the rack in the back and drove for several hours out into the country. And when they got out there, they found the whole area posted closed. And they said, oh, man, what a shame. We've driven all this distance and all, and the whole place is posted closed. The deacon said well, there's only one possibility of hunting today and that would be over on Farmer Brown's property, but I hear that he is the meanest guy in the whole town. He's -- everyone stays clear from him.
The pastor says, well, we've come this far. He said, I'll tell you what, I'll go up to the door and I'll ask him. He can't do anymore than refuse us. So he went up to the door and knocked and the farmer came to the door and he said, "Hi, I'm Pastor Jones and my deacon and I came out this morning, drove all the way out here. Decided we do a little hunting, but we found every place closed." He said, "Do you suppose it would be possible that we could hunt on your property?"
The farmer said, "Pastor Jones, what a joy to see you." He said, "I've been listening to you on the radio and have been so blessed by your ministry." He said, "Honey! Pastor Jones is here. Can you believe that?" He said, "Hey, it would be a privilege for me to have you hunt on my property. It would be a blessing." He said, "Would you do me a favor? The horse out there in the coral, the vet just went away and said I've got to kill him." He said, "Would you mind shooting the horse for me before you go." The pastor said, "No problem, I'll be glad to do that."
As he went back to the truck he decided to play a trick on his deacon, sort of tease him a bit. And he said to the deacon, "Boy, you know the stories we've heard about that guy are true. That has to be the meanest, orneriest fella I've ever met in my life. In fact, the things he said to me have me boiling so inside that I've got to do something. I've got to get rid of this pressure, or I'm just going to explode." He said, "Give me my gun." And he took his gun, aimed at the horse and shot it. And the horse fell over. And he turned around to see the shocked expression of his deacon when he heard, "bang! POW!" And the deacon says, "I got two of his cows, preacher, now let's get out of here".
Now Paul says, "Be followers of me", but that's to a point. Paul said, "I didn't eat any man's bread for naught;" In other words, I didn't sponge off of any of you. I didn't come in and eat you bread. I didn't come in and inflict myself upon you and say "all right, now take care of me and feed me". I didn't come in and tell you that God was broke and going out of business if you don't send your tithes and offerings in this week. "We didn't eat any man's bread for naught",
but worked with labor and travail night and day, that we would not be chargeable to any of you [that we wouldn't be dependent upon any of you.] Not because we do not have the power to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us (2Th 3:8-9)
In other words, as an apostle, as bringing you the Word of God, They that uh -- the ox that treads out the corn is not to be muzzled. Paul wrote to the Galatians to communicate to those who taught them in the Word in every good thing. But Paul said I wasn't chargeable to you, not that I didn't have the power, but I just wanted to set an example for you. I wanted to set this kind of an example of working to provide for my own needs that it might be an example to you that you might follow us.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness you go to work, and you eat your own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing (2Th 3:10-13).
Again, in another place, Paul said, "Be not weary in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not" (Galatians 6:9).
It is easy sometimes to become weary in doing good, especially if you don't see any effect or any results and fruit from it.
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man [mark that man], and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet don't count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token of every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (2Th 3:14-18).
So Paul signifies that this, his signature attested to the veracity, the truth of this letter being from him. Follow it, obey it, and the teaching that he had given. A great epistle. We'll get next into first Timothy. So you can go ahead and read first Timothy the first couple chapters. You might as well read the whole book, but we'll take probably the first three chapters in our next lesson.
Now may the Lord be with you and cause you to abound in all things in Christ. That the love of God might increase in your heart and in your life as God establishes you in your faith and in your walk with Him. God be with you and God bless and keep you during the time that we are absent from one another. May God enrich you through His Spirit in all things in Christ Jesus.
Thessalonians. The series of eight messages has addressed various subjects which are important for the believer and the local church.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:1-20 - The Testimony and Success of a Faithful Congregation and Mission of the Local Church
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20 - The Compassion and Character of a God's Man
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 - God's Assurance in the Face of Persecution
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 - The Testimony that Comes from Testing
1 Thessalonian 4:1-18 - General Instruction to Believers
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - The Rapture of Believers
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11- The Believer's Preparation for Christ's Return
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28- Principles for Godly Living
- A. Honor the church's pastor. (Vs12-13)
- 1. Respect and love them. The terms used here are to esteem the very highly in love for their works. Sadly, most churches never really show their appreciation for the work of their pastor and his wife also. (1 Thess. 5:12-13). They never express any gratitude and do anything extra for their pastor. It takes a dedicated man who loves and serves the Lord not to be hurt by a church's lack of honor for their service.
2. Obey their teaching (Eph. 4:11-12). "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Many people who hear the preaching of the Gospel and the Word of God taught see it as something optional. It seems many feel that God's word has no real hold on them or they have a responsibility to follow God's teachings.
Yet, when the word of God is correctly preached and taught...it is the very words of God and the true Christian will see it as such and accept it in their lives. Faithful believers follow God's word.
3. Churches are follow their pastor's examples (Heb. 13:7; 1 Peter. 5:1-3). Yes, there are some unfaithful pastors who set a bad example. They of course are not to be followed, but I wonder sometimes if Christians see their pastor as one to be followed in his example. A godly pastor works really hard to set the proper example in faith and conduct.
"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." (Hebrews 13:7)
If Jesus Christ is truly our Savior and we truly believe Him and His word...Christians should follow the pastor as he follows the Lord.
God gives clear instructions to the pastor: "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:1-5)
4. Submit to their oversight (Heb. 13:17). "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17)
It is not popular today to teach this biblical truth. Many people rebel at the thought of obeying their pastor. One reason is pride and rebelling against authority. It stems from a lack of godly humility and respect for others. Sometimes if comes from a lack of trust in the pastor.
While it is crucial that the church members submit to the God-given authority of the pastor, we must also emphasize that the pastor's authority comes only from the Bible.
If a church leader tries to give instruction contrary to the Word of God, he must not be obeyed. If he tries to correct someone, but has no biblical basis for his judgment, his warnings have no true weight before God. The godly pastor will not "lord" over his congregation, but will set the example by respecting them and leading, not driving them.
Each Christian has the responsibility to "prove all things" and to "search the Scriptures daily whether those things are so"
Acts 17:10-11 records that the Berean Jews, who had not knowledge of Jesus Christ, when Paul arrived searched the scripture to see if these things were so. 1 Thess 5:21 compel each believer not blindly to follow a man.
Churches are to pray for their pastor. Paul repeatedly asked the churches to pray for him and his ministry. A church that prays for its pastor will be one that God blesses. A praying church will have the power of God and its members will grow and mature in the Lord. (Heb. 13:18,19; Eph. 6:18,19; Col. 4:2,3; 2 Thess. 3:1,2)
The are to provide for their physical needs (1 Tim. 5:17,18). "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." (1 Timothy 5:17-18) A church that is penurious (stingy) with a pastor violates the Scripture. Rarely does such a church manifest spiritual power or progress. Many a pastor has had to live in poverty in order to serve his church. God will honor their sacrifice, but the church who so mistreats its pastor will suffer spiritual and not be blessed by the Lord. God says give the pastor "double honor" which means respect and adequate support.
- 1. It is a fact that in many churches there are people who are unruly. The word denotes a rebel and means there are those who will not submit to the leadership of their pastor or the word of God.
2. It goes further than being at odds with the pastor as the unruly are generally at odds with everyone. They are people who are directed by their pride. God says, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)
3. However the unruly see themselves as superior to others and they will not cooperate. They insist others must submit to their desires and wishes. These people can destroy the spirit of a church and the church that allows them to do so will suffer great lost and be denied God's blessings.
Often this type of attitude is found in churches that have deacons and put them in authority. Biblically deacons are simply elected servants who do menial tasks in serving the congregation to free pastors to be able spend their time studying and ministering to the people.
4. This verse also says a church comfort the feeble minded. It means those who are "faint hearted" or weak in their faith. We are to be sensitive to each other and uphold each other in the faith. We should be ready to encourage others and help them when they have doubts and are struggling with some problem in their lives which drags them down.
A church is made up of Christians banded together to serve the Lord. A church is to support the weak. Many do not see themselves as having that personal responsibility. Often church members think that is applies to the pastor or the church as a whole, but not individually to them. They deny their help to their brothers and sister wanting someone else to do it. They sadly deny God's blessing that comes from being a blessing to others.
A part of being a blessing to others is being patient with them. Often it is hard and frustrating to try and help someone who does not respond to sound counsel and help. The immature Christian exercises patience and continues to try an help those in need even when they do not seem to appreciate it or try to help themselves.
- 1. The old carnal nature we all have is steeped in pride and when someone does us evil, we want to get back at them. We want to give them a good measure of what they gave us.
2. God gives us a higher standard of living. We are to reflect the love and mercy of the Lord. He loved us while we were in sin and rebelling against Him. He loves us in spite of the fact we desire none of His love or forgiveness. God says,
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." (Romans 12:19-20)
There is more at stake than satisfying our pride. Our testimony before others is at stake. 3. Christians are the children of God and should reflect the love and character of God. Our life is to be marked by doing that which is good, both among ourselves (meaning the church) and to all men (meaning the world around us.)
- 1. A believer cannot rejoice when he holds resentment toward others. We are to forgive others as God instructs us in the Model Prayer of Matthew 6.
We are to forgive others their trespasses against us as God has forgiven us our sins against Him.
2. When there is bitterness, hold a gurge or an unforgiving spirit their can be no rejoicing.
3. When we are not thankful we are being selfish and not showing God our gratitude. We are living by our power and not seeking God's blessings. Being thankful in everything is a state of constant worship of God, because giving thanks to the Lord is worship. It is God's will that we accept His guide and provision in our lives. God wants to and will bless us, but only if we seeking His provision and accept Him as the master of our lives.
4. God says we cannot have God's peace, joy and ejoicing when we quench the Holy Spirit. God says,
"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit'." (Ephesians 5:17-18)
Being filled with the Holy Spirit means giving Him the control of our lives. The believer who lets God lead him will live the best live possible. The result of being lead by the Lord is the confidence and assurance we have in that we are pleasing Him and living a life that will reap eternal reward. We know that we are honoring the Lord and truly worshiping Him, giving Him the praise and honor He deserves.
6. If we do not pray without ceasing our minds will be off of God and His will for our lives. When we are not in a prayerful mode we are quenching the Holy Spirit.
7. When we despise the preaching of God's word...we cannot have the resulting joy in our hearts. The word "prophesying" in verse 20 refers to preaching. The word of God is our instruction and it God's way of speaking directly to us.
We need to know and learn the ways of God. We do not get God's instructions from the world and human reasoning. God says "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. " (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
It should be the goal of every believer to be growing in the Lord. A person who wants to take up some profession and be successful realizes the only way is to go to school and learn all they can. Yet, often the Christian does not set his goal as being a successful and useful Christian and instrument of the Lord to reach other.
- 8. Verse 21 instructs us to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good. Dear friends there is no way to prove anything if we are ignorant of God's word. The believer will be tossed to and fro and be immature when they do not know the word of God. That means attending the preaching and Bible studies of your church. God has given you two pastors who are called to teach the word of God. We teach and preach in Sunday School, the morning service, Sunday night service and on Wednesday nights. That means four times a week God is providing you will His instructions. Yet, how many of you will come.
9. Sin will rob the believer of his joy, therefore God says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." This statement takes the matter of resisting sin to the highest level. We resist even from the appearance of evil. We have a biblical example in the church which as a Antioch. Gentiles had been saved and they were not under the law and there ate meat sacrificed to idols and with blood in it. By the way...the local meat markets were run by the pagan temples who butchered the animals they sacrificed and then sold them in their market. City people got their meat from each butcher shops owned by pagan temples. The Jews had a problem with it because if violated the Old Testament. Law. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to seek the other Apostles advise and they agreed that the Gentiles were not under the law. Their advise was that the Gentiles should "abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." The principle even though eating meat from the pagan temple was not a sin, they should avoid offending the Jews.
Paul wrote the Corinthians "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9)
The principle is that the Christ is not only to abstain from all sins, but even those that someone might be percieve to be sin by anyone.
- A. God's promise: God is the God of peace. This means the absents of conflict. In other words God desires the Christian to be a peace with Him and to accomplish this God will sanctify the believer. The process of sanctification comes by obeying God's instruction presented in the preceding verses God will set the Christian apart for blessings and service. He promises to preserve both our body and soul holding us blameless of our sins, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a verse that teaches assurance of salvation.
B. God is faithful to those he calls and will save and preserve the Christian. We can be assured that our sins are forgiven when we believe in Jesus Christ and that He will do what He promises. Jesus said to those who trust in Him alone for their salvation, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
- A. Paul asked for prayer. Paul often requested in his letters to the church that they pray for him. A pastor has the same temptations and trials as others, plus the added responsibility of ministering to other believers. In doing God's work and serving others he will also come under the oppression of the devil. (V25)
A pastor can fail in his devotion to the Lord and yield to temptation the same as any other man, but the pressure he experiences will be often greater. A church or church member can do not greater service to the Lord than to pray and uplift their pastor. Paul calls them "brethren" which is a term of endearment. The one who have prayed for them and given them so much of himself....only asks for their prayers.
B. He tells them to greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. In oriental society this was the custom. It was a sign of friendship and brotherly love. Today we in the West shake hands and some give hugs to others. Hugging between men and women should be done carefully. It should done modestly and without intimacy as between a man and woman. (V26)
C. He instructs them to read this Epistle to all the brethren. Paul understood that his letter was written under the inspiration of God and as such should be distributed and read in all the churches. The wording " I charge you" is strong and means that as an apostle this was a command to be obeyed. Paul saw this epistle as God's authority to be obeyed by God's children. (V27)
Paul ends this letter as it began, commending to them God's grace. (V28) Grace means God's unmerited favor. He had given them proper instructions from the Lord and if followed would bring them peace and joy in their lives.
The instructions in the closing statements of this letter are some of the most ignored I believe in the New Testament. They are vital to Christian living and living in the blessings and will of God for our lives.
Many stumble at honoring their pastor. That shows a lack of love and respect. Some seek vengeance on others and shows again a lack of the love of God in their lives.
- Many rarely if ever rejoice in the Lord. It shows a cold heart.
Many do not pray without ceasing which shows they are living by their our means and not really trusting in the Lord.
Many are not thankful and thus do not honor God in their lives. Often they are not satisfied with what God has given them.
Many by allowing sin in their lives and by disobeying the Lord quench the Holy Spirit being able to bless them.
Many are not really interested in God's word...they show by their actions they despise God's word. They are unfaithful in reading and studying their Bible and attending the services of their church.
Many live in their own wisdom and do not prove all things by God's word.
Many toy with sin and are not really concerned with their testimony.
Many are not sanctified and separated from sin.
The opposite is also true. Many live by these principles and are greatly blessed in their lives. It is so very good to live one's life being reconciled to God. It is refreshing to not be at odds with the with Lord and know we are pleasing Him. It is so very good to know that God is bless your life and your family.
God is faithful......He bless those who are also faithful.
4-3-008
It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages helpful, or who have comments.
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