SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/8/2014 7:50 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Intimate
Affection
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1 Thess.
2:8a
Message of the
verse: “8 Having so fond an
affection for you,”
It is my desire to look at all of verse eight in today’s
SD, but we will break it up into two sections to better understand the
verse.
We continue to look at the metaphor of a nursing mother
in this verse and Paul is saying that his affection for the people of
Thessalonica was the same as that of a nursing mother. In writing on this verse John MacArthur
writes the following about these words that is translated “fond
affection.” “The Greek word translated
“fond affection” (homeiromai, used
only here in the New Testament) means to long for someone passionately and
earnestly, and, being linked to a mother’s love, is intended here to express an
affection so deep and compelling as to the be unsurpassed.” As we look at this verse in the context of a
spiritual leader we have to believe that the Lord gives this kind of love and
compassion to those who He calls to be spiritual leaders. I have set under four different Pastors since
becoming a believer in 1974, and I can say that three of the four demonstrated
this type of compassion to the flock that the Lord gave to them. I can truthfully say that the Pastor that I
set under now surely has this type of fond affection for those who he ministers
to, and I believe that this is a very important quality for Pastors.
Sacrificial Love
(1 Thess. 2:8b): “were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God
but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”
As we look at how Paul, Silas, and Timothy lived before
these believers we can rest assured that they truly had a heart of compassion
for them, it was not just a job for them to do without any feelings. I worked at a job for a little over 35 years
and I can honestly say that many days I did not have great feelings for going
to work, but that does not seem the case for these three men, and they loved
what they were doing for they knew in their hearts that God had given them this
job to do, and had also given them the compassion to do it too. We see in this verse that Paul writes that
they were well-pleased to do what they were doing.
The first thing that they did was “impart” to them the
Gospel of God. MacArthur writes “The
verb translated “impart” means to share, or give someone something of which one
retains a part.” When we, as believers share
the gospel with someone for when this happens we give the gospel to them, but
we also continue to have it in our own hearts.
It is a gift that keeps on giving, and not only keeps on giving, but we
retain it even when we give it out.
John MacArthur writes the following about the “Gospel of
God” Implicit in the expression of gospel of God is a doctrinal fullness that
encompasses justification, sanctification and glorification (cf. Titus
1:1-2) (And because God s the source of
the good news, even election is included.)
The missionaries understood and obeyed the Great Commission’s injunction
that said Christians were to ‘make disciples of all the nations…teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you’ (Matt. 29:19-20).” Paul and his fellow missionaries gave to them
the complete gospel which not only includes the message of the good news which
shows them the need to repent of their sins and invite the Lord Jesus into
their hearts, and this speaks of justification.
They also taught them about sanctification which is the power to live
the Christian life, and the taught them about glorification which will happen
when the Lord Jesus returns for all true believers in what is called the
rapture of the church. We will look at
this fully in chapter four.
As we look at the last part of this verse we see that
these men also shared their own lives and this means their very souls, their
real inner beings for the sake of the Thessalonians. John MacArthur writes “A woman who fulfills
the biblical role for motherhood does the same thing when she, as great cost to
herself, unselfishly and generously sets aside her life for the benefit of her
beloved children. This is especially
true of the nursing mother as she provides nourishing milk for her little one
and cares for her newborn baby’s every need.”
Paul, Silas and Timothy did this because they were very dear to them.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I can understand
a little of how Paul felt about these people for I have felt similar feelings
when leading people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. God gave me a supernatural love for them,
wanting to disciple them into the truths of the Scripture.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to give me victory
in the battles I am facing in my life at this time.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Prince of God.” Israel can also mean “"God
prevails" (Genesis 32:28).
Today’s Bible
question: “What was Aquila’s
occupation?”
Answer in our next SD.
4/8/2014 8:36 AM
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