Paul's Commissioning by God's Will (1 Thessalonians 2:4a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/4/2014 9:09 AM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus:  Paul’s commissioning by God’s Will

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:4a

            Message of the verse:  “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,”

            Just a reminder before we begin this Spiritual Diary and that is that these first six verses of the second chapter of 1 Thessalonians deal with being a spiritual leader of which Paul was probably the best that there ever was, but even that did not mean that he was perfect in being a spiritual leader.  If Paul, being the best was not perfect this means than no one can be a successful spiritual leader without the grace and leading of the Lord.  One of the characteristics of a spiritual leader was that he was commissioned by the will of God, and I believe that this is not true of all of the spiritual leaders we have in this day and age and for that matter in any past day and age, for there were counterfeits in Paul’s day and there are counterfeits in our day as well.

            Paul and the other apostles were surely different than spiritual leaders that we have today, for there are no more apostles today and have not been any since John died somewhere around 90 AD.  These men were given special things to do, that are not being done today like the great responsibility of establishing the church and writing Scripture.  Paul knew that he was speaking the Word of God, and knew that he also wrote the Word of God, and this is not being done today. 

            Paul was called by the Lord as seen in Acts 9:1-18, so we know from this and other places in the NT that Paul was commissioned by the Lord and was entrusted with the gospel.  We spoke earlier of being a steward, and Paul was a steward of the gospel, as it was his job to get the gospel out to others and to begin churches with the gentiles.  Paul was commissioned to go to the gentiles and Peter to the Jews.

            John MacArthur writes “The perfect tense of the verb dedokimasmetha (have been approved) means Paul was tested and found valid, he was given a lasting approval.  God had validated and continued to approve Paul’s ministry.”

            In closing this SD I want to quote some verses which Paul reiterated that truth of the concept of him being an apostle of God.

            “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Cor. 15:10).”

            “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8).”

            “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service (1 Tim. 1:11-12).”

            “But at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior (Titus 1:3).”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Being a steward of God to tell others about the Gospel is the greatest thing that I could ever do.  I have been in the room at the hospital and watched my children being born, and I have been in the room where they were born-again and being with them when they were born-again was better, because I knew that they would be in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  1 Peter 3:15.

Memory verses for the week:  Philippians 2:5-10

5 Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men.  8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  9  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10  so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus” (John 8:7).

Today’s Bible question:  “What nationality was the woman who told Jesus that dogs ate the children’s crumbs?”

Answer in our next SD.

4/4/2014 9:56 AM