SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/2/2014
9:51 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
More from 1 Thess. 3:6-8
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1 Thess.
3:6-8
Message
of the verses: John MacArthur
entitles this section from his commentary on 1 Thessalonians “The Pastor’s
Delight in His People.” I mentioned in
our last SD that we would look at these three verses through the eyes of both
Wiersbe and MacArthur. John MacArthur
has looked at the verses in this section of chapter three through the eyes of
Paul the Pastor.
“6 But now that Timothy has come to
us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you
always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7
for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted
about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in
the Lord.”
We will look at this report that Timothy
gives to Paul in four different divisions:
First, and we mentioned this yesterday, Paul uses the words “Good News”
in the same way that the Gospel is described.
When one is talking to someone about their need for the Savior they may
tell them that I want to tell you the Good News of the Gospel, and this news
that Paul received from Paul was wonderful news, just as if someone had gotten
saved from their sins.
Second we see that Timothy told Paul
about their love for the Lord, and this too was good news as this was a clear
evidence that they truly were believers.
Thirdly we see that the Thessalonians had a true love for Paul, and this
was also good news to Paul, for if they had not had a love for Paul it would
have been evidence that the tempter had won a battle in their hearts. Lastly we see that their love was so strong
that they too longed to see Paul as he longed to see them, and this too was
wonderful news.
Paul now could have a change of
heart about whether or not the Thessalonians had fallen to the temptations of
the evil one, and so it was a source of great comfort to him as he learned all
of the good news that Timothy told him, and so I believe that this is why Paul
penned this letter so fast to show them how relieved that he was that the
tempter had not gotten to them. When we
first began to study this letter to the Thessalonians we could see that this
church was a church that did not have some of the problems that some of the
other churches that Paul had begun, churches like the Corinthians or the
Galatians who had many problems, so Paul rejoiced in the fact that this church
was doing well. This caused Paul to
write that he could “really live” since they were standing
firm with the Lord. The term “standing firm” is a military term that Paul used
and even though he rejoiced that they were doing well when he writes his next
letter to them he encourages them to still do more, to continue to grow in
their new found faith in the Lord. It
has been well said that a believe is either going forward in the walk with the
Lord or going backward with their walk with the Lord. Paul write the following to them in his
second letter “13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren
beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for
salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It
was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the
traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from
us.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: The words
that Paul wrote from 2 Thessalonians are good words to follow. I want to keep growing and learning in the
Lord just as he encouraged them to do.
My Steps of Faith for Today: God forward in
my walk with the Lord.
Answer
to yesterday’s Bible question: “Judas
Iscariot” (Luke 22:3-4).
Today’s
Bible question: “Who said ‘Fear not; for
behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.’”
Answer
in our next SD.
5/2/2014
10:24 AM
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