SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/17/2014
8:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Paul’s
Purpose of His Prayer
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1
Thessalonians 3:11b
Message of the
verses: The section that we are
covering in this SD is entitled “A Perfecting Faith” which comes from 1
Thessalonians 3:11b. However the main
point covers verses 11b-13, and it has a number of sub-points in it which we
will take one day at a time.
John MacArthur writes the following for his introduction
to the main point: “Paul’s prayer here
is a definitive model of conscientious pastoral intercession. He had a threefold purpose in offering
it: that God would grant the
Thessalonians a perfecting faith, a prospering love, and a purifying hope. That is the familiar triad of Christian
virtues (1 Cor. 13:13). Paul realities,
as is evident at the beginning of this letter; ‘constantly bearing in mind your
work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope’ (1:3), and at the
end: ‘let us…put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the
hope of salvation’ (5:8).” 1 Cor. 13:13
reads as follows: “But now faith, hope,
love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
A Perfecting Faith: 1 Thessalonians 3:11b: “direct our way to you.”
There seems to be a bit of disagreement between the two
commentaries which I am reading to aid me in better understanding this first
letter to the Thessaloians for Dr. Wiersbe includes verse ten as part of Paul’s
prayer for them, while John MacArthur believes the prayer begins in verse
eleven. In verse ten we see these
words: “as we night and day keep praying
most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” This is Paul’s desire for them, that first of
all he wanted to return to them if it were the will of God, and second he
wanted to complete “perfect” their faith, that is to cause them to grow up in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Later on in his
commentary MacArthur writes the following which helps us to learn what this
maturing of their faith looks like, and it also applies to all believers. He writes “The precepts, principles, and
promises of Scripture are the windows through which believers look to see God
and understand His glory and will for their lives (cf. Pss. 19:7-8, 11; 119:93,
99, 105, 130; Prov. 6:23; Luke 11:28; John 17:17; 20:31; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim.
3:15-17; James 1:21-22, 25). Their response
to the truths of God’s Word also allows them to know if their faith is
growing. That growth is evident when (1)
their knowledge of God’s Word is increasing (cf. Col. 3:16); (2) their
confidence in God is greater than before (cf. Eph. 3:12); )3) Their trust in
His sovereignty is stronger than before (cf. Job. 42:2); (4) their obedience to
Him is consistent (cf. Deut. 17:19-20); and (5) they are finding joy in their
trials (cf. James 1:2-3).” I would
suppose that the most difficult thing listed here is the last and perhaps that
is why he listed it last. Paul wrote to
the Romans the following (which goes along with the last point listed) “1 Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through whom also we have
obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we
exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And
not only this, but we also
exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about
perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven
character; and proven character, hope; 5
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Paul writes the following in Ephesians 4:11-12 “11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as
prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the
building up of the body of Christ.”
The reason that I bring this up is because it was Paul’s desire to see
the Thessalonians grow in their faith and this shows the way that Pastor’s are
to help them grow, and it also shows that the believers under their ministry
are to listen to what is being taught to them so that they can be equipped in
order to do the work that God has for them to do so that they can be built up
in the faith. Now I want to mention one
caution and that is it is the believers responsibility to search the Scriptures
to make sure that what is being taught to them goes along with what is in the
Word of God.
Let’s go back for a moment to what Jesus said right
before He ascended into heaven: “you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth.’” Now the power that was given to them was to
fulfill what He stated in Matthew 28 which we now as the great commission: “"All authority has been given to Me in
heaven and on earth. 19 "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.’”
This is what the Apostle Paul was doing with his life after the Lord
saved him as we see in Acts chapter nine.
This is what Paul was praying for, for the Thessalonians in this prayer
we are now studying.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I desire, for the
glory of God, to continue to grow up in my walk with the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord as again I have the privilege
of meeting someone very dear to me this afternoon, and I pray that all will go
well with our meeting.
Memory verse for the
week: Philippians 2:5
Have this attitude in
yourself which was also in Christ Jesus,
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “To Jericho” (Luke 10:30).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who followed Aaron as High
Preist?”
Answer in our next SD.
5/17/2014 9:33 AM
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