Pastor's Desire Their People to Grow Spiritually (2 Thess. 3:5)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/10/2014 9:22 AM

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Pastor’s Desire Their People to Grow Spiritually

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2 Thessalonians 3:5

            Message of the verses:  “5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”

            In this short verse Paul asks two things 1 that the Lord direct the hearts of the Thessalonians into the love of God, and 2 that the Lord direct the Thessalonians into the steadfastness of Christ.  Now in reading the commentary that John MacArthur has he states that in accordance with the Greek language there can be one or two or even both meanings in the first part of this verse and even in the second part of this verse.  He states “Direct, ‘make straight,’ is the same word (kateuthuno) used in 1 Thessalonians 3:11 to indicate the removing of all obstacles and hindrances as someone opened a pathway or road.  Paul did not want their spiritual progress to come to a halt, but rather that the Lord would clear the way so their hearts or inner persons would move into the love of God.

            “The phrase of God in the Greek can be either an objective or subjective genitive: into God’s love for the believer, or the believer’s love for God.  The Greek grammar provided Paul with a certain ambiguity of expression so that he could convey a complete, well-rounded sense of truth to the Thessalonians.”

            The second part of the verse can also have two meanings or can have both, that is that Christ’s steadfastness with the believers or the believers steadfastness for Christ.  MacArthur states “steadfastness (hupomone, also rendered ‘patience,’ as in ‘patient enduring’) with believers, or believers’ patience in His strength, through their endurance.  Paul wanted the Thessalonians to increasingly understand how patient Christ was with their sins, problems, and struggles and to understand better His own endurance in trials.”  As we read through the four Gospels we can see the struggles that Christ had and how He patiently endured them.  I will give one example from the fourth chapter of Matthew which happens right after the baptism of Christ, at the very beginning of His ministry as he was tempted by the devil.   “1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4  But He answered and said, "It is written, ’MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’" 5 Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ’HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ’ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’" 7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, ’YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’" 8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9  and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, ’YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’" 11  Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

            John MacArthur finishes this portion with a short review of what we have been looking at in these first five verses of 2 Thessalonians chapter three:  “So in this passage, the apostle Paul provides an excellent example of genuine pastoral concern that his people prosper spiritually and thereby contribute to the edification and glorification of Christ’s church.  No shepherd of a local congregation could ask more from his flock than that they pray for him, trust in the Lord, obey what is taught from the Word, and grow spiritually.”

            My plans are to go back to the book of Ezekiel for the rest of the month and then finish 2 Thessalonians next month, and then go back to Ezekiel in January also beginning the book of Colossians.  I have some more material to look at from the first three chapters of Ezekiel before we move into chapter four.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is my desire to follow the things that are written in these first five verses of 2 Thessalonians chapter three that we have covered and stated in the summary of these verses by John MacArthur.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to guide me throughout this day in order to bring glory to His name.

Memory verses for the week:  Colossians 3:10-11.

10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Shiloh” (1 Samuel 1:3).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who lived longer than any other man and how long did he live?”

Answer in our next SD.

11/10/2014 11:06 AM