YEAR 1, WEEK 32, Day 2, Tuesday, 6 August 2024

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=1+Thessalonians+5

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 6 August 2024:

Compare the instruction of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 with Proverbs 12.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 — And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Do you know how to admonish patiently?

1 Thessalonians 5:15-19 — Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

Christians are called to seek peace and reconciliation. Our message is peace and reconciliation which is found in Jesus and Him alone. Peace between people comes from the peace within people as they rest securely and fully satisfied in the sovereignty and goodness of God, with no reason to feel threated or competitive, trusting in His perfect providence, with no need to defend, protect, or resist; completely satisfied without jealously, envy, covetousness, or greed. If people were to live in a state of peace, there would be peace. Too good to be true? “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) We already have peace in Christ, but it isn’t manifested unless we learn to dwell, or abide in it. When we dwell in peace, we promote peace.

• John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
• John 16:33 — I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
• John 14:6 — Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• Romans 5:11 — More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
• 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 — All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
• Ephesians 1:7-10 — In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
• John 17:11, 21 — And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one…. That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
• Matthew 12:25 — Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

Notice from today’s readings that seeking peace doesn’t mean avoiding conflict or friction. On the contrary, confrontation is inevitable along the path to peace, and without friction, there is no traction, and without traction, there is no movement or momentum for the wheels of change and progress. When the Bibles says, “iron sharpens iron,” it is talking about a process of friction. Jesus didn’t say, ‘Blessed are the peace lovers,’ because everyone loves peace. Neither did he say, ‘Blessed are the peaceable,’ who are never disturbed by anything. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who work for peace’ — those who actively seek to resolve conflict. Peacemakers are rare because peacemaking is hard work.

“Be patient with them all.” Some people just don’t care, and some people don’t try hard enough; we are commanded to love them all equally – “For God shows no partiality.” (Romans 2:11) There is a time to confront, a time to rebuke, a time to admonish, and a time to encourage, but it all must be done with patience, grace, and love. Before you engage that other person on an issue, consider the guidance given in 1 Thessalonians 5:

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil….” First remember as an ambassador of Christ, you can’t represent your own personal interests in a matter – it is not about you, it is always about Him. Confronting someone can’t be about protecting your own interests or simply getting even; it must be motivated by a genuine desire to draw them closer to Jesus. You have been entrusted by God with the message and ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19) Also, there is never an excuse for unloving behavior on your part – you are not controlled by someone else’s behavior if you are controlled by the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit – “For the love of Christ controls us…. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 16)

“Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Your genuine motive must be to seek the very best for the other person or people involved in the issue at hand, whether they deserve it or not. Check your motive (your heart) before opening your mouth or getting involved. If your heart isn’t at peace and filled with the love of Christ, you can’t promote peace and love – “Be at peace among yourselves.”

“Rejoice always.” Approach confrontation positively, joyfully, and hopefully. Give thanks to God that you have an opportunity to promote reconciliation and anticipate God to work in the hearts of those involved. Your positive spirit will be refreshing to others. Also, it’s hard to sin in anger when you are rejoicing and praising God – “Be angry and do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26)

“Pray without ceasing.” Continuous prayer is the most important element of conflict resolution as well as the most neglected. It is God who knows and changes hearts, not you, and apart from the Holy Spirit you will not have the wisdom required to know the right things to say and do in any give situation. Don’t open your mouth without praying first, and bathe in prayer every word that comes out of your mouth.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Remember, it is God who has entrusted you with the message and ministry of reconciliation, who has empowered you for the calling, and who has intentionally placed you on the frontlines of conflicts and challenges so that you can glorify Him. Life issues give you your opportunities to display the love of Christ and share the Gospel. Give thanks for the opportunity and serve joyfully and faithfully as Christ’s ambassador. Athletes are not celebrated for how well they know the game but rather for how well they play the game. Similarly, your Bible knowledge must be translated into application on the fields of life, and the more you practice, the better you get.

Paul is calling us to see life from God’s perspective and from the realization that God, the Almighty, who IS Love has saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ; and is now working “all things… together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) There are many reasons why a loving God allows bad things to happen. However, the key is keeping perspective on the God who allowed the suffering to occur rather than trying to understand the mind of God, which is an impossibility — “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:34) We can never truly understand what “God was thinking” when He let bad things happen to us, but today’s readings tell us that we can ALWAYS rejoice in our circumstances because God is only dealing with us from a position of Love perfected.

A parental memory that is burned in my mind is that of taking my infants to get their inoculations. I will never forget the looks of pain and confusion they would give me as they received injections from a stranger while I watched willingly. Though they could not speak, their heart-breaking question was obvious: “Why, Daddy?” Of course, there was no way to explain to them what they could not possibly understand. However, the conclusion of the event was always the same: With tears in their eyes, they reached with all their ability back into my (or Mom’s) loving arms. They helped me understand what it means to trust as a child.

Paul tells us today that perspective is everything, but he also tells us not to go through trials alone. We all need the encouragement and support of other Christians – “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) In fact, the Bible tells us that one of the many reasons God allows us to suffer, in part, so we can be a better minister to others who are suffering. (2 Corinthians 1:4) Another key to enduring our own hardships is by focusing on ministering to the needs of others rather than focusing on our own pain.

• Job 2:10 – “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
• Isaiah 45:7 — I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
• Lamentations 3:37-39 — Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?…
• Jeremiah 32:42 — “This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver…. Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda.” (Proverbs 25:11, 20) Finally, having a sense of timing is part of wisdom (knowledge rightly applied). True love speaks the truth in love, and love demands patience, tact, gracefulness, and care rather than carelessness. We own the burden of responsibility to speak in a manner which can be received by the listener, and sometimes the best response is to say nothing. Again, this sort of wisdom requires the leading of the Holy Spirit — Do not quench the Spirit.

• Colossians 3:12-17 — Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-24 — Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

The Bible tells us to “hold fast to what is good,” because good can so easily slip from our grasp if we are careless with it and deceived by the world, the flesh and the devil. Remember, the Bible warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8)…. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).”

The Bible also tells us how to hold fast to what is good: “Do not quench the Spirit. Test everything. Abstain from every form of evil. [Be at] peace. [Rely on and trust Him to] surely do it.” We must abstain from every form of evil in order to keep what is good, but we must not try to do that through our own discernment, willpower, and strength alone. We must abide in Him and be guided and empowered by His Spirit within us. Through Christ, we have been given the Holy Spirit, but we can quench the Spirit by rejecting His word and revelation and doing things our own way. Just as Satan deceived Adam and Eve to question God’s word and decide for themselves, we can be tempted to take matters (life) into our own hands, even asking God to bless us as we do it. However, the key is trusting God enough to obey Him moment by moment, sometimes contrary to our judgment, will, and desires. In His “peace” (confident agreement and complete trust without worry of badness or bad outcomes) we will confidently obey, which will transform us degree by degree into Christlikeness.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 — May your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pursue blamelessness within your heart. This is a life-long endeavor that requires all of your effort.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 6 August 2024: Today, be a peacemaker, a reconciler, using every ‘issue’ to share the love of Christ with everyone.