God Bless You with His Strength

Paul continues in 2 Thessalonians 3:16b, "The Lord be with you all." Not only does Paul want God to bless you with His peace, but with His strength as well. Here Paul simply requests that God fulfill in us what was previously guaranteed for us as believers—the assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

In Hebrews 13:5-6, when listing the ways in which we should conduct ourselves, we have this promise: "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" Here Paul is reminding us that there is more to God's presence within us than meets the eye. Not only does He reside in us, but He gives us His strength. It is that empowering strength of God within us that Paul here prays for.

It is that strengthening presence of God in us that the Psalmist rejoiced over when he said, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1, NASB). This is the essence of Paul's prayer. He prayed that God would not only give you peace in all circumstances of life, but that He would grant you His strength in all circumstances, so that you might stand firm in Him at all times.

So Paul prays that when Satan attacks, you will have God's strength to fight. When temptation comes, you will have God's strength to resist. In the face of trials, you will have God's strength to persevere. When called upon to serve Him and evangelize for Him, you will have God's strength to do so effectively. In short, as Paul said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That is his prayer for you. Amen.

God Bless You with His Peace

In 2 Thessalonians 3:16a, Paul begins his benediction, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way." "Now" (v. 16a) marks the transition from command and exhortation to prayer. The prayer itself recognizes that only God can accomplish His desires in your life. Only He can bring about the results intended by His Word. So Paul's first request is for God's peace to permeate every area of your life. But what is peace?

The world defines peace like this: "A state of tranquility or quiet" (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, [G & C Merriam Company: Springfield, Mass., 1973], 842).  "The sense of calm… contentment, and well-being that comes when everything is going well" (MacArthur's New Testament Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, [Moody Publishing: Chicago, 2001], 312).

But that definition is quite shallow. A calm, tranquil feeling can be produced by any number of things. Such a feeling can be produced by lies, self-deception, or unexpected good fortune. In fact, simply the absence of conflict and trouble produces this feeling, as do drugs and alcohol. However, this kind of peace is only temporary and can easily be destroyed.

When any kind of conflict or trouble arrives, such peace quickly ends. Any kind of failure, doubt, or fear will also destroy such peace in your life. Bitterness, anger, pride, any kind of difficulty, guilt, regret, sorrow, or anxiety over circumstances beyond your control destroys this kind of peace. Even being disappointed or mistreated by others, or simply making bad decisions, brings the world's peace to a sudden end. If any threat is made to your security there is no longer any such peace.

God's peace, true spiritual peace, is completely different. As John MacArthur said, God's peace "is the deep, settled confidence that all is well between the soul and God because of His loving, sovereign control of one's life both in time and eternity. That calm assurance is based on the knowledge that sins are forgiven, blessing is present, good is abundant even in trouble, and heaven is ahead. The peace that God gives His beloved children as their possession and privilege has nothing to do with the circumstances of life" (Ibid, 313).

God's peace is divine. It is derived directly from "the Lord of Peace Himself" (v. 16a). "Himself" (v. 16a) is in the emphatic position in the Greek text, enforcing the fact that the God who is peace grants peace to believers. It is all of God! God is the one who gives you peace, not the circumstances of life or anything else—only God.

First and foremost, this is peace with God. Yet this peace that God gives us with Himself provides the basis for our peace with one another. Only He can make harmony among believers a reality.

"Always" (v. 16a) asks that there be no break in the flow of God's peace. "In every way" (v. 16a) asks that this peace with God continue to exist within you no matter what the outward circumstances might be in your life. With Christ in your life, no matter what you may encounter in life, there is peace. The peace of God Himself is always within you giving you comfort and strength. Amen.

Seek to Restore the Disobedient

In 2 Thessalonians 3:14, Paul reinforces his command to avoid those believers who are deliberately disobedient to the Word of God (2 Thess. 3:6): "And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed." Here Paul restated the command (v. 14a), then went on to give the purpose for following this command: "that he may be ashamed" (v. 14b).

Anyone who "does not obey" the words "in this epistle" (v. 14a), does not obey the Word of God. You are to take "note" of that person and "not keep company with him" (v. 14b). "Note" (v. 14b) refers to a sign or token. It signifies to mark or to note for oneself. Here it is "an injunction to take cautionary note of one who refuses obedience" to the Word of God (Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia], 798). "Keep company" (v. 14b), or "associate with" (NASB), is a strong double compound verb meaning "to mix up together with" (MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, [Moody Publishers: Chicago], 309). You are not to "mix it up" with such persons. As John MacArthur says, "The church individually and collectively was to withdraw fellowship from such persons and avoid them. They were probably to be denied the privilege of taking communion. Surely they were not to be allowed to participate in the love feast, since feeding them a meal would condone and perpetuate their indolent behavior. The pressure of isolation was to be brought to bear on them to produce repentance" (Ibid).

Note the purpose: "that he may be ashamed" (v. 14c), or "so that he will be put to shame" (NASB). "Be put to shame" (v. 14c, NASB) literally means "to turn in on oneself" (Ibid). The idea is that the person being avoided would do some inner reflection, recognize his sin and disobedience to the Word, and repent. Such repentance would then lead to his restoration to complete fellowship. Such is always the intent of church discipline.

That is why Paul concludes with verse 15: "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." Paul is not talking of complete excommunication as in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. There verse 11 says, "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. The offense here in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 does not rise to that level. The person avoided here is not to be treated as "an enemy" (v. 15a) who is cut off from all contact. Rather, he is still to be treated as a brother, and you are to admonish him as a brother to bring him to repentance. Galatians 6:1 puts it all in perspective—"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

Remember verse 13 and you will do well in living up to these commands: "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good." Whether it be helping those who are truly in need, or admonishing those who are unruly and disobedient to the Scriptures, always follow Christ in helping them. The end result will be a certain harmony and unity in the church. Amen.

Live in Harmony with One Another

In 2 Thessalonians 3:6, Paul said, "But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us." Now Paul reinforces that command with these words: "For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread" (vs. 11-12). In the Greek, the words "not working at all, but are busybodies" (v. 11b) is a play on words. Literally it means, "not busy, but busybodies."

What came to Paul's attention was that some not only refused to work, but they used their time to wander around and interfere in the lives of others in the church. He described this to Timothy in this way, "And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not" (1 Tim. 5:13). They became a burden to the church, creating disunity and discord in the process. These people were beginning to affect the loving harmony and effective witness of the church. Such are commanded to "work in quietness" (v. 12b) and to care for their own families. In this way, they would promote harmony in the church instead.

To them, and to all of us, Paul says to live in harmony with one another. Note verse 13: "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good." The danger is that you might "grow weary in doing good" (v. 13b), or that you might become indifferent to real needs because of those in the church who have refused to work and have become a needless burden. Don't let that happen!

In Isaiah 58:7, God commends those who "divide [their] bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house." Let that describe you! Never become so weary of those who are a burden, that you forget those in real need. Work to provide for yourself and to care for those who are truly in need. In that way, you can and will live in harmony with one another. Amen.

Noah Found Grace

Just over one week ago, I returned home from visiting the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky and the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Both are owned and operated by Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis. It was a worthwhile trip. Both are amazing to see and experience.

When you step inside the Ark, you soon understand how Noah could easily have room for all of the animals, as well the eight persons of his family. The Ark Encounter is an exact replica of Noah's Ark in Scripture, It was built to scale, based on the instructions God gave Noah in Genesis 6:13-16. Of course, the inside design of the Ark was not given in Genesis nor was the exact size and location of the door, so some creative license was taken in that regard.

Take note of what God said: "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen. 6:5-8).

Going on, the Scripture says, "And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them" (Gen. 6:17-21). And we are told, "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (v. 22).

The story in Genesis chapters six through nine tells it all. The story is incredible. It is easy to understand why so many people have a hard time believing. But when you visit the Ark Encounter and also check out the nearby Creation Museum, you will begin to understand what God can do. The Creation Museum explains the Biblical Creation worldview and compares it at every turn to the secular evolutionary worldview, placing the two views side by side as all the evidence is considered. In the end, the Biblical Creation worldview stands tall and is easily understood and believed.

It is all incredible to see. Make that trip your families next vacation. You will be glad you did. It is both educational and inspirational. Don't miss it. Amen.

Be Willing to Work

 "Be Willing to Work" may sound like a strange title and topic for a Bible Insight, but it is exactly what Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, where he said, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." And it is very timely for today, as many people simply don't want to work. In many cities, the teacher's unions have the teachers refusing to return to the classroom, keeping schools closed, yet making sure that the teachers still get paid. Still others around this nation refuse to go back to work because the government pays them more in unemployment payments than they made at their jobs. It is a real problem.

Paul led up to this command in verse 10, by testifying of his own habit: "For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us" (vs. 7-9). Concerning the command, "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (v. 10b), the emphasis is on those who are not willing to work—those who "will not work" (v. 10b).

The point is, if you get hungry enough, you will work so you can buy food. Proverbs 16:26 says, "A worker's appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on" (NASB). If you have the opportunity and the ability to work for your own food, you are to do so. If you do not, then you are "worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim. 5:8). The whole verse says, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Those who can work, must work. It is that simple. The key being—those who can. Amen.

Follow the Example of Godly People

Paul would agree completely with the words of the Puritan Thomas Brooks, "Example is the most powerful rhetoric" (cited in I. D. E. Thomas, A Puritan Golden Treasury [Carlisle, Penn.: Banner of Truth, 1977], 96). And so 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 begins and ends with the phrase "you… follow us," or "you… follow our example" (NASB).

One commentator said, "There's an old saying, 'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.' This could not be said of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They lived by what they taught. They practiced what they preached" (The Preacher’s Commentary, Vol. 32, 2 Thess. 3:7-9, [Nelson Reference and Electronic: A Division of Thomas Nelson Publishers). Therefore, they did not hesitate to point to their own example as to how to live by the Word of God.

"Follow us" (v. 7a), or "follow our example" (NASB), literally means "to imitate." The noun form of that Greek verb is the word from which we get our English word "mimic." We are literally to mimic the life of Paul, or the lives of godly men and women around us.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul said, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." This is the key. Paul followed Christ so closely, when you look at Paul's life you see Christ at work in him. "We were not disorderly among you," says Paul (2 Thess. 3:7b). "Nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us" (vs. 8-9). Even though he could have received support from the church, Paul worked as an example for those who refused to work. Godly men and women exemplify Christ. Follow their example. Amen.