He will do it! (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28)

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 25 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Thoughts:

He is faithful.  He will do it.  He will sanctify you.  He will keep your spirit, soul and body blameless until Christ’s return.  God Himself, the God of peace, is faithful, and will sanctify you through and through!  I hope that just blows your mind and brings you joy and confidence!

Peter instructed us to “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:14)  We should certainly make every effort to keep ourselves free from sin, but apart from the forgiveness that comes through faith in Christ you cannot make yourself truly blameless.  We may strive to live blamelessly, yet we all fail daily (ok, maybe you only fail weekly or monthly, but you fail).  Only faith in the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ brings forgiveness (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 3:12). 

I’m so thankful that God has promised me His forgiveness through my faith (trust) in Christ.  I know that no matter how hard I try, I can never truly be blameless (forgiven – a clean slate) through my own effort.  That truth doesn’t give me an excuse to live as I please – to sin whenever I feel like it.  Instead, it gives me the freedom to strive for righteous living without the burden of guilt or sense of futility brought on by my imperfection and my failures. 

God help those who are constantly urged to keep themselves pure, yet are not constantly reminded that their faithful God is ultimately their source of sanctification and blamelessness – not themselves (Ephesians 2:8).  It’s not surprising that Paul would end his letter to these Christians with such encouraging words… He is faithful.  He will do it.  He will sanctify you.  He will keep your spirit, soul and body blameless until Christ’s return.

Enjoy the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Good News…

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Thoughts:

Gospel… Old English = god-spell, meaning “good tidings” or “glad tidings”.  The Greek word εὐαγγέλιον, euangelion (eu- “good”, -angelion “message”).  Gospel simply means ”Good news” (though the phrase “it’s the gospel truth” is an interesting twist).

The good news is the whole package – God’s plan, Jesus’ suffering and resurrection, salvation, eternal life.  For me, the good news - salvation through Jesus Christ – can be summed up in these words:  by grace… through faith.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Good News!  I don’t have to meet the requirements of God’s justice (sin has consequences).  I put my faith (trust – all of it) in Jesus, because he took the punishment that perfect justice required.  I must trust that the punishment Jesus endured on my behalf was sufficient, and that because of his sufferings I am forgiven.  It’s a gift.  Grace is “unmerited favor” (right – you can’t earn or deserve it).

It’s a gift from God, to me… to you.  Simple.  Forgiveness (salvation) comes by grace, through faith in Christ.  Some of us embrace this simplicity and thrive.  Some of us have trouble with it.  And for those of you that may be concerned that I’m making things too simple… the ”package” also includes repentance, baptism, commitment and an enduring faith (Acts 2:36-41, Col. 1:23).  But the only reason that repentance, discipleship, baptism and enduring faith have meaning or consequence is “by grace… through faith”.  I won’t assume so, but perhaps if you struggle with the simplicity, there’s a possibility you need to understand and appreciate grace more.  Paul stated that God’s grace that was responsible for his hard work  (1 Cor. 15:10).

Grace, because your repentance has no redeeming value when faced with justice.  Grace, because your repentance is never perfect anyway.  Grace, because everything you say and do as a Christian (disciple, follower – whatever you want to call yourself) cannot be used to make a deal with God for forgiveness of your sins.  No, all we do in response to “the good news” simply amounts to an acceptance of the truth that forgivenss is “by grace… through faith”.

I know that’s hard for some of us to accept.  We want our commitment to count for something, and our labors to really mean something to God (make us more deserving of his forgiveness and blessings or help us feel better about ourselves).  Some of us will not “feel forgiven” unless we are performing to a standard.  We can’t imagine that the other Christians we compare ourselves to so pridefully have the same standing with God that we’ve “attained“.  We’re not sure they really repented enough, or that they are as committed as we are.  We have our “science” for cutting the good news down to our level – our commitment level, our level of understanding, good deeds, perfection or openness.  Truth be told… our “levels” are not God’s levels.  Who among us is perfect?  I rest my case.

Put the full weight of your faith/trust/hope in Jesus… by grace, through faith.  There is no other way.  It’s cool… you can rejoice in it!  Be zealous for doing what is good (Titus 3:8). Grow in your faith and commitment.  Strive for purity of heart.  Share Christ.  God, as any Father would be, is pleased by these things (Ephesians 5:10).  But always remember… Justice for your sin was pleased only thru Jesus’ cross/death. That’s the GOOD NEWS!

Enjoy Grace.