2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord direct your heats into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Let’s consider “exhorting” one another.
Exhort: strongly encourage or urge to do something.
In this season of Covid 19, we’re encouraged to wear mask, social distance and quarantine.
In this season of racial and social unrest, we’re encouraged to vote, march, protest and boycott.
The passion behind all of these exhortations or encouragements is motived by what’s for our greater good–what’s good right now and what’s good for later on.
It’s for your good to stay safe in this season of a pandemic.
It’s for your good to consider how you can affect social change in this country by voting, boycotting, etc.
All of these things are necessary.
But they’re manual, mechanical, carnal, fleshly and tangible.
Meaning, they can change things and circumstances, but they can’t necessarily change people or their hearts.
When Paul exhorts the Thessalonian church in 2 Thess 3:5, he gets beneath the surface of what we can manipulate, move or master externally or in the flesh.
He says, “direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”
Paul is addressing the part of us that’s not seen with the eye.
Paul is telling the church to direct their hearts and minds into God’s love and Christ’ perseverance.
In other words, focus on God’s love and on Jesus’ perseverance/endurance.
Why?
Why in the world would it even be necessary to tell a bunch of church folk to keep their minds on Jesus and God?
What was happening with the Thessalonian church that would provoke Paul to exhort them in such a manner?
Paul was writing the Thessalonian church to correct them in some doctrinal error.
According to 2 Thess 1, even though they had grown in love for one another and in faith, they still needed correction.
This is important to consider. Just because we’re maturing in our walk with the Lord, doesn’t mean we’re exempt from being corrected.
Considering our walk with the Lord is not something that can be perfected or completed in this life, We must understand that we always have the capacity to fall short at times and need correction—no matter how old or mature we are.
The Thessalonians were quitting their jobs and becoming slothful because they reasoned since Jesus was coming back soon, it wasn’t even necessary to keep on working and dealing with the burdens and struggles of life. They were just going to chill until Jesus came back.
So Paul wrote them to correct their faulty thinking and to encourage or exhort them to live responsibly in light of the fact that Jesus was coming back.
But before Paul encouraged or exhorted them in chapter 3, he spent some time affirming them in chapter 1. Then he corrected them in chapter 2.
· Paul affirmed them in what they were doing right in ch 1.
· He corrected them in what they were doing wrong in ch 2.
· Then encouraged them or exhorted them in what they needed to do in ch 3.
This is a representation and example of “balanced support”.
No one wants to be corrected all of the time without ever being affirmed.
Like I mentioned before, no one is so mature that they are exempt from being corrected when they’re wrong.
And if you only spend time encouraging or exhorting a person to do what they need to do, you may end up having them feel as though they can never do enough right or what they’re already doing is never enough.
So Paul’s balanced approach is a good example for us to follow.
We don’t want any of our efforts to support others to fall on deaf ears or be ineffective.
We don’t just want our words to be heard. We want them to be understood and received.
Therefore, as we walk in the Light of exhorting and encouraging one another, let’s make sure that our approach is balanced and always motivated by love, faith and concern for one another—and not motivated by frustration, criticism or contempt. This requires us to pay close attention to our own heart condition.
We all need encouragement. Especially in this season, with so much societal chaos going on.
But let’s stay humble and leave room for being affirmed and corrected as well.
· Even if you’re mature and maturing.
· Even if you’re faithful and committed.
· Even if you have love for others.
There will always be room for growth.
Now let’s zero in on what Paul was encouraging the Thessalonian Church to do.
2 Thess 3:5, Paul encouraged them to do 2 things:
· Direct your hearts into God’s love.
· Direct your hearts into Christ’s perseverance.
Observation: Paul is taking time to encourage the church, but he’s in need of some encouragement, himself.
2 Thess 3:2, Paul requested prayers that “we” may be delivered from the wicked and evil people.
2 Thess 3:3, Paul expressed that even though people are evil, people are wicked, and we need God to deliver us…The Lord is faithful and will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
Paul is including himself in needing prayers, as well as needing deliverance from evil and wicked people. Paul is including himself in the struggle.
This is important as well, because one way to turn people off, is to always have a “yall”, “them” and “they” approach. But never be in the number of those needing help, encouragement, instructions or correction, yourself. You must be willing to be part of the “we”.
Sidebar:
This is word for those of us that are considered strong Christians. We’re the ones that others seek for encouragement and support. We’re the ones that are always serving others. We’re the ones that are always ministering to and praying for others. Just like no one is exempt from needing correction, none of us are exempt from needing encouragement. You’re just as human as those you’re ministering to. It’s one thing to ask someone to pray for you. It something different to actually allow them to minister to you. You must stay humble enough to allow someone to get close enough to your hurt and struggle, to allow them to minister to you. God made us a family for a reason.
Let’s read 2 Thess 3:5 in the Message Version.
May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance.
How does being led in the paths of God’s love exhort us?
Love keeps us connected to God’s character and His heart.
1 Cor 14:1 Follow the way of love
1 Cor 13:1 without love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
In other words, without love, you’re talking a whole lot, but ain’t saying nothing!
Love allows us to see people the way God does.
God’s love for us is not performance based. God’s love for us is in spite us. It’s in spite our sin. It’s in spite our inconsistency. God’s love wants what’s best for us even when we don’t have enough sense to want what’s best for ourselves.
God’s love is a place of refuge.
God’s love does for us what we can’t do for ourselves.
God’s love saved/s us.
God’s love justifies us.
God’s love sanctifies us.
God’s love glorifies us.
How does being led in the paths of Christ’s perseverance encourage us?
Because Jesus endured the cross and crucifixion, we don’t have to fight FOR the victory. We only fight FROM the victory!!
That’s great news! Jesus already won on our behalf! Our salvation is sealed in heaven because of what Jesus did on the cross for all those willing to answer His call of salvation. It’s not contingent upon what we do. Thank You Lord for that!
So the Word of God exhorts us to:
Don’t grow wearing in well doing.
Gal 6:9
Run with perseverance…
Heb 12:1
Phil 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Thank You, Lord for taking hold of me!
Thank You, Lord for sustaining me!
Thank You, Lord for affirming me!
Thank You, Lord for correcting me!
Thank You, Lord for exhorting me!
We ALL need to be encouraged as we strive to walk out our faith. It won’t always be easy, but it’s always worth it!
*Tressa Jo
BeyondSeeLevel 