1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

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.  Brothers, pray for us.  Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.  I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The closing of this letter includes Paul’s prayer for his readers as well as a final summary of what he wants them to do.  We should always desire God’s best for our brothers and sisters in Christ and should always be faithful to pray for them accordingly.  God’s best will always involve responsibilities that we are expected to fulfill.  Both Paul’s prayer and exhortation focus on relationships with both God and man.   

FINAL INTERCESSION: Paul’s prayer is directed to the God of peace.  This is an interesting and surprising way for God to be addressed.  Man’s sinfulness causes all kind of havoc on the world in which we live.  People and nations at war with one another, our hearts in constant anxiety and turmoil, but mostly people living in rebellion against God.  What we desperately need is a God of peace who can change our hearts and lives and who lovingly forgives us.  The request Paul makes is that we be sanctified completely.  It is hard to imagine, but this is the true hope of the Gospel.  Once we place our faith in Christ, He has promised to sanctify us.  That process begins immediately and one day will be completed when are called into the presence of the Lord.  We will be holy, set apart from sin unto God.  Christ will present us before the Father as blameless in our physical and non-physical ways.  We will not only stop sinning; we will stop wanting to sin or even be tempted to sin. This is the true promise of our calling into salvation and God will accomplish this perfectly in the lives of all believers.  Paul prays this way because he knows it is God’s will to answer it and it is in the best interest of every believer to see this process of sanctification progressing in our lives now.  

FINAL INSTRUCTION:  Paul instructs the believers to pray for him just as he is praying for them.  The mission to proclaim the message of the God of peace is empowered through the ministry of prayer.  Those who carry the message of transformation through Christ to the nations need prayer.  Paul also instructs them to greet one another with a holy kiss.  The God of peace calls us to love one another a treat one another with warmness, kindness, and gentleness.  Our relationships with one another in the body of Christ are important and we should do all we can to further and deepen those relationships.  Paul wants to make sure that this letter is preserved and read to all the brothers in Christ for the purpose of both instruction and encouragement in the church fellowship.  God’s Word needs to be spread to all.  Paul’s final benediction is for the grace of God to be with them.  It is a blessed thing that the God of peace is gracious and with us.

APPLICATION: Take comfort and combat anxiety and stress in our lives through the knowledge that we serve and worship the God of peace.  Live with hope because of the promise of perfect sanctification on every level of our lives.  Move forward to that goal daily.  Pray for those who God is using to further the Gospel.  Develop warm and loving relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Rejoice in the blessings of having God’s Word and living under His glorious grace.

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