2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul’s prayers are instructive.  They reveal God’s will and purposes for our lives.  Paul prays according to the will of God because these prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit.  This provides us with a unique insight as to what God wants to do in our lives as believers as well as His motives for wanting to accomplish these things.

 

WHAT GOD DOES: God is at work in our lives to accomplish His will in and through us.  Paul’s prayer reveals three aspects of God’s will in our lives: worthiness, goodness, and faithfulness.  We need to understand that none of us could ever be worthy of God’s calling.  However, God is able to make us worthy through the work of the Gospel in us.  Our faith in Christ’s work on the cross is the only condition for salvation.  He makes us worthy in the sight of God to be called into salvation.  However, those whom God calls into salvation, receive much more that forgiveness of sin; they also receive freedom from the power of sin.  We have been given the power of God who makes us worthy by transforming us and conforming us to Christ.  This power allows us to accomplish good works for God’s glory.  Many people resolve to do good works but either do not follow through or only do them for their own glory.  God enables us to accomplish our resolutions with the correct motives.  These good works are works of faith that are done in His power.  This dependence on the power of God is the definition of faithfulness.  

 

WHY GOD DOES IT: The reason that God is at work to make us like Jesus is three-fold: His glory, our glory, and His grace.  God saves and transforms us so that the name of Jesus might be glorified in us as He works to accomplish His work of salvation.  He is the one who should receive all glory and be worshiped in the nations for the amazing work of transformation that takes place in the lives of believers.  He takes sinful people and makes them holy.  He takes persecutors of the church like Paul and makes them into preachers of the Gospel. All that believers do or become is accomplished by the power of the Gospel to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As His children, we are privileged to share in His glory as He reveals His glory in us.  He desires for us to experience the joy, peace, holiness, and love that are a part of His very essence.  To be made like Jesus is truly glorious.  The reason that God does all of this is for the glory of Christ and the joy of His children, but behind these motives is His grace.  He does all of this because He is a gracious God that gives us these blessings even though we do not deserve them.  His grace is behind all that He does for us and in us.

 

APPLICATION: Don’t imagine that we can ever be worthy of salvation or God’s favor on our own merits.  Depend on the power of God to make us like Jesus and trust Him to accomplish His will in our lives.  Seek God’s glory and not our own.  Rejoice in all He does in and through us.  Know and be thankful that it is only by His grace that any of these things can be accomplished.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more