2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.  I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Paul’s benediction in his final inspired writings to this church emphasize important aspects of God’s provisions in the lives of believers.  Paul desires the best for this church and for every believer.  The gifts of God are too numerous to be able to list, but grace and peace are certainly two of the greatest gifts believers receive from the Lord. 

PEACE FROM GOD: The God of peace makes that peace available to those who place their faith in Christ.  Rarely do people think of God as being the God of peace.  Too often people only think of God as being of judgment or wrath.  While it is true that God does judge and that His wrath is kindled over sin; that judgment and wrath was poured out on Jesus in our place.  God made peace with man through the sacrifice of Christ.  He initiated the plan for peace between man and Himself.  We are responsible to meet His condition for peace which is faith in Christ to rescue us from sin.  God wants peace, paid the price for peace, and offers peace to mankind through Jesus; that is why His is the God of peace.  This peace with God opens the door for us to experience the peace of God.  He is always at perfect peace.  God never worries or becomes anxious.  Paul’s prayer is for the follower of Christ who are at peace with God to be able to experience the peace of God at all times.  No matter what circumstances we might face, the peace of God is available to us all believers.  We can rest in His sovereign control over our lives and any trials we face.  We can be at peace because we have an eternal hope that is secure in Christ.

PERSONAL GREETING: It is highly likely that Paul used a scribe to write the majority of his letters.  There is speculation that Paul’s eyesight was not very good so his handwriting was likely very large and hard to read.  So, in order to save the precious commodity of paper and make sure the message was clear; Paul used a scribe.  However, this final greeting Paul wanted to make sure was in his own handwriting.  This provided a personal touch and gave clear authenticity to the content of the letter.  It seems that other were writing false teachings in the name of Paul, so he needed to have this distinguishing characteristic.

PRESENCE OF GRACE: Paul’s benediction ends with a desire for the grace of the Lord Jesus to be with them.  The only reason that we have peace with God and can experience the peace of God is the Grace of the Lord Jesus.  We do not earn or deserve any of the blessings we have in Christ.  They come to us because of God’s great love and mercy and are extended to us by His grace.  No matter how difficult our lives may be or how deeply into sin we have fallen; the grace of our Lord is sufficient to forgive us and set us free from all sin. We must never be proud of ourselves or think that we are in the family of God because of our own value, worth, or merit.  It is only by grace that any of us are saved.  This truth must be our constant companion.

APPLICATION: Trust in Christ alone as the only means by which we can have peace with God.  Experience the peace of God because of the hope of our salvation and our trust in His sovereign control over us.  Be assured of the authenticity of Paul’s writings recorded in Scripture.  Understand that all we receive in Christ is only ever ours because of His grace.  Don’t try to deserve it or be proud because we have received it. 

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 a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more