Transcript
Today we are taking II Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 1 through 5, part three. In our first study we took verses 1 and 2. In our second study we took verses 3 and 4. Today our focus will be on chapter 3 verse 5. After establishing for them that the coming of the Lord has not happened yet, they have not missed His coming, he now turns in chapter 3 to tell them about what their testimony should be before the Lord does come back. This first section in the first five verses is the confidence of Paul.
He says in verse 1, The rest (meaning the remaining, in summary) brothers, be praying concerning us (for two purposes, the first one has a compound purpose) in order that the word of the Lord might run.
That is how it literally reads, (trechō) is the Greek word for to run. It is where we get our word track from. So that the word of God might run unhindered. Satan is always trying to stop the ministry of the word of God, causing some circumstances or some situations to get it to stop.
So he says, Pray concerning us in order that the word of the Lord might run, and secondly, and the word of the Lord might be glorified according as also with you. So just as it was with you, where Jesus was glorified, that is, He manifested Himself to you through the giving of the word. And the enemy tried to stop the word but you received the word; it was given and you received it.
The second purpose, verse 2, And in order that we might be delivered from the perverse and evil men; for the faith is not of all people. So that we might be delivered, personally, in the giving of the word from perverse – The word perverse means out of place. People are just out of place when it comes to the truth about Christ. And evil men, the reason, for the faith is not of all people.
That is interesting. It is something to ponder in and of itself is the word faith. Faith as I have told you before in Greek means persuasion. Those who are in Christ and of Christ, the book of Acts says that they are of the faith. They are of the persuasion that comes from the Spirit of God through His word. And so it is interesting that a believer, a true believer in Christ, somebody who has been born again is someone who is under the persuasion of the Holy Spirit, different than the persuasion that other people are under. And it is interesting to take note – especially as we continue on next week with the remaining chapter – to understand that other people are under a different persuasion. I am to take note of that. Paul says, “Mark those out as you have us as an example,” he says later on in the chapter. And so, if they do not have the same persuasion, if they are not under the same persuasion, then avoid them, withdraw. We are going to see next week in verse 6, we are told to withdraw from these people.
Verse 3 tells us the provision of the Lord in Paul asking for this prayer. But faithful is the Lord, that is how it literally reads. The word faithful comes first in the Greek text, that is the emphasis. Faithful is the Lord, who will establish you and who will guard you from the evil one. Two things that the Lord will do, that is a factual statement. That is a promise. The Lord will do these things. He will establish you and He will guard you from the evil one.
We saw the word establish is a very important description of what happens in the midst of trials. We saw from I Peter chapter 5 verses 6 through 10 that Peter says that after you have suffered awhile the Lord does four things, (1) He mends you, (2) He establishes you, (3) He strengthens you, and (4) He puts a foundation under you. Establishing us. He pulls us apart that He might put us back together the way He has planned and according to His will. So we are going through two processes. One is a tearing down or tearing apart, that would be the things of the flesh or in the human. And secondly, He is putting us back together again the way He would have us.
So that He will establish you, and secondly, will guard you from the evil one. The word guard means to put up a defense. To guard the enemy from coming in and taking a person – that would be us. This is to guard you from the evil one. Very specific in the Greek text in talking about Satan. He is the evil one.
Jesus, we saw last week in His prayer in Matthew chapter 6 verses 9 through 13 – what some people call The Lord’s Prayer, but in reality, it is the disciples’ prayer. He is teaching the disciples what to pray. And in verse 13 of Matthew chapter 6 one of the things we are to pray for is, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Here is the promise. The Lord will deliver you, will guard you, from the evil one. It does not say might, it does not say should, it says He will.
Now, it is important to establish something that we presented to you last week. That is, He is making this promise to those who had received Christ. Not religiously believing in Christ but those who had received Christ. Proof of their salvation was after suffering so much they are still with the Lord and following the Lord. The suffering and the hardship did not stop them. They continued. In continuation or enduring through trials and tribulations or through life itself is a proof, is evidence, that a person belongs to Christ because if a person goes through what would make them quit.
I read to you last week some titles of some magazine articles of how many Christians are quitting the church today, or how many Christians are no longer believing.
Well, for a person who is born of the Spirit of God it is impossible not to believe. You cannot quit. Because true salvation is Jesus Christ living inside. A person receives Christ inside. And Christ comes to abide, and the Bible says the Holy Spirit comes and fills you, the Holy Spirit comes and seals you, and guards you from anything or anybody taking you away from Christ.
We saw from Philippians chapter 1 verses 3 through 6, a very important text that many Christians use, but sometimes misunderstandingly. That is where Paul said that he was thankful to the Lord, to the Christians in Philippi who continued in the gospel from the first day until now. You see, continuation. They did not quit. They cannot quit. The Holy Spirit is leading them. The Holy Spirit is motivating them.
But then he says in Philippians chapter 1 verse 6, to these people who continued from the first day until now, he says, Having been confident of this that the Lord who began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Christ. As I also shared last week, I have had people come and say, “Well, I have this promise in Philippians 1:6 that the Lord will complete and fulfill His work in my life until Jesus comes. I can do whatever I want to, He will take care of it. He promises.” The promise is made to those who continue, not to those who quit, not to those who drop off. He makes it to those who are continuing on.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 verse 13, The one who has endured to the end this one will be saved. And the language is looking back. All the ones who finish the end course is evident and proof that they are the saved ones, because it is impossible not to make it if you are truly a born-again believer in Christ. We can have our Jonah situations, where we rebel against God and we go through a phase where we try to get away from the Lord. But then the Lord is faithful, just like our text says, Faithful is the Lord. The Lord is faithful to bring Jonah and bring us back. Whether it is through foot or through fish we are going to wind up in Nineveh because God wants us there. It is His faithfulness. Evident that Jonah belonged to the Lord was not because of his obedience, but because of the Spirit of God present in his life and over his life. And when God said he is going to Nineveh there is no choice. Maybe a choice of how, but not a choice of where you are going to go. So continuing on to the end is evidence and proof of one’s salvation.
John said in I John chapter 2 verse 19 that they went out from us – these people who chased after false doctrine – They went out from us because they were not of us, for had they been of us they would not have left us. But they went out from us, God was manifesting that they are not one of us. You cannot leave. You can go to a different fellowship, but you cannot leave the Lord. It is impossible.
That is what I have said it many times, we have to understand what salvation is. Salvation is not based on my beliefs. I have beliefs but I am not saved based on my beliefs. I am saved because of the presence of Christ. I am saved because He saved me, literally, by coming into my spirit. So when people ask me, “Do you believe a Christian can lose his salvation?” You cannot win it, for one thing. But no, you cannot lose your salvation if you understand what salvation is. It means you are asking me, “Can you lose Christ? Can He leave you?” Well, Jesus promised in Hebrews chapter 13, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we have that promise.
And then, in verse 4 we have the confidence. But we have had confidence in the Lord over you, that what things we command to you, you both are doing and you will do. You see, he has confidence in their salvation because they are doing what he commanded them to do. And he says, “And you will do it.” You will not not do it if you belong to Christ.
So then we have verse 5, Paul’s prayer for them as he finishes up this first command. You remember what the first command was in verse 1, Be praying concerning us. Now, Paul’s prayer for them in verse 5. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the endurance (or patience) of Christ. So first of all he says, Now may the Lord direct your hearts. First of all, the Lord must direct us. We are incapable of directing our own hearts to the things of the Lord. The Lord must do it. He must direct us. Next, notice the way in which He directs our hearts. The little preposition into. A preposition that expresses motion or action towards something. Into the love of God, and into the endurance of Christ. Again, He directs in two ways.
First of all, He directs our hearts into the love of God. He must direct us into the love of God, we do not have it naturally. The Greek word for love is the word (agapē) for divine love. The term of God is in the genitive case which shows possession. This is a love that belongs to God. It is not the love of the Christian. We do not possess it, God possesses it and He directs our hearts into the love that God possesses. This is a love that belongs to and is produced by God. I do not have (agapē) love in the natural. In fact, in Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 it tells us that (agapē) love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is not a fruit of man. A human being cannot produce (agapē) love. God’s Spirit in His faithfulness provides in my heart a love for the Lord and a love for His truth.
In fact, going back to the original at the beginning of the chapter Paul says, Be praying concerning us in order that the word might run. So every time I hear the word of God, I learn more of who God is and what He has done for me and His expression of love to me. He says, “Look who I am and My great love that I have manifested to you through My Son.”
To the point to John said in I John chapter 4 verse 19, We love Him because, He first loved us. So (agapē) love is responsive to God’s love. I do not produce it. I am responding to the love that He is manifesting to me and it is a response. So the more I hear His Word, and the more I hear of His love for me, the more my heart responds to His love. He is going to minister His love to my heart and direct my heart into or towards the love of God.
Secondly, And into the endurance of Christ. Some texts say patience of Christ, but it is literally the word endurance. Now, in the book of James, James mentions the patience or endurance of Job, but there is also a patience or endurance of Christ. And again, of Christ is in the genitive case which shows possession. It is an endurance that belongs to Christ. It is His endurance that He directs us into.
In fact, there are two words used in the old King James translation that is kind of a basis to understand the two words in the New Testament used for patience. Whenever the word patience is used in the old King James is the Greek word (hupomenō), which means to remain under. It is related strictly to circumstances; to remain under one’s circumstances is to endure, to remain under. There is another Greek word, (makrothumia) that is translated long-suffering in the old King James translation. That is a word for patience towards people, not circumstances but people. The word used for long-suffering (makrothumia) means to be slow in human reaction towards other people. If you get angry at them, we are to be under control and not express that human anger, or that human part of our flesh that is going to bring harm to other people, and that is called long-suffering.
In this text before us today in II Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 5, it is the word patience or endurance, the word (hupomenō). The endurance of Christ means that he is praying that the Lord will direct our hearts to remain under our circumstances in the endurance that Christ produces. It is the endurance that belongs to and is produced in the believer’s life by Christ.
We will finish up this morning in James chapter 1. If you have your Bibles you might want to turn there. James chapter 1 beginning at verse 1. He says, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered. The word scattered is literally the Greek word (diaspora). It is a title. The disapora means the dispersed. The Jews who were dispersed out of Jerusalem and out of Israel because of the persecution in Jerusalem, they were called the diaspora, the dispersed ones.
To the twelve tribes of the dispersion, greetings. He says in verse 2, My brothers, count it all joy. The word count is where we get our word governor from. Let the governing thought of your mind be all joy when you fall into various trials. Now that is an interesting principle to practice, except the next verse tells us that it is not a practice. That to count it all joy – to let the leading thought, the governing thought of your mind be all joy when you fall into various trials is based on knowing something. So, Count it all joy knowing.
Verse 3 says Knowing, so that is understanding what is happening to you and why. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. There is our word (hupomeno). The testing of your faith produces endurance. We are put in various trials and put through the tests. The Lord is teaching us to remain under. How do we remain under? By trusting Him. His grace is sufficient. The more we remain under our circumstances, the more we experience Christ Himself and His faithfulness; the more He establishes us in the things of Christ.
But he goes on to say, (verse 4), But let endurance have its perfect work. The word perfect in this text means completion. Remain under trusting the Lord so that whatever the Lord is saying to establish you through those circumstances He might establish it. If we run from our circumstances the Lord is going to turn right around and make us start all over again. He is going to put us through the trials and the hardships until we submit and learn how to trust Him. He says, But let endurance have its complete work, that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking in any one area. So if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and without reproach; and it shall be given him.
So at the end of verse 4 it says, Let endurance have its complete work in order that you may not be lacking in any one area. So remain under so that every area of your life can be developed. Now if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask from God.
Now, you cannot skip the first four verses and go down to verse 5 and pray to the Lord for wisdom. The Bible says, If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask from God. Wisdom is gained through going through trials, experiencing Christ, and His endurance and His faithfulness. So when I ask for wisdom, I am asking Him to put me through trials that I might gain the experience of Christ in my life keeping me and sustaining me. So you cannot skip the first four verses to get to this verse and say, “Lord, I need Your wisdom.” What he is talking about is as you go through trials you gain wisdom. It is first-hand experience, seeing the situation for what it is. It is knowing that God is working out a development in one’s life. So he says, And it will be given to him.
Verse 6 of James chapter 1, But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed with the wind. (verse 7) For let not that man presume that he will receive anything from the Lord. That is, (verse 8), This double minded man, unstable in all his ways. So what he is saying is if you want wisdom, if you really want to know the Lord and what it is like to experience Christ, He is going to put you through trials in order to teach you to remain under trusting Him. “I want wisdom, Lord, I want to experience You,” and the Lord brings the trials. Then all of a sudden, you start having doubts and say, “I don’t know about this.”
The term double-minded means a double psyched man. Double souled, double psyched man. The person who keeps flopping back and forth between the human and spiritual. “I know I should trust the Lord but, you know, I am worried about what’s going to happen to me. I am worried about what people are going to think of me. I’m worried that my friends aren’t going to like me,” and all the repercussions. And we keep jumping back and forth between trusting the Lord and bailing out. Well, the text says in James, Let not that man think that he is going to receive anything from the Lord, because that person is unstable. He or she cannot remain under.
So maturity is brought out through trials. And we are encouraged and commanded to consider it all joy when we fall into various trials. This is just the Lord developing us. What is He developing? (hupomenō), a remaining under. It does not matter how long He is going to keep us there, as long as it takes to develop whatever He wants to develop. The endurance is the endurance of Christ, what He provides for us. And we are to consider it all joy when we go through these situations even in the midst of the pain and the hardship.
Peter mentioned in I Peter chapter 1 verses 6 and 7, even through a short time it is grievous for us to go through various trials for the genuineness and proving of our faith to enforce development.
And so Paul prays in II Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 5, he is praying that for them. He says, May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the endurance of Christ. It is not a human accomplishment, it is for what He wants to do in our hearts and lives within us for those purposes.
In summary, in closing, we read what Paul said to Timothy in II Timothy chapter 4 verses 16 through 18. And this is at the end of Paul’s life, a beautiful summary statement of these first five verses. Again it is II Timothy chapter 4 verses 16 through 18. At my first defense (that would be his defense before Nero) no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. All the believers fled and left him. May not be laid to their charged against them. (verse 17) But the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me. Literally the Greek word is empowered. He empowered me in order that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Speaking of that first trial with Nero, he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (Verse 18) And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. The word preserve is the word salvation. The Lord will save me, deliver me, from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom, to Whom is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul taught the Lord is faithful. Paul was an example of God’s faithfulness to His people. He said it is a promise. The Lord will keep you, He will guard you, He will deliver you. You just have to trust Him through the circumstances and the situations. Paul did not say you will be free from adverse or hard circumstances. He did not say that we would be free from the attacks of Satan. It is just that Satan cannot have us. The Lord guards us and He delivers us. And Paul says, And the Lord will deliver me and preserve me for His kingdom.
Next week we will continue on this chapter, the testimony that the believers are to have before Christ returns.
Let’s close with prayer.
