2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
Friday, 08 March 2024
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. -2Thesalonians 3:13
Dear Saints of God, this epistle written in the first century is all the more apt for our days. It gives us ample admonition and directions, in the midst of all the chaos around us in the wake of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we read through the two epistles to the Thessalonians, we can understand that the Thessalonian church misinterpreted the timing of the Lord’s coming and were acting slack and became irresponsible in their daily living. Also due to the persecution faced by them, they thought the "the Day of the Lord" is at hand— very near. Because of all these and the unauthorized letters that were in circulation in the name of Paul, it brought in a lot of confusion within the church. So, Paul wrote this letter to affirm them on how they ought to conduct themselves in the light of the second coming of the Lord and gave further clarity on the expected event. The important pointer towards that, is the revealing of the Man of Lawlessness. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…(2Thess. 2:3).
Along with this Paul tries to clarify that we need to lead a normal Christian life until the day of His coming. We need to fulfill all that God has given us to do. The perfect timing of His coming is only known to the Father in heaven. But Jesus has given us signs to understand that He is at the door. Now living in such an era when all the prophecies given in the word of God concerning the second coming of Jesus is happening around us, we need to take heed to Paul’s second letter to Thessalonians. This letter gives us a very clear understanding of the following aspects concerning the Church:
· We need to fulfill His commandment to go to the ends of the earth and spread the gospel in this hostile world till His coming. As we read in the Epistle: Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you…(2Thess 3:1). Jesus had spoken about this in His Olivet discourse: And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matt. 24:12;14)
· Secondly, we need to lead a life that will show forth Christ’s character in and through us. Some were leading idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business (V.11 NLT). We lose our testimony if we live loose lives, disregarding the principles of God’s Word. We are called to be the salt and the light in this dark world—leading others to Jesus the Light of the world and influencing others by our right conduct and genuine concern for their salvation. 2 Thessalonians 3: 13 says: But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. We are no to lose heart of things happening around us but be focused on God’s Kingdom and cooperating with Him in His work until Christ’s coming again to take us back to be with Him.
For Prayer: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” (2 Thess. 3:5)