Wednesday, February 15, 2006
2 Thessalonians 2:14-15 He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
THANKFUL FOR THE WORD!
The believers in Thessalonica were still struggling, and still facing trials, even after Paul had left. Earlier in this letter Paul had written, "we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure" (2 Thessalonians 1:4). When we face trials in our lives we tend to let go of things that were once important to us. We may even be tempted to forget about the importance of God's Word in our lives. We may not feel like picking up our Bibles and doing our daily Bible reading. We may not feel up to making the long trip to attend bible class and worship services on Sunday morning. But Paul tells discouraged believers to "stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle."
Don't let go of the means which God has given you to keep you on the path which leads to eternal salvation. When we find ourselves in the face of trials and discouragement, we should grip God's Word even tighter than before, because it is at times like that when we need it the most!
It is the Word of God -- the Gospel -- that God has given us in order to create and strengthen our faith, and to bring about our eternal salvation. It is the tool which God uses to create faith within us, sanctify us, and bring us to eternal salvation.
God calls us to His salvation through His Word. Paul calls it the "Gospel," which is the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. The works of God which we have already studied: faith, sanctification, and salvation, are all brought about in us by God, through His Word. It was through Paul's preaching in Thessalonica that those believers had been brought to know about Jesus as the Savior of the world. It was through the reading of Paul's letters that they had been strengthened in their faith and knowledge about Jesus. May we continue to use and be thankful for the Word which is the tool God uses to create and sustain our faith and salvation!
