Daily Writing

Monday, 4 September 2017

Test all things; hold fast what is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21

Note: Some manuscripts begin this verse with “but,” thus showing a contrast between what was just said and what is now said. Whether “but” belongs there or not in the text, the words of Paul still imply the use of “but” in the verse. Either way, Paul is showing us a contrast to the previous thoughts.

Paul has been giving a list of positive exhortations intended to keep the believer on a happy and sound course. Verses 19 & 20 concerned the latter – “Do not quench the Spirit” & “Do not despise prophecies.” Now, in order to ensure that we accomplish those things, he exhorts us to be wise and discerning. In order to do this, we are to, “Test all things.”

The word “test” is one that speaks of validation. Its root was used concerning the proving (or testing) of coins in order to confirm whether they were genuine or not. There is the real currency of the land, and then there is that which is counterfeit. Unless one was careful, they could easily be duped into believing they possessed something of value, when instead they possessed only a fake which had no value at all. Paul’s admonition here is that we are to test the fire of the Spirit, and we are to test prophecies. Is this the true Spirit of God, or is it a corrupt counterfeit? Is this a true prophetic utterance, or is it lie from the devil?

Like the currency of the land, what is real is often very hard to distinguish from a forgery. Paul even relayed this truth directly to those in Corinth –

“But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:12-14

How can one tell if something is true and correct if they are not intimately familiar with it? It takes either a specialist or a special chemical test to tell if a $100.00 bill is real or not. The specialist is trained in the most subtle nuances of the original bill, and the chemical test is able to quickly identify the false bill as such. It provides a comparison to what will occur with an original bill.

In both cases, the original is the standard, and the false can only be identified as such when compared with it. The lesson for us is obvious. We cannot know what is false in our faith, unless we know what is the true basis for our faith – the Bible. If we are not willing to train ourselves in a detailed understanding of God’s word, it is not possible for us to test all things. No wonder so many cults and false teachers have arisen, and why so many once-sound denominations have completely fallen away from what is true!

But when we are careful, and when we “test all things” according to the one true standard, we are then able to “hold fast what is good.” We can easily reject the bad, and we can quickly discern who the false, or just plain crummy, teachers are.

In today’s world, where everything in the Bible can be quickly accessed, it is easy to have people suddenly come forth sounding as if they are specialists in the word. In fact, it appears many are specialists, because everyone has this amazing access to the word which was never before available. But this is a scary place to be when putting one’s trust in someone because they have supposedly mastered a single specialized portion of the word (such as future prophecy) and nothing more.

There must be a full understanding of the whole counsel of God in order for a teacher to be fully equipped. Likewise, the layman must have a full understanding of the word of God, or they will easily be duped by these seeming specialists. The study of the word is hard, it takes much time, and it takes a great deal of mental energy, but without it, there is no way we can test all things, and there is no way that we can hold fast to what is good.

Life application: Concerning the Bible in today’s world, it seems everyone is a “specialist.” The wise person will read the word day and night to be kept from these “specialists,” and he will be careful to not get duped by them. KNOW YOUR BIBLE.

Lord God, right in Your word, we are told to test all things, and to hold fast to what is good? How on earth can we test something unless we are familiar with that by which we are making the comparison? Do you approve of homosexuality? Is the supposed prophecy I heard about true? Is observing the Sabbath necessary? How can we know the answer to these things unless we are familiar with Your word? We are like sheep being led to the slaughter because we find our pleasure in TV and not in You. Forgive us of this, and help us to get our priorities right. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Sunday, 3 September 2017

Do not despise prophecies.
1 Thessalonians 5:20

Paul now turns to prophecies. He just said, “Do not quench the Spirit.” It is the Spirit who worked through the apostles and prophets to give us the word of God. This is noted by Paul in the book of Ephesians –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

A foundation is laid only once. The chief Cornerstone is Christ. Upon Him the foundation is laid. The early church was given prophecies to establish the church. Those which were recorded in the Bible are then the foundation of which Paul speaks of. The words of the New Testament apostles, and the prophetic utterances of the Old Testament prophets are the work of the Spirit. Despite ten jillion claims of prophetic utterances, “a word from the Lord,” visions, dreams, and supposed divine revelations since the completion of the Bible, not one of them has added anything to the foundation which was laid. We have the word of God, and we are to not look for another word in addition to it.

In that now-complete word are the recorded prophecies which Paul speaks of. As they were given by the Spirit, not accepting them would be to “quench the Spirit, and it would further be to “despise prophecies” which are valid utterances of God, recorded for our instruction, reproof, edification, etc.

Paul’s words of this verse are not speaking about supposed claims of prophecy by people today, except in the interpretation of those which have been given. His words are given to us as an exhortation to rely on the word of God “which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Let us be wise and discerning, and not be blown around by false claims of supposed “prophets” today. There is one word, it has been received, and we are to hold fast to it alone for our life, doctrine, and edification.

Life application: If you want to hear prophetic utterances from the Lord, open your Bible and read. Let the word speak to you the word which God has spoken.

Heavenly Father, help us to be wise and discerning concerning supposed prophecies that people claim come from You. You have spoken, and Your word is complete. The foundation has been laid, and it is a sure and wonderful word which came from You through the apostles and prophets. What more do we need to be built up and edified in You? Thank You for Your precious word. Amen.

Saturday, 2 September 2017

Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19

These words from Paul give us great insight into the work of the Spirit in our lives. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul said, “…be filled with the Spirit.” The verb in the Greek there is present/imperative/passive. In essence, “Right now, certainly, you are to have the Spirit to fill you.” In Ephesians 4:30, he then writes, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” The verb there is present/imperative/active. Thus is gives the idea of “Right now, certainly, you are to not do this thing.” Now Paul writes, “Do not quench the Spirit.” What do you suppose is the state of the verb? It is present/imperative/active. Like grieving the Spirit, we are to be active in not quenching the Spirit.

What we are seeing here is a truth concerning the Spirit’s working in our lives. Being filled with the Spirit is a passive thing. A person actively drinks wine, but then there is a reaction when the wine makes the person drunk. A person in a hospital who needs an IV does not fill himself with the drip. Instead, it is received passively. The person could pull out the drip, thus he would stop being filled with it.

The believer has all of the Spirit he will ever receive the moment he calls on Christ, but the Spirit can get more of the person. On the day of a person’s marriage, they are now married and will never get more married, but the spouse can get more of the other spouse as yielding takes place.

The same is true with the Spirit. In order to be so filled, the Christian is to sing praises, pray, worship, fellowship, read the Bible, talk on the things of the Lord, etc. In doing these things, they are “filled with the Spirit.”

Understanding this, both grieving the Spirit and quenching the Spirit are active, not passive. When we do something inappropriate, we grieve the Spirit we already have. Likewise, when we don’t actively do the things necessary to fan the flames of the Spirit, we quench the Spirit. And this is the idea of the Spirit in our lives. It is as a fire. In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In Acts 2, the Spirit was said to come down upon the believers at Pentecost as tongues of fire.

The Spirit then is as a fire which 1) can be quenched in our lives, 2) must be fanned in our lives, and which will only then, 3) fill our lives. Our actions results in the Spirit’s filling. But there is a truth which then cannot be missed. We possess the Spirit. Paul never says (nor can it ever be implied anywhere in Scripture) that we can accidentally lose the Spirit, remove the Spirit from our lives, or have the Spirit purposefully leave us. We are sealed with the Spirit the moment we believe, and that will never change. He is our deposit, our guarantee, of our redemption in Christ.

And so to not quench the Spirit (something we can actively do), we are to praise God, pray to God, meditate on God’s word, fellowship with other believers, live in holiness, and so on. Those things which are pleasing to the Spirit will fan the flame of the Spirit. Those things which are displeasing will do the opposite. This is why Paul said to Timothy, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:16). The word translated as “stir up” means “to kindle afresh” as in fanning the flames. Paul implored Timothy to actively do this in order to be fully filled with the Spirit he possessed because of his faith in Christ. So we likewise are to conduct our lives in order to be filled. The Spirit will only fill those receptacles which are properly yielded to Him.

Life application: If you are saved, you are saved. Deal done; you are a son! (or daughter). However, your standing in relation to the Spirit you now possess is one which requires you to do certain things, and to not do certain things. When failing to appropriately act, it is we who will suffer. Why are so many Christians dead in the pews, probably because they aren’t even in the pews! What a waste of eternal rewards, staying home and watching football. Instead, let us expend our energies in Spirit-directed activities, and thus we will be pleasing to God.

Lord God, in Your word, we are admonished to not quench the Spirit, to not grieve the Spirit, and to be filled with the Spirit. The first two we can do actively; the third only You can do as we yield to You. Help us to be active in right ways, so that You will then fill us – even to overflowing. May our fellowship with the Spirit be so vibrant and active that others will see it and want some of Your good Spirit which we possess. Amen.

Friday, 1 September 2017

…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

It can often be hard to be thankful in this life. Family and friends die, we get ripped off by others, sickness and trials are always just around the corner – or maybe even in the room with us now. For these, and seemingly countless other reasons, giving thanks seems impossible. But when offering thanks in such times, we are truly fulfilling what is right and proper.

When we really and fully trust that we are where we should be, and when we can acknowledge that God knew we would be there, then we are demonstrating that we believe God is fully in control, even in the worst of circumstances. In giving thanks at such times, we acknowledge that He has something better planned for us, and we trust that it is true. Thanks then are a demonstration of faith. And they are not just for times of trouble, but even in the often more ignored times of abundance.

When things are going smoothly, we often forget to stop in our comfortable tracks and say, “Thank You God.” We get so caught up in the fun, that He becomes an afterthought. And so Paul admonishes us to “in everything give thanks.” Truly this is pleasing to God, because it is an ever-present acknowledgment that He is there with us. It is, as noted, a demonstration of faith. And as the Bible says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Obviously then, with faith we are found pleasing to Him.

Paul then continues with, “…for this is the will of God.” In verse 4:3, Paul said that the will of God is our sanctification. As much as it is God’s will for us to be holy, so it is God’s will for us to be thankful. In being thankful, we will remember our connection to Him, and we will then desire to be Holy. These logically support one another. This state of thankfulness exists in the person who truly believes that God wants the best for him, and that the best is yet ahead. In our bad times, and even in our very best of times, we are to be thankful for the life we have been given – the spiritual life which has been granted because of the work of Christ. As Paul says, our thankfulness is God’s will “in Christ Jesus for you.”

Nobody on the planet would consider being thankful for bad times, ill-health, death, or other negative instances unless they saw that there was a good end because of them. In Christ, there truly is a good end for them. God’s love is fully and perfectly demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and therefore, that love continues to be demonstrated now as we anticipate His coming again to bring us unto Himself.

Life application: A few (of the many, many examples) of the other times that thankfulness is mentioned for us to consider are found in Ephesians 5:20, Philippians 4:6, and Hebrews 13:15. Take a moment to read those verses and consider them in the context they have been written. After this, be sure to be thankful in all things.

Lord God, today let us just stop and give You thanks. We have needs, but we know they will be met. We have hopes and desires, but we know they will be fulfilled according to Your wisdom. And we may have pains and trials, but these are a part of the life You have ordained for us. Through these things, we offer You both our thanks and our praise for Your immensely kind hand upon us. You have given us Christ Jesus, and so we are filled. We thank You in everything because of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 31 August 2017

…pray without ceasing,
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayer is a precept which Paul writes about many times. He says in Colossians to “devote yourselves to prayer.” He says in Romans to be “faithful in prayer.” In Ephesians, he tells us to “pray in the Spirit,” and to do so with “all kinds of prayers and requests.” There he also specifically says to “keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Such examples are all tied up in the thought of praying “without ceasing.”

We are to pray constantly, fervently, consciously, and purposefully. In so doing, we will then be able to fulfill the previous words of this sentence which say to “rejoice always.” It is through constant communication with God (through Christ Jesus) that we are able to remember the very things God has done for us, and those things which He has promised to us.

But what does it mean to “pray without ceasing?” Does it mean we are to lock ourselves away in a monastery and mumble chants all day long, swinging censers full of incense and eating bread and water? No! Praying without ceasing is a state of life. We can pray out loud or in our minds. We can pray as we work, and as we walk. We can pray alone, and we can pray with others.

Prayer is communication with God. When we are thinking about something which blesses us, and we say in our souls, “That is so beautiful, Lord. Thank You,” we are praying. When we are distressed over some terrifying occurrence in our life, or because of some issue which has saddened our souls, we can open our hearts and cry out to God in prayer which is audible and painfully woeful to others’ ears. And any communication between these extremes – indeed, any acknowledgment of the Lord’s presence in our lives which is mentally or audibly communicated to Him – is a type of prayer.

Therefore, to “pray without ceasing” is to always have the Lord on our minds. This is the life of faith that is pleasing to God. Let us then be obedient to this precept, living our lives in His presence, acknowledging that presence at all times. May our lives be constantly filled with words transmitted to God, rising to Him as the fragrant smoke of incense; always pleasing to Him.

Life application: If you are reading this commentary and thinking about the Lord, thanking Him for an analysis of His word, then you are in the process of prayer. Now, let this state continue always. Pray without ceasing.

Lord God, help me to be obedient to the exhortation to “pray without ceasing” which is found in Your word. May my mind be connected to You at all times, acknowledging You through thanks, petitions, and praises. And may these prayers also flow out from my heart, through my lips, and rise to Your ears as if the sweetest of incense. I pray this to Your honor. May our connection stay open at all times as I truly “pray without ceasing.” Amen.