Promise thru Paul 288: Save Sinners

288. Save Sinners

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

God promises to save sinners. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not the righteous. Those who are already righteous don’t need to be saved; but of course, no one is righteous. We may be deceived into thinking we are righteous, or at least, good enough. “I’m a good guy; I never intentionally hurt anyone.” Good enough is not good enough; only absolute righteousness is. Salvation begins when I admit to being a sinner, which is repentance. Jesus calls sinners to repentance, not the righteous. He would call those who think they are righteous, but they cannot respond with humble repentance and faith.

It is not enough to believe: “All people are sinners; no one is perfect.” But it is enough when I say, “I am the sinner, in fact, I am the chief of sinners.” When I pray, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” then I arise justified. Jesus told Simon the Pharisee, “She loved much because she was forgiven much.” Repentance and faith in the Gospel is the key that opens heaven’s door. I am the chief of sinners because I know more about my sins than I do about anyone else’s. I can confess my sins, but I cannot confess the sins of others. I cannot judge others, but I can judge myself to be a sinner, and I can confess that Jesus came into the world to save me.

One of the great joys of being a Christian is repenting daily, confessing my sin and receiving forgiveness, sensing my ungodliness and believing that Jesus died for the ungodly. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost: I was lost but He found me. My human tendency is to convince God that I am sincerely trying to do good, to change my ways, and to be a better person. The better way, in fact the only way is to believe what God says about me and what He says about Jesus. Believe the faithful saying: Jesus came to save me. This is the daily joy of the believer. Salvation is a daily joy. Jesus Christ is always saving me, the sinner. Praise the Lord!

Promise thru Paul 287: Peace Always

287.  Peace Always

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

The Lord of peace promises to give us peace always by all means. God is peace; God is always at peace. The peace of God is a quality that is inherent in the character of God. The peace of God passes our understanding: it is deeper and more intense (if peace can be intense) than we are able to grasp. That peace, the peace of God, the peace we don’t even comprehend, the strong peace that cannot be ruffled is given to us. God’s peace is now ours; it will guard our hearts and minds. Evil, chaotic, hostile, explosive and dangerous forces cannot penetrate the shield and fortress that is the Peace of God. God’s peace protects us from war and strife. We are at war and we are, like it or not, engaged in spiritual warfare, but we fight the war with peace. What can threatening, warlike and fighting bullies do with that?

It is important to appropriate His promise of peace always. There are no exceptions, or times, or circumstances when we do not have peace. Peace is present in the midst of every storm, trouble, difficulty and adversity. You have it always, no matter what, no matter when. We just take it, live in it, and enjoy it. We are tempted to believe that God is absent sometimes, but that is an unfounded fear. Jesus promises, “Behold, I am with you always.” There is never a time when I can say, “God is not here. There is no peace.” That would be unbelief, and it would be a lie.

God gives peace “by all means,” God uses the means of grace (Word and Sacrament) to get the blessings and the peace of God to us. The Lord brings peace to our hearts by the means of, and only by the means of, the written Word, the spoken Word, and the visible Word. This is the foundation and the basis of peace, but “by all means” also means that on the basis of the Word the Lord will use circumstances, people, and things that happen to give peace. Once in a while we observe a “God sighting” which speaks peace to the heart. We check these means and interpret them according to the only trustworthy means we have, the Gospel in Word and Sacraments. We receive peace from God with faith and with thankful hearts.

Promise thru Paul 286: Keep from Evil

286.  Keep from Evil

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

“Deliver us from evil.” Jesus tells us to pray this because God promises to do just that. It’s always good to pray what God wants us to pray. For this reason we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus commands it and God promises to answer it. The Lord says He will keep you from evil, and He is faithful to do what he promises. God keeps His promises because He is by nature and character faithful. God keeps His Word. If He says He will do it, He will do it.

It may not seem to us that God keeps this promise: that He will keep us from evil. But we define evil differently than God does. To us, evil is anything that prevents us from feeling good, from getting what we want, and anything that includes pain and suffering. To us, evil is anything that keeps us from our goals. This is the definition of anger: when something prevents us from feeling good or from reaching the goal of what we wanted to do we get angry. The very fact that anger is such a common problem for all people proves the truth about what we consider evil. God does not promise to deliver us things that make us angry.

God promises to deliver us from what He considers to be evil. Evil is at base anything that is opposed to God, namely Sin, Death, and the Devil. These Enemies are Evil because they are inimical to God, His Will, and His Word. God is always love, His Will is always good, and His Word is always truth. These evil enemies are evil not only because they are opposed to God, but also because hey are opposed to us, God’s children; they constantly seek to destroy us. And they don’t let up. This is the evil God delivers us from. An alternative translation of “deliver us from evil” is “deliver us from the Evil One,” namely the devil. The Evil One may be considered the source and cause of all sin and evil. Keep us from him. The Lord will do so.

Define evil correctly. Pain, suffering, trouble, and loss are not necessarily evil, although they may lead to anger, fear, despair, and unbelief, which are evil. God will deliver us from the latter but not the former. One of at least ten examples of how God defines evil in a different way: God considers it evil to neglect the Word of God, to despise the preaching of the Gospel; we don’t see it that way. But ignoring the Gospel is a dangerous thing, even if we don’t see the consequences.

But we pray because the Lord promises: Keep us from evil, and deliver us from it when we get into it.

Promise thru Paul 285: Consolation and Hope

285. Consolation and Hope

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.

Jesus Christ and God the Father have freely given us everlasting consolation and good hope. That’s a promise we need. We need consolation is the midst of misery and trouble, and we have it; and it is everlasting consolation. Comfort from God will never end, but it will always be there any time we need it, and especially when we need it most. And the comfort from God is also everlasting in the sense that He reminds us to take the long view and look at the big picture. “This, too, shall pass.” Every kind of adversity we go through now will come to and end. Every crisis will be resolved in its time. Nothing lasts that long, except for all the good things promised by God: love and life, joy and happiness, peace and harmony, safety and security, purpose and fulfillment, contentment and calm, and much more. We can take comfort in the knowledge that this life is short and eternal life is really long.

And we have been given good hope. We need hope in the midst of disappointment and despair. Through life we become disappointed with many things and many people; we are even disappointed with ourselves. Expectations and dreams have not come true. Broken promises litter our journey. Hopes for better things are often dashed. We even become disappointed in God, because He seems to let bad things happen or He didn’t do what I wanted Him to do. But God has given us good hope; the hope is good in two ways: it is good in that He gives good things; it is good in that it is certain and sure. Hope is the present certainty and guarantee of future good things undiminished by bad things. 

Hope springs eternal in the heart, not only because it is unquenchable but also because it is the sure hope of eternal things. Hope is the present reality of God’s Life, which is eternal. And all of this is given through grace: it is free to us, but costly to God.

Promise thru Paul 284: Obtain the Glory of Christ

284. Obtaining the Glory

1 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God called us by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of Christ. This Gospel promise is quite something. God promises that we will have the glory of Christ. The Gospel calls us to forgiveness, life, and salvation, but also we shall have the glory of Christ. The glory of Christ was shown to us at the cross and the empty tomb. After suffering the humility of a humbling incarnation, an inglorious life, and an excruciating death, God raised Him up to glory through the resurrection from the dead and the ascension to the right hand of God. 

The glorification of Jesus Christ after His humiliation is not surprising; what is surprising is that we sinful humans have a share in the glory of Christ. We did not expect glory; we would have been happy with simple life and salvation. Faith unites us with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, session at the right hand, and His coming to judge. But there is more: by faith we are united with Christ in His glorification. He shares His glory with us. 

Glory is the brilliant shining forth of the inner character. Christ in us is the hope of glory. This inner character shines forth in us as glory. Once again, this promise must be believed since it is not seen. We don’t see the glory, but God sees it. We have obtained it and now it belongs to us. We did not earn it, we don’t deserve it, but we have it. What amazing grace that our Lord Jesus Christ would share with us His glory! Our faith makes it our own, just as if we had earned it

If we could see the glory that we have obtained we would never be the same again. The sight would be so beautiful and brilliant that we could not even bear the feeling of our own glory; it would be overwhelming and render us breathless. Faith in the Gospel receives, obtains, enjoys, and basks in the glory. And not only so, but by faith we can see the glory of Christ in fellow believers, and when we “see” it we treat the brothers and sisters in Christ differently.

Promise thru Paul 283: Chosen to Salvation

283. Chosen to Salvation

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Sprit and belief of the truth.

God promises salvation; God has chosen us to salvation; God has worked salvation for us through the Spirit and the Truth. The Gospel is used by the Spirit to make us holy and to bring us to faith in the truth. The same Gospel keeps us holy and keeps us in the faith. The Spirit makes us holy and the Truth makes us free. Salvation is freedom; it saves us from Sin, Death and the Devil; we are no longer slaves to the Enemies that would like to do us harm. We give thanks always to God for us and for our salvation. Every time we hear the Gospel we say, “Thanks be to God.”

The part of this promise that is meant for comfort and strength is the phrase, “from the beginning.” This truth is given for our assurance because our salvation is not an afterthought or a plan “B.” God designed our salvation from the beginning and He faithfully and fully carried it out. God always does what He promises. God chose us from the beginning, He accomplished it, and He will finish it: we have been saved, we are saved, and we will be saved. From beginning to end “it is finished!” God chose us from the beginning, when He created. My salvation was always God’s plan and the plan never changed. And in spite of the sin that corrupts and destroys, the death that looms and plunders, and the devil that tempts and lies we can always know that we are chosen from the beginning. We can know that nothing will thwart God’s purpose. My assurance is sure, my comfort is secure, and my hope is set in stone.

However, this consistent promise (from the beginning He chose us) has been subject to doubt and unbelief, controversy and contention, distortion and question. The question arises (from the devil): “How do I know if I am chosen? I can’t know the mind of God.” Yes, you can, because He has revealed it in His Word of Gospel. He made a promise long ago. I know I am chosen because I heard and believed the Gospel: Jesus saves me. Now that I believe I can go back behind the cross and I see (from revelation) that God had my salvation in mind all along, throughout history. The God who loves me so that I would believe the Gospel and be saved has arranged the unfolding of the history of the earth and the world for me. But I am not saved because I am chosen; I am saved because Jesus died for me. I believe, therefore I am saved; I am saved, therefore, I am chosen. I am not only loved, but I am also chosen. God says, “You are special to me.”

Promise thru Paul 282: Jesus Glorified in us

282. Name Glorified in us

2 Thessalonians 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God will glorify the name of Jesus Christ in us, just as God will glorify us in Christ. This works both ways: Christ is glorified and we are glorified. All of this is because of the grace of God. Grace means “Jesus earned it.” The eternal truth is always: God is glorified in everything. In this case God is glorified in us. And God will not give His Glory to another, meaning that we must be humbled and not glorified. Seeking or desiring fame or recognition or honor or glory for self is always sin. If God does not get the glory, because we are taking it for ourselves, it is idolatry and rebellion and unfaithful adultery.

Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father.” And we might add, “…and not to you.” Sin and the Devil use the flesh and the world to tempt us to seek fame and glory; we strongly “need” a good reputation among others, honor, fame and glory. The Enemy deceives us into thinking that we must be worthwhile and acceptable human beings in the world; but the Enemy doesn’t tell us that we are already worth more than pearls and treasures, and already accepted in the Beloved, and already approved by the Father.

We cannot improve the weight of glory that God has already shared with us because Jesus earned it for us. The only thing left for us to do is give glory to God in everything. It is unbelief to seek to be glorified by friends and family and the world. It won’t make me a better person or make me feel better. 

But by faith we are so united with Christ that He is glorified in us and we in Him. Jesus gets glory every time we “give a cup of cold water.” We need to believe the promise that Jesus is glorified in us, and that the byproduct is wonderful: we get glorified in Him, that is, we are blessed in the doing. We are blessed every time we are kind, not because I get credit for doing a good thing but because Jesus used me to do a good thing. Why does it feel good to do the right thing? It is because the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in you. That is the promised blessing.

Promise thru Paul 281: Fulfill the Work of Faith

281. Fulfill the Work of Faith

2 Thessalonians 1:11c …fulfill…the work of faith with power.

Paul prays for church that God would do three things. One of the blessings he prays for is that God would fulfill the work of faith with power. The condition of the promise is someone would pray for this to happen. God promises to hear the prayer to complete the work of faith. This is certainly a worthwhile thing to pray for. God promises to answer it.

God will work faith in us by the power of the Gospel. The Lord fulfills His promises by working faith in us through Word and Sacraments. When the sinner hears the Gospel the Holy Spirit comes with that Word and generates faith as He regenerates the human spirit. The promise is that God has done it; He has granted faith to receive the gift of righteousness and salvation and life.

God will continue the work of faith throughout our lives, for He does not quit. We have the power to quit on God, but He won’t quit on us. He continues to work faith in us daily and it works every time we hear the gospel and repent and believe. God will fulfill; God will finish what He started. God is faithful and He will fulfill the work of faith until the very end, and then the end is not the end but the beginning of a life without end.

Finally, this work of faith is with power. God promises He will hold on to us with His own Almighty Power. This is the power of love. Love is the greatest and strongest power in the universe. Love is the power that overcomes death and all kinds of evil planned against us. Because love does not look like power to worldlings, God gives His sure Word and Promise so that we may see. The power of the Gospel of Love is the power to defeat all enemies, the power to protect and keep us, and the power to do the impossible—forgive sin, change sinners, and create life. God fulfills.

Promise thru Paul 280: Fulfill God’s pleasure

280. Fulfill God’s Pleasure

2 Thessalonians 1:11b …and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness,…

Paul prays, secondly, for you always that God will fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness in your lives. The condition of this promise is that someone, or I myself, will pray for me that God will be pleased with my life according to His goodness. If you pray for it, then God promises to feel good about you. This is another way of praying: “Make me a better person.” Or, we can put the prayer in Jesus’ words: “Thy will be done.”

God’s will is always good, for God is always good. When His will is done God is well pleased; it gives Him good pleasure. Will = pleasure. It is an insightful revelation for me to believe that I could make God feel good. Of course, God feels good and does only good all the time, with or without my good works. God doesn’t need my good works, but other people do. And when God uses me to make other people feel good, God feels good, the other person feels good, and I feel good. Goodness makes everybody feel better; everybody wins. What could go wrong? Nothing.

However, being good and doing good things does not come naturally to selfish sinful humans. I cannot fulfill God’s pleasure; I will not do His will; I cannot improve my life or make it better by self-effort or seven steps to self-improvement. God must do it for me, and He desperately wants to, but He needs me to be willing to trust God the Spirit to make it happen. So I pray. “God help me; I can’t do it.” God promises to hear and answer such a prayer that He Himself told us to pray. He will fulfill.

God is ready and willing to turn us from self-pleasing lives to God-pleasing lives. The only question remaining is: Am I willing? Pray to let God do it. God will be pleased, and when God is pleased I am blessed. Philippians 2:13: “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” God does it; I don’t.

Promise thru Paul 279: Worthy of God’s Calling

279. Worthy of God’s Calling

2 Thessalonians 1:11a Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling,….

This promise to count you worthy of this calling is conditional upon praying for it. Paul is praying always that God would do this. This verse gives us a clue that this would be a wonderful prayer request for us to pray both for ourselves and for others. Pray that God would count you worthy of this calling; pray that He would make your spouse and children worthy of His calling. In general, this would be a great prayer for us to pray often: make me a better person, make me a person who desires and does Your will, make me live a life worthy of the noble calling to which you have created me and for which you have saved me. In other words: “Thy will be done in my life on earth, as it has been decreed to be in heaven.” Or, as Jesus says in Matthew 7:11, “How much more will you Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Do you think the Lord wants to answer this prayer, and that He wants you to pray like this?

The first truth we must admit to is that I cannot make myself worthy of the calling of God. God makes me holy; I can’t make myself holier. It’s all God’s doing; but He wants you to ask Him for the goodness, which He has already laid out for you to walk into. The second truth we must agree with is that God can do the impossible: make me a better person, or, give me good things. Repentance, faith and prayer is the condition: if you pray for this, then God will count you worthy of this calling. Recognize the high calling to which God called us when He saved us: we shall be holy, as He is holy. I regard holiness as an impossible goal, but God does not see it that way. Just because we can’t be holy does not mean that the Lord also has given up on this project. “Lord, count me worthy of the righteousness which You have already imputed to me by faith,”

We don’t want to give up on this prayer just because it is impossible. We always pray for impossible things; God does the impossible. Could it be possible that we are not close to the calling of righteousness because no one (myself included) is praying that God would count me worthy? God is in the business of saving us for good works and producing good works in us. God will surely answer the prayers that He told us to pray. “When you pray, say:” God’s name is kept holy when we lead holy lives according to the Word of God; God’s kingdom comes when we lead godly lives here in time; and the good and gracious will of God is done among us also. Imagine what would happen when we pray this way: “Count me worthy.” He will.