THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
69
them the m easure of th e love th a t he prayed th a t they m ight have._ The rea son why he wished the Lord Jesus to make them to abound in love was “ to th e end He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and F ath er, a t th é coming of our Lord Jesu s w ith all His sain ts.” Love is the essence and sum of tru e holiness (cf. Matt. 5:44-48; Rom. 13:10; Col. 3 :14 ; 1 John 3 :10 ; 4:7, 8 ), making them to increase and abound in love would be th e way to establish them “ unblamable in holiness.” P aul had sent Timothy to “ establish” them (v. 2), bu t it.is th e Lord who really estab lishes. The words are different in both A. V. and R. V.. bu t are precisely the same in th e Greek, and of course should be in the English. It is “a t the coming of our Lord Jesu s w ith all His sain ts” th a t we shall be established unblamable in holiness (cf. ch. 5:23, R. V.; 1 John 3 :2 ). It is not in th e life th a t now is, n eith er is it a t death, th a t we are in the fullest sense made perfect, it is at th e re tu rn of our Lord Jesus. It will not only be in th e sight of men, bu t “ before God” th a t we shall be “ unblam able” then. Thé “all the sain ts” lite r ally tran slated would be “ all the holy ones,” 'i. e., both angels and redeemed men (cf. ch. 4 :14 ; Zech. 4:5, R.V.; Matt. 25:31; 2 Thess. 1 :7 ; Acts 9:13; Jud e 14, 15, R. V .). P aul now takes up his closing exhor tations. They form a very considerable portion of the letter. He first takes up th e subject of impurity. This was always a burning question in the heathen church, for th e sin against which P au l warns them here was not regarded as necessarily a sin a t all in th e heathen world. Alas! th a t th ere should be such crying need of these same w arnings in our own day. Paul is very tend er and a t th e same tim e very u rgen t in these warnings. He addresses them as equals and as objects of his peculiar love, “ b reth ren .” He says, “We beseech and exhort you.” This beseeching and exhorting was “ in th e Lord Jesu s,” i. e. in union w ith Him and under His guidance and by His authority. The title “Lord” is pecu liarly appropriate alnd suggestive in such a connection. They had already “ received” from P aul during his stay w ith them how they "ough t to walk THURSDAY, Ja n u ary 9. 1 Thess. 4:1-3.
(i- e„ conduct th e ir daily life) and "to please God, (th a t is, how they ought to pursue such a course of conduct in th e ir daily life as would please Clod).” P aul now urges them to walk in this way th a t they had received from him when he was personally w ith them . Hd adds th a t he does not mean to imply th a t they do not walk th a t way, for they do, but he urges them to “ abound more and more.” None are so good th a t they cannot be better. He calls to m ind “what charge (more exactly, what c h a rg e s)” he had given them when he was w ith them . Evidently from th e context, these solemn “ charges” con cerned p u rity of life. He had given them these solemn charges concerning pu rity of life “through th e Lord Jesus,” i. e. under His direction and by His authority. P u rity is a subject th a t Jesus would drive home on th e a tte n tion of His disciples (cf. Matt. 5 :27-29). The reason why P au l had given these solemn and repeated charges was because “ the will of God” could be summed up in two words, “your sanc tification, ” i. e., your separation from sin and separation to God (cf. 1 Pet. 1 :16 ; Heb. 12:14, R. V .). Then Paui describes in a very practical way what th e “sanctification” which is th e will of God, is. It is no t an ecstatic experi ence, bu t abstinence from sin, “ th a t ye abstain from fornication.” This was th e commonest sin of the day, almost universal, no t condemned by the heathen world; bu t they most abstain absolutely from it. On th is question C h ristian ity coifntenances absolutely no compromise (cf. Acts 15:20; 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 15-20; Rev. 2 1 :8 ). C hristian ity is a t sword’s points on th is ques tion w ith heathenism and infidelity. 1 once saw a catechism ta u g h t to chil dren in infidel Sunday Schools in th is country in which th is ■ vile sin is openly advocated. In con trast w ith “ fornication” it is “ th e will of God” “ th a t each one of you know how to possess him self of (or acquire, get for him self) his own vessel (i. e., his own law ful wife, cf. 1 Pet. 3 :7 ; 1 Cor. 7 :2 ) in sanctification and honor.” While “fo rnication” is in every form exceedingly h atefu l to God, m arried life is honorable in His sight (.cf• Heb. 1 3 :4 ), a path of sanctifica tion. But m arried life must be lived FRIDAY, Ja n u ary 10. 1 Thess. 4:4-6.
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker