19 March - The One Who Calls You is Faithful
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
In Stephen Covey’s seminal work, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Habit No.2 is “Begin with the End in Mind.” The thrust of his thesis is simple. If we know the end result of what we hope to achieve, that determines our current actions. He had an exercise where the reader is asked to write the epitaph on their own tombstone. What is it you want to be known for at the end of your life? Some examples would include wanting to live a legacy as a faithful husband, loving father or loyal friend. Our life mission should then ideally be to take proactive steps to achieve those goals.
For the Apostle Paul, the end, the second coming of Christ determines how Christians are to conduct their lives right now. How they are to live their lives is determined by their relationship with the heavenly Father.
He begins by drawing their attention to the God that they worship. He is God who has not only called them into his family but also faithful in fulfilling his promises for them. It is about who God is.
Who is the God that they were called to worship? He is the God of peace. He is the God who will sanctify and keep them blameless. These are acts of God in their lives, who desires that they live lives of holiness. The motivation to adopt this pattern of living is simply that Christ is coming back again (v.23).
Their right focus on who God is will enable them to walk the faith journey to the end of their lives or when Christ will return. This faith journey is one of trusting God to do his work in our lives. It is his Spirit that we depend on, on a daily basis. It is, “Not I but Christ crucified” that we sing and claim as his promise for us.
The book then ends with an exhortation on how the believers are to live with each other. It is a reminder for Christian fellowship centred upon Christ. He called them brothers and sisters. He asked that they prayed for him (v.25). He emphasises the importance of greeting each other. They are to give, “holy kiss” (v.26). He directed that they are to read this letter to one and all (v.27). He ends by pronouncing God’s grace upon them (v.28). We therefore see a beautiful and warm picture of how believers are to live their lives. It is Christian community, and never alone.
PONDER
What is my understanding of the God I worship? Am I driven to pray and praise him for who he is and not merely for what he can give me?
PROMISE
He who calls you is faithful. It is a promise to cling onto in both good and challenging times.
PRAYER
Almighty and Eternal Father, we ask that you help us to live a life marked by peace with both men and women, dedicated to seeking your holiness and desiring that you will return soon. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.
Article by the Reverend Tan Meng Poo, Pastor of Hosanna Anglican Church, Johor Bahru. A lawyer by training, he is the Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Country Director, Malaysia, Our Daily Bread Ministries.