The Hope of the Resurrection

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 23, 2021

The Hope of the Resurrection

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Imagine you are having coffee with friends after church. A visitor, who has been blind since birth, is brought by a friend to your table just as you are describing the magnificent sunset you saw last evening? In your mind’s eye you still vividly see the awesome display of color that was painted across the sky. How do you describe that scene to the visitor? Of the five senses, sight is the only one the visitor is missing. How do you describe color using only sound, smell, touch or taste? Now you have a measure of the difficulty Paul faced when he needed to explain the second coming of Christ to the Thessalonians (and us.)

Paul relied on metaphors that were inspired from Old Testament events such as Moses descending from the mountain. It is so very important that we do not get lost in the details of the metaphors and try to translate Paul’s imagery into a literal expectation of what it will be like when Jesus comes again. Stand back a bit and try to take in the big picture. When I do, here is what I see in Paul’s description.

This is not about where the dead go when they die or what state the dead are in. It is an affirmation that the dead are in God’s care and when Jesus appears again, they will too.

All God’s children are equal in His sight. When Jesus comes again, we are still equal. Those who have died do not have an advantage over those who are still alive, or vice versa.

Our future resurrection does not mean 'spiritual' life in some faraway place called heaven. It means God’s people will have new and glorified bodies to live with and for God in the new redeemed world God will create.

There is grief when those we love die. But as Paul noted in the opening verse in today’s passage, we do not grieve like people who have no hope.  

My Takeaway:  Christian hope remembers Psalm 30:11,

You have turned my mourning

into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning

and clothed me with joy

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Patience

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 22, 2021

Patience

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

In this passage, Paul urged the church to practice a generous lifestyle, sharing abundantly with those in need, while maintaining a quiet life. These were the hallmarks of the first century Christian communities. When challenged about their ideas, Christians pointed to their actions. They believed that their lifestyle, their embodied behavior, was eloquent. Their behavior said what they believed; it was an enactment of their message. The ancient theologian Origen called this lifestyle God’s “invisible power.” “Beloved brethren,” he wrote, “[we] are philosophers not in words, but in deeds; we exhibit our wisdom not by our dress, but by truth; we know virtues by their practice rather than through boasting of them; we do not speak great things, but we live them.”

Many churches today urge their members to tithe, or give ten percent of their income to the church. While there is some basis for this in the Bible, the first century church practiced extravagant hospitality in their lifestyle and in their giving.

My Takeaway: Another hallmark of our heritage from the first Christians is their patience. They believed that patience brings to Christians the life of the Beatitudes and the life of love that Paul celebrates in 1 Corinthians 13. They celebrated a patience which was rooted in God’s character: God is patient, is working inexorably across the centuries to accomplish his mission, and in the fullness of time has disclosed himself in Jesus Christ. I would do well to embody this Godly patience in my life. How about you?

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Live to Please God

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 21, 2021

Live to Please God

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you.

1 Thessalonians 4:1a

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Paul gives very practical advice to the young Thessalonian church, and he covers the basics of life that still apply today: sex, money and death. We will look at these over three days. As we do, we will see that Paul depends of three things to make his points: the commands of God, the presence of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not a coincidence Paul’s counsel takes a trinitarian shape.

I’ve read that Saint Francis referred to his body as, ‘brother donkey.’ I think that is an appropriate nickname we all can appropriate in our life. Our mission is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in transforming our wayward flesh into obedience to God’s commands. God has a better way for us to live together in community, and Paul is urging us to reach for this high standard.

My Takeaway: The word holy, or holiness, is used three times in this brief passage. (V. 3,4,7) God is Holy, and we his followers are called to be holy. This theme is mentioned seven times in the OT, and twice by Peter: 1 Peter 1:15,16. This should cause us to pause and consider how we are applying this standard to our lives.  

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When Our Lord Jesus Comes Again

Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

 

June 18, 2021

When Our Lord Jesus Comes Again

 

May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3:13

Read: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

 

Did you notice that Paul ended each of the first three chapters with a reference to the Second Coming of Christ? Spoiler alert – he did the same in chapters five and six. At the very least, I hope this encourages you to examine your own understanding of the victorious return of Jesus and how this important doctrine impacts your faith.

 

What was it that Paul said would make the hearts of the Thessalonians strong, blameless and holy? It was something quite simple: “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow.” (v.12) Two thoughts on this. First, note that Paul is affirming that it is God who is at work to form Christ in us. Secondly, while yes, it is God working in us, we are not to be passive in this process. Our role is to agree with what God is doing and to yield ourselves to the spiritual practices, the means of grace that will facilitate God’s work within us.

 

My Takeaway: I dare not minimize the importance of Paul’s prayerful hope for his friends, and for me. When Jesus dictated his letter to the church in Ephesus, he told them, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” (Revelation 2:4) May such a complaint never be lodged against me.

 

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

Faith and Love

Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

 

June 17, 2021

Faith and Love

 

But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love.

1 Thessalonians 3:6a

Read: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

 

Paul had been experiencing great difficulties. Yet, in the midst of his trying circumstances, he found joy and encouragement because his friends in Thessalonica were standing firm in the faith. Paul said it even gave him new life to know that they are standing firm in the Lord. This is a perspective on Kingdom living that I find almost completely missing in churches in the USA. I know some churches routinely pray for other congregations, but in my experience, I rarely hear the name of another church mentioned. And it is more than just mentioning another congregation. News from the Thessalonians was life transforming for Paul. I believe God wants us to have this kind of connection within the Body of Christ.

 

Even though Paul received a good report about the faith and love within the Thessalonian church, he knew they were still a work in progress, that there were gaps in their faith. I too am a work in progress. I too have gaps in my faith.

 

My Takeaway: I am writing this on the day after I finished participating in a Bible Study on the Book of Ruth. As we concluded this study, I was longing for more. I know I need to keep filling in the gaps in my faith. How about you?

 

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.