Good morning. Finally Paul is done with the end times. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. We were chosen from the beginning; it was not an afterthought by God. Remember Paul just got finished talking about people believing a deception. We however believed in the truth. He again mentions that sanctification comes by the Holy Spirit. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were not called just to get our fire insurance. We were called unto sanctification. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught. Paul loves to tell people to stand firm. Sadly today believers are taught the traditions of men, not of God. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. God is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him. We need not fear the evil one, because God will protect us. May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Then something that sounds cruel in today's politically correct environment, but is actually very necessary in the church. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the traditions which you have received from us. Remember that bad company corrupts good morals. If we associate with someone who leads an unruly life, it will eventually rub off on us instead of the other way around. We can pray for them at a distance. Father thank You that the reader stands firm and holds to the traditions he/she was taught. He/she has Your love and is steadfast like Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me

  Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
Read more
  Good morning. So Peter just told them that basically they were responsible for the death of Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do? Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we will see much later, it seems that at this point in time they believed that you could not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit without first being baptized in water. It appears that that idea did not change until chapter 10 after God baptized Cornelius and his family in the Holy Spirit before they were water baptized. Now lest someone think that this was just for the people in the first century Peter then says, for the promise (of the Father - baptism in the Holy Spirit) is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself. That means us! And...
Read more

And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it

  Good morning. I pray that everything is all right with your family. And as he heard these words,  Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it – ya think? Based on Peter’s words to the wife later, I don’t think Peter was expecting this to happen. If that happened today, a lot of congregations would be shrinking 😳 . The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Notice that there was no ceremony, and no one gave a eulogy. I don’t know if that was the custom or if it was because of the way he died – probably the custom. They needed to bury people right away because there was no embalming. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. What, no one cellphoned her 🙃 ? Notice that it took three hours. Whether that is because it was a long way off, or it took a long time to dig a grave we don’t know. Responding to her, Peter said, tell me whet...
Read more