Good Morning Friends,
“And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing
what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take
special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel
ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Now may
the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The
Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is
the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13-18)
The Christians in Paul’s day faced a temptation
that is the same as one we face today. There was, and is, a temptation to get
tired of doing what is right and give up. Paul urged the Galatians to avoid the
same temptation: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
That temptation is strong because doing what is
right doesn’t come naturally, it takes discipline and effort. The natural thing
to do is to give in to our flesh, not to follow God.
That temptation is strong because it often
seems like we’re not making any progress. All of us continue to struggle with
sin and sometimes it seems like we’re no more righteous now than we were years
ago. Why struggle, why make the effort, if it isn’t doing anything for us.
That temptation is strong because doing good
attracts the displeasure of the world around us. In our day, as in Paul’s,
there is clear opposition to the righteousness of the Lord -- the temptation is
strong to stop fighting it and go with the crowd.
Then, as now, Christians need an encouraging
word occasionally, a reminder of why we’re in this struggle against sin – it’s
because God loves us and God has done so much for us. He’s worth the struggle!
His, by Grace, Steve
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