Stability: Standing Fast in a Messed up World - 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Copyright September 30, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

I have been diagnosed with something called Meniere's disease. It is not something that you die from . . . it just hangs around and annoys you (a thorn in the flesh, if you will). You hear a high-pitched ringing in your ear that kind of pulses with your heartbeat. In the effected ear you start to lose hearing. (For the record, if you are standing on my left and I don't respond it is likely that I don't hear you. If you are standing on my right . . .I might just be ignoring you.) Anyway, the other symptom is dizziness. It is not there all the time but when it hits you need to hold on to something because your world starts spinning violently. If it is bad enough, you may become sick from it. Most of the time, my severe dizziness lasts 15-30 seconds. Consequently, I have learned to appreciate stability.

You too may be suffering from head-spinning circumstances. Your life may seem up in the air and desperately uncertain and unsettling. Our text this morning may be able to help you regain stability. Paul is talking to the believers in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17. He has just finished a long discourse on what will happen before the return of Christ. It is possible that these words have left the Thessalonians unsettled. Paul sets out to encourage them and calm their fears. He will also encourage them (and us) to prepare for the day that is coming.

CHOSEN

The first thing Paul does is bring them back to the nature of their relationship with Christ. This is our anchor also; it is truth we return to repeatedly when we feel our lives spinning out of control.

13As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 2:13-17)

If we want to be stable in the world amidst the trials and the arrows that are shot at us by others it is important we know the basis of our salvation. Paul reminds them they are chosen by God. In the Gospel of John Jesus said,

those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them (John 6:37)

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. (6:39)

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. (6:44)

The best person to explain what Paul is saying, is Paul! When writing to the Romans he expanded on this process.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. (Romans 8:29-30)

Don't doze off! If you stay with me, you will see why this is so valuable. God chose to save us before we had done a single thing. Some who are uncomfortable with the choice of God choosing who will be saved quickly moderate this by saying, God chose us based on what He knew we were going to do; He chose us BECAUSE He knew how we would respond to the message of the gospel. (Kind of like buying stock you know is about to explode (it's called "insider trading" and will send you to prison.) I think the Bible clearly teaches we were chosen so we WOULD respond to the message of the gospel.

Humans are so steeped in sin that they have no desire for God. No one will choose what they do not desire. We desire to BE god; to run our own life and set our own rules. We don't intend to submit to anyone and that includes God. Before we will choose Him, our heart must first be changed. (This is why Jesus said no one can (has the ability) to come to God unless the Father draws Him.)

So, God, through a supernatural touch makes our hearts receptive to the message of the gospel so when we hear the gospel proclaimed we are drawn to it and choose to embrace the Lord. Once the seed has been planted in the garden it is appropriate to assume there will be growth soon. Likewise, when God chooses someone, when He "turns on the light" in the soul of a person, they desire Him (when they did not before) and choose to positively respond when the gospel is preached. So, yes, those who choose to respond to the message of salvation are saved . . . but the reason they choose to believe is because God has already, by His choice, changed their heart so they will believe.

This is a hard concept and it raises many questions. Two of the most prominent are: Why did not God choose everyone? (Short answer, If grace is required to be given to all, it is no longer grace; it is a wage due to every person.) The second question is: Why did God choose me? (I ask that question all the time!)

OK, here is the payoff. We have stability in life because our salvation is sure. It is not based on our will but His sovereign choice! Our salvation is not forfeited because we sin, stumble or make the wrong choice. Why? Because our faith is not contingent on us but on Him! We are saved because He first chose us (Remember when Jesus said, "you did not choose me, but I chose you?)" When Satan (or some teacher) tells us that we will lose our spot in heaven because we do not do what He says we can reply with these words from Paul,

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

He will not let us go. In John 10, he talks about believers being His sheep and in 28-29 says,

No one can snatch them away from me, 29for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

No One! No One! No One! We are His and that settles it!

STAND FIRM

It is easy to conclude from all of this that we don't need to do anything, we can lay back, like on one of those lazy river rides and not worry about anything. But that is not true.

With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. (15)

Let me venture into the land of the unknown. A perennial plant is going to bloom year after year. However, the bloom can be diminished, inhibited and destroyed if you don't tend to the weeds above ground. The plant is still alive, but the "fruit" of the plant is choked off.

Our salvation is like that. We are rooted in Christ. Nothing can take that away. However, our enjoyment of Christ, our fruitfulness in Christ, and our service in the world will be watered down if we do not diligently "keep a strong grip on the teaching of the truth." The way to keep the weeds from choking out our life is to stand firm and keep a strong grip on the truth.

Richard Pratt uses another image,

Far from being able to relax as Christians, we must lay hold of the gospel truth in the same way that a man at sea braces himself against the mast in the thrashing winds of a storm. “Stand firm!” Paul cries. “Hold fast!” This is how we withstand the present course of evil working through intimidation, temptation, and false teaching in the world. (p. 366)

Like a team of soldiers, we "hold on to the truth." We must defend it from error, assault, and distortion. The later, distortion, is probably the most dangerous of the bunch. It is when the truth is twisted just ever so slightly. Once distortion enters into our thinking it begins to expand, like a disease. Before long, wrong is commended and right is scorned.

Fortunately, we do not stand alone. First, we have the Word of God. The best way to guard against distortions of the truth is to know the truth, remind ourselves of the truth, and put that truth into practice. To do this we need daily exposure to God's Word.

There are tens of thousands of resources on the web. Some of them are very good. Some is error masquerading as truth. You must be careful when you use the Internet.

Second, we have the Holy Spirit. The Spirit protects us (but cannot help foolishness). The Spirit reminds us of the truth, He gives us words to say, and He opens up our understanding. God's Spirit gives us courage both to hang on and to stand guard over the truth. John wrote thee comforting words,

Greater is He who is in you, that He who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Third, we have the church. God knew that we needed to be part of a spiritual family and that is why He made the church. The church is not a denomination or a particular building. It is God's people gathered together in His name and for His sake. The church helps us by,

Reminding us of the Word through preaching

Reminding us of Christ's sacrifice and the cleansing reality of new birth through communion and Baptism

Serving a support group and cheering section; it provides people who will both weep with you and rejoice with you.

Giving you a place to practice your faith and sharpen your spiritual discernment

Providing us with mentors who can show us the way in our own journey

Giving us a place to serve and sharpen our own skills as disciples

When the storms rage it is helpful to know you are not alone. Believers are not alone if they follow God's prescription. The body of Christ is a gift from God to help us in our journey. Sometimes the church looks too much like a business or a social club. In reality it is barracks for soldiers of the cross.

God does not tell us to save ourselves. We don't have to, because He has already done it. We are safe, and we are secure if we put our hope and trust in Christ. But, in order to enjoy the life of a child of God, we must be willing to nurture our faith.

DRAW COMFORT

Paul ends this discourse with a prayer or benediction,

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (16-17)

Stop and take note of how Paul prays for the Thessalonians. He could have prayed the trials disappear. He could have prayed that God would frustrate the government on their plans to persecute Christians. In other words, he could have focused on the externals. Instead his focus in what God is doing inside of us, regardless of the circumstances.

One of the stabilizing realities we have is the fact Jesus is always interceding for us. Once again, we are reminded that even in the worst of circumstances we are not facing them alone. Not only is the Lord present through the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us God the Son is always interceding for us. The Bible also says the Holy Spirit prays for us in groans too deep to hear.

Don't you wonder how the Holy Spirit is praying for you? I'd love to know what He is asking for in my life because I suspect it is very different from what I am asking for myself.

We don't have to worry about the content of those prayers. Paul reminds us that the Lord loves us. As parents, sometimes you lead your children to painful things (shots, surgeries, the dentist and more). The motive for all these things is love, whether we immediately recognize it or not.

Second, he is the God who gives us eternal comfort. This is not the same as making us comfortable by indulging our appetites and catering to our whims. The Lord works to help us feel secured, loved, and cherished. That is a comfort greater and deeper what we ourselves would desire.

Third, he has given us a wonderful hope. The discourse on the Antichrist in the first part of the chapter is there not there to give a roadmap for the future, it is there to give us hope. It reminds us that God is in control, He has a plan, life has meaning and a purpose.

Paul's desire is for God to lead us into good works; to activate us to serve the Lord in practical ways. This is Paul's regular practice: He begins talking about God's Sovereign choice of us for salvation and then he seems to say, "Now that God has given us this great gift of salvation, we should live in a way that honors Him.

Living faithfully even when no one is looking

Caring for those who are hurting

Sharing in the joy of those who are rejoicing

Working with children

Serving in the church or on behalf of the church

Giving generously to the work of the church

Living consistently as a person of integrity

Worshipping throughout every day and especially taking one day a week to honor Him

True faith activates the one who possesses that faith. People should see in us a new energy to care, lead, and witness to people.

Conclusion

Has life left you dizzy? Are you overwhelmed by your "to Do List" or your job description? Do your children have you at your breaking point? Has it been "one thing after another?" Is your health inconsistent?

I think, based on this passage Paul is saying: Remember who you are. You are chosen by God. He has loved you since before you were born. He is equipping you, teaching you, and praying for you. The Lord knows what you are going through. He is not distant. He is standing right beside you and will give you the strength you need.

Second hang on and stand firm! In the midst of a Typhoon, your goal is to hang on to something so the Typhoon does not blow you over. If you are in a storm, God's command is simple: "Hold On." Hold on to His character. Hold on to the assurance of eternal life. Hold on to the reality of the Lord's coming again.

Finally, keep doing what is right. There will be times we want to take shortcuts. At other times we think we have a better plan (we don't). It is easy to become angry or aggressive. When this happens remind yourself that this is not your fight . . . the conflict belongs to the Lord. Trust Him rather than try to "fix things."

The Lord does not guarantee an absence of storms. What He promises is this: if you will keep holding on to Him, He will hold you up and when the dizziness gives way to clarity once again you will see that He has held you up. He has enabled you to stand. And no matter how often the dizziness comes your way, He will not let go of you.