1 Thessalonians 1:1 – Paul’s Greeting to the Thessalonian Church
Series: 1 Thessalonians
Chuck Sligh
Sep-Oct 2016
NOTE 1: This is the first lesson of an extended Bible study of the book of 1 Thessalonians. Each lesson includes discussion questions. Some are open ended questions which require not guidance or correction designed to just get the participants thinking. Some offer suggested possible answers to make sure they are included in the discussion, or correct answers for questions that have only right or wrong answers. Most lessons extend over more than one week; some several weeks if the discussion is good.
NOTE 2: A student’s study sheet is available upon request by emailing me at chucksligh@hotmail.com
TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 – “Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. ”
INTRODUCTION
1 Thessalonians 1:7 says “So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” The word ensamples is the Greek word tupos, which literally means “an impression; the mark of a blow; the impression of a seal; the stamp made by a die.” Paul was not just saying that the church of Thessalonica had been GOOD EXAMPLES, though that will become obvious as we work our way through 1 Thessalonians. He was saying that they had made a GREAT IMPACT, or they had made a TREMENDOUS IMPRESSION, upon all the believers throughout the regions of Macedonia and Achaia. That would be like saying that our church had been so influential in Bavaria that we made an indelible impression upon all the believers in the Germany.
Now, there are essentially two basic types of churches: The church nobody ever hears about, cares about or really cares to go to. The second is the church that folks hear about (in a positive way!). – In this kind of church, godly people want to visit and join it and godless people hate or oppose it. Over the next few weeks we’ll examine the model Thessalonian church and see what were the characteristics that made it a model church.
But first we have to start at the beginning— Since 1 Thessalonians is a letter, Paul begins with a greeting.
We normally pass right over a greeting and get right into the meat of a letter. But there are exceptions. For instance, if you received a letter that begins like this: “My Dearest Sweetheart, I am writing because my heart longs to be in your sweet embrace again…”—you would sit up and take notice of that, wouldn’t you? If a letter’s greeting is full of particular special significance, you would give it more attention than a letter that simply begins, “Dear David, How’s it going? We’re doing fine as usual. Had nothing better to do, so I thought I would write…”
All Paul’s greetings are special and worthy of close examination, and Paul’s greeting in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 is no exception. Verses 2-3 set the stage for Paul’s commendation of the church of Thessalonica, which we’ll save for a later lesson. But verse 1 is so full of great doctrinal truths that we would be foolish to pass over it too quickly. So let’s look at the first part of Paul’s greeting in verse 1 and see what God has stored for us there in His treasure chest of truths.
I. PAUL BEGINS HIS LETTER WITH THESE WORDS “PAUL, AND SYLVANUS, AND TIMOTHEUS…”
One reason the church of Thessalonica was such a model church was because it began with good, godly ministers who had been faithful to the church.
Note that Paul was not writing this letter alone. Silas and Timothy joined him in exhorting the church, Sylvanus being the Roman version of Silas’s name. Why is this exhortation from three ministers instead of just Paul? Because these particular ministers had been the three who had founded and ministered to the church throughout the early years of its ministry. Of course, Paul had been the lead pastor, but the other two had worked just as faithfully for the Lord as co-laborers with Paul.
Even after they left Thessalonica, they continued to stay in touch with the church and continued to exhort the believers through visits and letters as long as they were living and able to minister. For instance, Paul visited the Thessalonian church when he returned to the area on his third missionary journey (Acts 20:1-2). And Timothy made a special visit to the church to help the church through a difficult time and to establish and comfort the believers in their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1-6). All three ministers wrote the church at least two times, this letter of 1 Thessalonians and the second letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1). So these men were committed to encouraging and exhorting the Thessalonian believers to go on for the Lord.
APPLICATIONS:
I wonder how many churches fail to be model churches because their ministers have not remained faithful in exhorting them to follow on with the Lord? My prayer is that I will be the kind of pastor who is faithful to encourage and challenge you to live for God the way these three men did.
Note also how Paul, probably the greatest pastor who ever lived, acknowledged Silas and Timothy as equals to him.
Q. What is the church? Listen for answers.
This reveals in him the quality of humility. Paul never sought recognition. In all his letters you see him commending certain individuals and particularly honoring those who had been fellow-laborers with him in the churches he started. We should have the same spirit. When we work for the Lord ourselves, we ought to be satisfied with the LORD’S commendation at the Judgment Seat of Christ and not seek for man’s approval and recognition. On the other hand, we ought to be quick to recognize and commend others for their faithful service to God.
II. PAUL GOES ON TO SAY IN VERSE 1, “…UNTO THE CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS.”
Last week, in our background study, we examined the city of Thessalonica and the establishment of the church of Thessalonica, so we won’t go over that material again.
DISCUSSION:
Q. What is the purpose of the local church?
Q. What are the responsibilities of a local church?
But I want to examine the word church because I believe it is a misunderstood term, and there is much we need to be reminded about when we examine churches in the New Testament in comparison with churches today.
(HAND OUT STUDENT’S HANDOUT: “The Local Church” FOUND AT C:\Preach\Bible Books\1 Corinthians\!1b - The Local Church - HANDOUT - Student Copy.wpd. I SHOULD USE THE TEACHER’S MASTER FOUND AT C:\Preach\Bible Books\1 Corinthians\!1b - The Local Church - HANDOUT Master.wpd.)
(LESSON 2 START HERE)
III. PAUL SAYS “PAUL, AND SILVANUS, AND TIMOTHEUS, UNTO THE CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS WHICH IS IN GOD THE FATHER AND IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST…”
Here we have a clear expression of the deity of Jesus Christ. The church of Thessalonica was a strong church, and one reason is that it was founded “in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
No church can be a strong church—indeed it is not even a true church in the biblical sense of the Word—if it denies the deity of Jesus Christ.
Q. What do we mean by this term “the deity of Jesus Christ”?
Answer if not brought out by participants: Simply that the man whom we know as Jesus in the Gospels was not JUST a man—He was also God. It is important that we make clear that Jesus was BOTH fully and completely MAN and fully and completely GOD at the same time. He was not 50% man and 50% God, but 100% a man and 100% God at the same time.
The deity of Christ is an extension of the doctrine of the Trinity,
Q. What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
Cover the material below after hearing responses:
It is the teaching that there is only one God, but that He exists in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three are distinct personalities of the one true God, and are co-equal partakers in the being, nature and attributes of God.
You say, “Chuck, how can you explain that?” and my reply is “I can’t.” The doctrine of the Trinity is an inexplicable enigma that cannot be fully fathomed by the finite human mind. It has puzzled the greatest minds since first declared in Scripture. John Wesley once said: “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man who can comprehend the triune God.”
Illus. – In the context of the Trinity I have often retold the story of Augustine who was once walking upon the shore of the ocean while greatly perplexed about the idea of the Trinity. As he grappled with it, he observed a little boy with a large sea shell running to the water, filling his shell and then pouring it into a hole which he had made in the sand.
“What are you doing my little man?” asked Augustine.
“Oh,” replied the boy, “I am trying to put the ocean in this hole.”
Augustine thought to himself, “That is what I am trying to do; I see it now. Standing on the shores of time I am trying to get into this little finite mind things which are infinite.” We should be content to let God know some things which we cannot know!
The deity of Jesus Christ is the distinctive belief upon which the church is built. We believe that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord sent from heaven, which means that He is God, the eternal Son embodied in human flesh and sent to earth by God the Father to die for our sins to give us eternal life. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is both Jesus, the Carpenter from Nazareth, and He is the Christ, the Messiah and Savior who had been promised from the very beginning of history.
It is upon this confession that the church is built. This confession is the distinctive mark of the church. A church that is not founded upon God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is not a true church, no matter what it may call itself. It is nothing more than…a man-created group or religion.
Now let’s look at some scriptures by turning in your Bibles to Matthew 16. I would like for us to see where it is taught that belief in Christ and His deity is foundational to a true church, and indeed for genuine salvation. The idea you will see over and over in these verses is that Christ and His nature as the Son of God is the cornerstone doctrine of the church and salvation itself. Take out the cornerstone of a building and it crumbles to the ground. By the same token, eviscerate the church of the biblical Christ and you have only a caricature of Christ and a church gutted of its very lifeblood.
1) First let’s look at some verses that teach that the doctrine of Christ is the foundational teaching for the church:
Matthew 16:15-18 – “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Q. What is the “rock” upon which Jesus said He would build His church?
There are various interpretations for this verse, but we believe that Jesus was saying that it was upon the massive rock of the doctrine that Peter had just professed that He would build his church—not upon Peter.
What did Peter profess? He said “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds, “You are Peter, which means ‘a little rock,’ but upon this rock (that is, Christ as the Son of the living God) will I build my church.”
CONCLUSION: Thus, any church that denies Christ as the Son of God, any church that denies the deity of Christ, any church that denies the Trinity…is not a true church, no matter what it says on their sign out front.
The idea that as a rock or foundation stone or cornerstone is found frequently in the New Testament:
Matthew 21:42 – “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”
Q. What does Jesus mean by “the stone which the builders rejected?”…Who rejected it?...and what does is He teaching in this verse?
Peter says in Acts 4:10-11 – “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”
In Ephesians 2:20, Paul uses a similar metaphor by saying: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”
Q. What is a “cornerstone” and what does this metaphor teach us?
Wikipedia: “The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.”
In his first letter, Peter says in 1 Peter 2:6 – “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
3. Not only is the doctrine of the deity of Christ the foundation stone of the church, it is necessary for true salvation.
In fact, if a person denies this doctrine, he cannot even be saved.
Note these scriptures:
Romans 10:9 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord [God; deity] Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
1 John 2:22-23 – “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ [God’s elect Son, the Messiah]? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
1 John 4:15 – “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
APPLICATION: You must be very careful the kind of church you join!
It must be doctrinally sound first and foremost. Based upon the foundational teachings of the Bible. All other factors are secondary. False teaching on foundational, essential doctrine is not something that can be dismissed if a church has great programs for the family, or if it has a great choir or if it has some other secondary quality. If a church has those things, but leads your children astray doctrinally, their very eternal salvation could be at stake!
IV. PAUL CONTINUES IN VERSE 1 AND SAYS: “GRACE BE UNTO YOU, AND PEACE, FROM GOD OUR FATHER, AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
The Thessalonian church was a strong church because it possessed God’s supreme gifts—grace and peace. These are two of the most wonderful words in the Bible! In just those two words can be wrapped up every major aspect of salvation. We would be cheating ourselves if we did not examine them in detail, so let’s do that now:
A. First Paul writes “GRACE be unto you…”
The word grace is a very important word in the Christian’s vocabulary.
Q. Name for me all the songs we sing or that are in the Christian church that are about grace:
Contemporary:
“This Is Amazing Grace”
“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”
“Your Grace Is Enough”
“Grace Like Rain”
Traditional:
“Amazing Grace”
“Wonderful Grace of Jesus”
“Grace Greater than Our Sin”
“Only a Sinner Saved by Grace”
“Victory Through Grace”
The great Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest said this about grace: “It is hardly too much to say that the mind of God has in no word uttered itself and all that was in His heart more distinctly than in this” word grace. (Kenneth Wuest, Treasure of the New Testament, p. 15)
Well, if grace is such an important word, what exactly is it?
Q. Tell me what you understand grace to be in the Bible.
The Bible uses the word grace in three ways in the New Testament:
1. First, the Bible speaks of SAVING Grace (NOTE: Underlined words indicate blanks to be filled in in Students’ Notes.)
The Greek word for grace is charis. In classical Greek charis meant “a favor freely done, without claim or expectation or return.” Aristotle defined charis as something done freely, “with no expectation of return, and finding its only motive in the bounty and free-heartedness of the giver.” (Wuest, Treasures, p. 16) But the New Testament added a dimension to the word charis that forever deepened it and broadened it.
You see, the ancient Greeks used charis as a favor that was always granted to a FRIEND—NEVER an enemy. Right there charis leaps an infinite distance from the Greeks, because God gave His Son for His ENEMIES, and Jesus died for his ENEMIES—a thing unheard of in the human history.
Biblically then, saving grace may be defined as “the action whereby God freely gives to an unworthy, willing recipient that which he does not deserve.” People sometimes get grace and mercy confused.
Q. Do you know the difference between the two words? If so, please explain it….
MERCY is God withholding from us what we rightly deserve (judgment, hell, etc.)
GRACE is God’s giving to us what we do not deserve, which are:
G od’s
R iches
A the
C hrist’s
E xpense
The difference between mercy and grace can be illustrated by a child who has done wrong:
--MERCY is not giving him the punishment he deserves.
--GRACE is taking him out for ice cream when he is sorry for his misbehavior, which he does NOT deserve.
Note Ephesians 2:2-10 (EXPAND AS LED) – “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
2. The second way the Bible speaks of grace is what we might call SAINTS’ Grace.
Saint’s Grace is “God’s gifts and goodness offered freely and without merit AFTER our salvation.” In reality, when we sin and do not do God’s will, what we really deserve is for God to take away our salvation and withhold from us His blessings and goodness.
That would be just, wouldn’t it? But God in His grace, promises “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) He forgives us for our sins, even though we repeatedly do them. And He still blesses us despite our failures and sins and inconsistencies and weaknesses.
Now that’s truly grace! Somebody sent a little story to me by email, and I think it is just wonderful. It’s a little long, so bear with me:
A Love Story
One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah, the beauty of God’s creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat there, I felt the Lord’s presence with me.
He asked me, “Do you love me?”
I answered, “Of course, God! You are my Lord and Savior!"
Then He asked, “If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?”
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn’t be able to do, the things that I took for granted. And I answered, “It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You.”
Then the Lord said, “If you were blind, would you still love my creation?”
How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. So I answered, “It’s hard to think of it, but I would still love you.”
The Lord then asked me, “If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?”
How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God’s Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered, “It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word.”
The Lord then asked, “If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?”
How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, “Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name.”
And the Lord asked, “Do you really love Me?”
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, “Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!”
I thought I had answered well, but God asked, “THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?”
I answered, “Because I am only human. I am not perfect.”
“Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest? Why only in times of trouble do you pray in earnest?”
No answers. Only tears.
The Lord continued: “Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?”
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
“Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why, in times of persecution, do you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?”
I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.
“You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away. I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all.”
“DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME ?”
I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, “Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child.”
The Lord answered, “That is My Grace, My child.”
I asked, “Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?”
The Lord answered, “Because you are My creation. You are my child.
I will never abandon you.
When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.
When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.
When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up.
When you are tired, I will carry you.
I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever.
That is My Grace, My child.”
Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, “How much do You love me?”
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.
Author Unknown.
That reading beautifully captures the essence of grace, doesn’t it? Everything good in your life is a gift of God’s grace.
And also, think about this: Everything BAD in your life turns into a gift of God’s grace to you too.
Q. So, I want to ask you, How can that be? And can you give me a scripture that proves that statement? – Romans 8:28 tells us that “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
3. The third way the Bible speaks of grace is what we might call Serving Grace.
In this respect, grace may be defined as “the will, power and desire to do God’s will.”
Turn to Philippians 2:13 (Although the word grace is not used in this passage, the concept is described for us here) – “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Q. What do you think this means and how is it true in our lives as believers?
Here is a verse where the word grace is used in this way: 1 Corinthians 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Q. Again, tell me what you think this means and how is it true in our lives as believers?
The scriptures we just read indicate that God operates in us, and it is through His grace that we function in the Christian life.
--God commands us to LOVE HIM, then gives us the grace (the will, power and desire) to love Him.
--God gives the command to BE FAITHFUL IN CHURCH, then gives us the grace (the will, power and desire) to be faithful in church.
--God gives us the command to WITNESS, then gives us the grace (the will, power and desire) to witness.
In Galatians 2:20, the word grace is again not used, but the idea is expressed: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Q. What does it mean that we are “crucified with Christ”?
Q. What does this phrase mean?—“…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
APPLICATIONS:
1. Applications to the LOST (if present)
--If you are here and do not know with certainty that you are going to heaven, you need to accept God’s free gift of grace and not try to add to it by good works, or religion, or religious practices (like baptism, communion, giving to the poor, etc.) – Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
--Second, you should not neglect a salvation provided at such great cost and so freely given.
Hebrews 2:3 – “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.”
Hebrews 10:29 – “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
2. Applications to the SAVED:
--When we think of all the goodness and grace of God, freely given despite our sin and unfaithfulness, it ought to cause us to fall to our knees in utter gratefulness for such a wonderful, magnificent God!
--Secondly it ought to compel us to live for God with all our hearts in response to His free gift of salvation to us and His continued free grace throughout our Christian lives.
--Finally, when we ponder the incredible grace of God, it ought to compel us to work and labor for such a giving, gracious Lord.
B. Paul says in verse 1: “Grace be unto you, AND PEACE, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Like the word grace, peace is used three ways in the New Testament. Let’s talk about them: (NOTE: UNDERLINED WORDS ARE THE WORDS TO BE FILLED IN THE BLANKS ON STUDENTS’ NOTES [EXCEPT IN BIBLE VERSES, WHICH ARE USED FOR EMPHASIS]):
1. First, the Bible speaks of Peace WITH God.
Q. What do you think the Bible means by the phrase, “peace WITH God” and please elaborate on your understanding of it.
Peace WITH God can be defined as “reconciliation of a rebellious, unrighteous sinner with a perfect, holy God.”
Note three passages that deal with this kind of peace:
--Romans 5:1-2 – “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
--Colossians 1:20-21 – “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”
--Ephesians 2:14-16 – “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” – Remember that there is a personal application to us personally in this passage, but really Paul was talking about the peace that Christ brought between Jews and Gentiles to make a new body.
Peace with God ultimately is reconciliation of a holy God with rebellious man.
Illus. – Let me illustrate reconciliation with God this way: I remember a man in my home church in the U.S. who had separated from his wife because she had been unfaithful to him. After several weeks of separation, he finally came to the conclusion that though he was deeply hurt by his wife’s unfaithfulness, his love for her was deeper than his hurt.
He decided to take the initiative, so he called her and asked if he could come by and talk. When he got there, he expressed his love for her and said that if she were truly sorry for what she had done, would promise to never be unfaithful again, and was willing to do a few things to prevent it from happening again, he was willing to put the past behind him and reconcile.
It was a joyous event when that next Sunday they were in church sitting next to one another, holding hands during the service. At the end of the service he announced that they were not going to divorce, that they had been reconciled. There was not a dry eye in the whole building.
That’s what God did for us: When man sinned, there was a great divorce between God and man. But God loves us deeply, and in His love HE initiated a reconciliation and laid down the conditions of that reconciliation. Every person who accepts God’s sole condition of salvation—faith—can be reconciled with God and have wonderful fellowship with Him.
2. The second kind of peace the Bible speaks of is the Peace OF God
The peace OF God may be defined as “an inward spirit of tranquility and a serenity of heart and mind that abides even in the midst of trouble and trial.”
Illus. – The story is told of two artists who set out to make a picture representing perfect peace. The first artist’s painting depicted a carefree boy sitting in a boat on a small, placid lake, without even a ripple to disturb the surface. The other artist painted a raging waterfall with winds whipping the spray about. But on a limb, overhanging the swirling water, a bird had built its nest, and sat peacefully brooking her eggs. There she was, safe from her enemies, shielded and protected by the roaring falls.
The second artist really captured the essence of the peace of God that we are talking about.
You see, the peace of God IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF TRIALS. Real peace is the result of remaining calm and serene in the MIDST of trial. The opposite of peace is anxiety and worry when facing perplexing or ominous circumstances.
Illus. – Describe when I found out I had cancer, the peace that came over me that I could literally feel come over me.
How to have the peace of God:
--Psalm 25:12-13 – “What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.” – Q. What does this teach us about how to have peace with God?—Live a holy life.
--Psalm 119:165 – “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” – Q. How does loving God’s Law bring peace?
--Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” – Q. If peace is a “fruit of the Spirit”, how do we develop this fruit?— Be Spirit-filled.
--Don’t worry about, but pray about, your needs – Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Q. What does this verse teach us we must do to receve the “peace that passes all understanding?
Q. What does Paul mean by a “peace that passes all understanding?”
--Watch your thought life –Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Remember that this follows verse 7, where Paul is talking about the peace of God which passes all understanding. Along with not worrying, and giving our problems over to God by prayer, we then have to start to change our thought processes, or we will slip back into worry and lose our sense of peace.
Go with me to Isaiah 26:3 where this idea of changed thought processes to maintain a sense of peace in our lives is reiterated – “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Q. What does Isaiah mean by having our mind “stayed on Him” and how do we do that? Now let me ask you, do you have the peace OF God? If not, then follow God’s formula for having it.
3. The third kind of peace the Bible speaks of is Peace THROUGH God (with others)
Note Hebrews 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
This kind of peace is “harmony and fellowship that Christians have with others that results from following Biblical principles of relationships.”
Let’s look at some of the principles of relationships that are found in the Bible:
PRINCIPLE Number 1 – Develop the character of the wisdom of God – James 3:17 – “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
Peaceableness is one of several aspects of the wisdom that is from above, that is, from God.
Note six cousins of peaceableness James gives that are good characteristics to maintain good relationships: (EXPAND ON EACH AS LED:)
--Gentleness
--A teachable spirit (“easy to be intreated”)
--Mercifulness
--Fruitfulness
--Impartiality, that is—
--Does not discriminate
--Does not show favoritism
--Not hypocritical
PRINCIPLE Number 2 – Avoid hurtful, negative, critical words that grieve the Holy Spirit, and use edifying, uplifting, encouraging words that ministers grace to our hearers. – Ephesians 4:29-30 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Q. What does it mean to “minister grace” to someone?
Q. How can we grieve the Holy Spirit? (Illus. – of using edifying speech.)
PRINCIPLE Number 3 – Do not allow relationship destroyers a place in your life – Ephesians 4:31 – “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”
--Bitterness
--Unscriptural manifestations of anger—“wrath” and “anger”…
This is not talking about the natural emotion of anger that arises when we face certain circumstances. The initial emotion of anger is not condemned in Scripture— it’s what we do in response to it that the Bible condemns – Note Ephesians 4:26 – “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
But Paul condemns two forms of wrong ways of expressing anger:
==Wrath – The Greek word for this means “furious outbursts of anger”—that is, losing your temper.
==Anger – The Greek word for this refers to “a slow seething anger.”—a slow, burning anger that remains inside and undealt with will inevitably turn into wrath given the right circumstances.
--Clamor – This is the Greek word for shouting and screaming.
--Evil speaking – The Greek word here means “words that hurt.”
--Malice – This means “a desire to hurt and to get even.”
PRINCIPLE Number 4 – Develop relationship builders – Verse 32 – “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
--Kindness
--Tenderheartedness
--Forgiveness
PRINCIPLE Number 5 – Be filled with the Holy Spirit – Galatians 5:22-26 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
The description these verses give us are the opposite of what the world wants you to be like. The model the world presents is the macho guy, like John Wayne, who swaggers around the West; and macho men like Clint Eastwood and Sylvester Stallone, who give people what they deserve. The world says, “Have your own way; bend others to your will; pay back those to hurt you; give people what they deserve.”
This is a recipe for strife and endless interpersonal relationship problems. God’s way is to follow God’s principles of personal relationships. That’s the sure path to peace with others. God help us to have those characteristics in each of our lives.
OPENING Q. – When you think of a good father, what comes to your mind?
V. PAUL ENDS VERSE 1 WITH THESE WORDS, “…FROM GOD OUR FATHER, AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
“…from God Our Father…”
In this phrase, we see two important things:
Q. What does this tell us about the source of grace and peace?
This phrase tells us the source of grace and peace. (NOTE: UNDERLINED WORDS ARE THE ANSWERS TO BLANKS ON THE STUDENT’S HANDOUT—EXCEPT IN VERSES.)
A. They come from God.
Only the Lord can bring us grace and peace, and God’s grace and peace can be given only to those who come to God for them.
B. Second, this phrase reveals our relationship to God.
He is our FATHER! To us, He is no longer a stern God of judgment. He is our FATHER! Note four things about this:
1. Not everyone is a child of God.
Many secular songs talk about all earths people being God’s children in one big happy family.
This idea is refuted by Jesus in John 8:41-44 – “Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
2. Q. How does a person become a child of God?
A. One becomes a child of God only at salvation – John 1:12 – “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
3. Sonship implies special rights and privileges:
There’s more than relationship implied when we speak of God as our Father.
Illus. – A boy asks a next door neighbor for a bicycle. He replies, “Son, go ask your own dad.” But if a boy asks his own father, it’s a different story. In other words, sonship comes with rights and privileges.
Note Galatians 4:4-5 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
Believers are sons of God. Now in the verses that follow, Paul says that we are no more servants, but sons. Now we use the word adoption differently than it was used in Roman society.
Q. Does anyone know the difference between our usage of the word and the way the Romans used it?
A.
--Son by birth.
--Adoption ceremony at 12 years old.
--At that ceremony, the child received all the rights of sonship.
Then Paul draws two distinctions in verses 6-7 between a servant and a son.
Let’s look at them:
--A servant says “Master”; a son says “Daddy” (Greek: “Abba”) – verse 6 – “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”
--A servant has no inheritance; a son does – verse 7 – “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Compare also Romans 8:16-17 – “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” – We are JOINT-HEIRS with Christ
4. Sons bear a strong resemblance to their Fathers: Someday, we will be like Christ.
Q. God is spirit, so how can we bear a resemblance to God now in this life?
1 John 3:1-2 – “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Psalm 17:15 – “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”
Verse 1 ends with these words: “…and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here we have three important titles for our Lord. Let’s look at them, but in so doing, I want to consider them in reverse order.
The first is “Christ.”
Q. What does this title tell us about Jesus?
This name refers to His title and office. It is the Greek word christos which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word mashiah, or Messiah. It literally means “the anointed one” and referred to the long awaited person prophesied in the Old Testament who would be a prophet, priest and king and deliver the Jews eternally from their enemies and cleanse them of their sins. Jesus is given the title of “Christ” because He was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies relating to the Messiah. He is the promised Christ or Messiah.
The second name in verse 1 is “Jesus” Jesus was His earthly name, like Glen, or Melissa or Briana.
Q. Do you have any idea of the significance of Jesus’s human name?
That He had a human name speaks to us of His HUMANITY.
Jesus was 100% GOD. But Jesus was also 100% MAN.
The meaning of His name speaks of His MISSION:
Note Matthew 1:21 – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Jesus is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Jeshua, or “Joshua.” Jeshua means “Savior.”
That’s why the angel said to call Him Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.”
So even His earthly name tells of His mission.
Jesus did not come…
--to be our SUPREME EXAMPLE, though He was that, and more;
--to SHOW US HOW TO LIVE, though no one did it better than He;
--to GIVE US THE GREAT TEACHINGS OF GOD, though He mastered that better than all the prophets and preachers in the Bible combined;
--to SHOW US THE WAY TO PEACE AND UNDER- STANDING, though that is a by-product of knowing Him;
--to BE A GREAT MORAL FORCE in the world or to SHOW US HOW TO LIVE.
JESUS CAME TO BE A SAVIOR!
Note:
1 Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
“Lord”
This title refers to two things:
--First, it refers to His DEITY
In the Old Testament, only God could be referred to with the title Yahweh, or “LORD.” To ascribe this title to anyone other than God was a flagrant blasphemy.
But this was an appropriate title for Jesus because He was not only 100% human, but also 100% God – (GO OVER THE FOLLOWING IF TIME PERMITS) – Matthew 1:18-23 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
--This title also refers to Jesus’ AUTHORITY
To the Greeks and Romans, a “lord” meant a “master.” In the New Testament, although the predominant meaning of the word “Lord” when used as a title of Jesus has to do with His deity, it only stands to reason that God has authority over our lives.
As Lord, He not only is God, but as the Lord God…
--Jesus has the right to be your MASTER.
--He has the right to be your AUTHORITY.
--He has the right to be your BOSS.
--HE has the right to TELL YOU HOW TO LIVE.
