A FITTING BENEDICTION (2 Thessalonians 3:16-18)
INTRODUCTION:
2nd Thessalonians has been a different letter than 1st Thessalonians. 1st Thessalonians was a letter of encouragement, this second letter has had a different tone and feel to it. In the three chapters that compose this book Paul described God’s judgment and the wrath that was to come on those wicked people who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and their upcoming eternal destruction. Paul also described God’s judgment that would be coming on the sinful world in the Day of the Lord. Paul also revealed the coming of the final Antichrist, and the abomination of desolation that he will commit, and his ultimate destruction at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had warned them of false teachers claiming to be from Paul. The final chapter was mostly a rebuke to lazy Christians and instructions to the church on how to deal with them. These final three verses are like the calm after a violent storm.
The church in Thessalonica was so strong in many ways, but they had been tormented by severe persecution, false doctrine that had infiltrated the church, which brought fear and caused some to sin. This letter was Paul’s instructions for dealing with these issues. But Paul knew that no matter how well they understood his instructions, and no matter how well intentioned they were to carry them out, he knew that in their own strength they would not carry through. So, throughout this letter we find in the midst of Paul’s instructions his pleas that God would enable the believers in Thessalonica to obey his instructions. We saw this first plea in chapter 1, verses 11-12 after instructing them on the coming of Christ in judgment, bringing eternal destruction on the wicked. Paul wrote, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, NASB95)[1] After his instruction on the Day of the Lord and the rise and fall of the final Antichrist, Paul once again closed that section with a prayer: “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.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, NASB95)[2] Chapter three begins with Paul requesting the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions that they would faithfully and boldly proclaim the gospel and that God would protect them from their enemies. Then he instructed them concerning God’s faithfulness and exhorted them to continue to obey what he had taught them. In 2nd Thessalonians 3:5 Paul prayed, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5, NASB95)[3] Two weeks ago we looked at verses 6-15 of chapter three in which Paul deals with the problem of those who were refusing to work and instructed the church on their responsibility to discipline them. Then for the fourth time the apostle Paul expressed the desire of his heart for them as he closes this letter with a prayerful benediction to God for them that would encourage and energize them to grow in Christ. In this benediction Paul pleads with God to grant four blessings that are absolutely necessary for spiritual growth leading to maturity. He asks God to bless them with God’s peace, God’s strength, God’s truth, and with God’s grace. Let’s pray and then look at these closing verses.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to 2nd Thessalonians 3:16-18. Please if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
2nd Thessalonians 3:16-18,
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16–18, NASB95)[4]
GOD’S PEACE (2nd Thessalonians 3:16)
The first blessing that Paul desires God would grant to the Thessalonian believers is God’s peace. The world defines peace as a sense of calm, tranquility, quietness, contentment, and well-being that comes when everything is going well. But as I said, this is the world’s definition of peace, and it falls short of God’s peace. I say this because a calm, tranquil feeling can be produced by lies, self-deception, unexpected good fortune, the absence of conflict and trouble, drugs, alcohol, even a good night’s sleep. But this kind of peace is fleeting and easily destroyed. It can disappear at the arrival of conflict, or when one fails. Doubt, fear, bitterness, anger, pride, difficulty, guilt, regret, sorrow, or anxiety over circumstances beyond one’s control can all cause this peace to dissipate. Being disappointed or mistreated by others, making bad decisions, or any other perceived threat to one’s security will destroy this so-called peace as the world defines it.
God’s peace, true spiritual peace is completely different from the fleeting and fragile human peace. True spiritual peace is the deep settled confidence that all is well between the soul and God because of His loving, sovereign control of one’s life both in time and eternity. This calm assurance is based on the knowledge that sins are forgiven, blessing is present, and the God is good even in the midst of trouble and that heaven is ahead. God’s peace given to His children as their possession and privilege has nothing to do with the circumstances of life.
This peace has several characteristics. First, it is of God, in other words it is divine, coming from the Lord of peace Himself. The God who is peace grants peace to believers. This peace is the very essence of His nature, it is one of His attributes. God is at all times at perfect peace, without any discord within Himself. He is never under stress, never worried, never anxious, never fearful, never unsure, or threatened. He is always perfectly calm, tranquil, and content. There are no surprises for His omniscience, no changes for His immutability, no threats to His sovereignty, no doubts to cloud His wisdom, no sin to stain His holiness. Even His wrath is clear, controlled, calm, and confident. Scripture teaches us that peace characterizes and flows from every member of the Trinity. “God of peace” is a common title for the Father, 1st Thessalonians 5:23 calls the Father “the God of peace.” Jesus Christ here in our present passage is called the “Lord of peace.” Isaiah 9:6 calls God the Son the “Prince of peace.” Paul will later write in Ephesians 2:14 concerning Jesus Christ that “He Himself is our peace.” The Holy Spirit is also the source of peace. Peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit listed for us in Galatians 5:22. Paul told the Romans in Romans 14:17, “…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17, NASB95)[5]
Second, God’s peace is a gift from God, it is with great pleasure that God graciously grants His peace to those who belong to Him. Jesus promised in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27, NASB95)[6] This divine peace God does not give to unbelievers, the reason is that this peace is a feature of salvation. For the unbeliever they will only ever experience the false peace of the world. God’s peace grows stronger through trials, the false peace of the world cannot survive the tests and trials of life. This false peace will be of no comfort on the Day of the Lord. Paul wrote in 1st Thessalonians 5:3, “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NASB95)[7]
A third feature of God’s peace that He gives to believers is that it is continually available. If this is the case, why does Paul pray for believers to experience it? Even though true spiritual peace is always available it can be interrupted. Weak, disobedient Christians find their peace disturbed by the same sins, doubts, fears, and anxieties that destroy the false peace of unbelievers. How can this interrupted peace be restored? First, by getting our focus back on God and trusting Him. Second, peace that has been given up because of sin can be restored through repentance and obedience. Third, peace can be restored by accepting and responding to God’s discipline. Fourth, by walking in the Spirit peace can be restored since peace is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. Fifth, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Scripture reading from Philippians 4 said this morning.
Finally, a fourth feature of the peace that God continually gives to His own is that it exists and is available in every circumstance. It is unaffected by anything that this world might throw at us and that is because it is based on the promise of eternal salvation. God’s peace is secured in the reality that Paul declares in Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NASB95)[8] This peace is so utterly unlike the world’s peace, it is unbreakable, invincible, and surpasses or transcends all comprehension, yet it is continually available in all circumstances to stabilize the believer in every situation. Paul desired that God would grant the Thessalonian believers His peace so that no matter what circumstances they found themselves in they would experience settled confidence and unshakable joy in the midst of them.
GOD’S STRENGTH (2nd Thessalonians 3:16)
Paul ends verse 16 with the phrase, “The Lord be with you all!” (2 Thessalonians 3:16b, NASB95)[9] This at first glance may seem a little puzzling since God is omnipresent, how could He not be with them all? Paul did not simply have God’s presence in mind, but rather God’s presence to empower the Thessalonian believers to live for His glory. In Psalm 46:1 we read the rejoicing of the psalmist over that strengthening presence, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, NASB95)[10] Jesus referred to this enabling power that He would provide when He said in Matthew 28:20, “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, NASB95)[11] As believers we need God’s strengthening presence for many reasons.
First, it is God’s strength that enables us to resist temptation. 1st Corinthians 10:13 states, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NASB95)[12] God’s strength will provide a way for the believer to resist or flee temptation.
Second, we need God’s strength to stand against Satan and his demon hordes. Ephesians 6:10-13 tells Christians how to arm themselves in God’s strength to be prepared for spiritual warfare, Paul writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10–13, NASB95)[13]
Third, it is only by God’s strength that we can effectively serve Him. Paul declared this truth to the Colossians when he wrote in Colossians 1:29, “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (Colossians 1:29, NASB95)[14] Often my benediction is Hebrews 13:20-21 which also expresses this truth, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20–21, NASB95)[15]
Fourth, as believers we need God’s strength to persevere. Jude assured his readers that God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” (Jude 24b, NASB95)[16]
Fifth, it is only by God’s strength that we can endure trials. Paul describes this truth in his own life in 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10, NASB95)[17]
Sixth, it is only by God’s strength that we can effectively share the gospel with this lost world. Jesus said to His disciples in Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NASB95)[18]
Philippians 4:13 really summarizes this need that we have for God’s strength in all we do. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, NASB95)[19] Whatever the Lord Jesus Christ might call us to do or to endure, He will provide the strength needed to carry it through.
GOD’S TRUTH (2nd Thessalonians 3:17)
In verse 17 Paul interrupts his benediction which he will pick up again in verse 18. His interruption is to deal with another vital issue. Paul was very concerned that the Thessalonians have God’s truth. As an apostle of that truth, he did not want the Thessalonians to be confused about which writings were his authentic writings, which writings were inspired writings, so he wrote this closing greeting with his own hand.
If you remember, in chapter 2 false teachers had come to Thessalonica claiming that the Day of the Lord had already come, and they even had a letter that they claimed was from Paul that supported their false teaching. Paul normally dictated his letters to an amanuensis or scribe. But to prevent forgery and affirm the letter’s authenticity Paul would personally sign it with his own distinctive signature. This then became the distinguishing mark in every letter that he wrote.
Paul was deeply concerned that what the Thessalonians were receiving was the truth. Paul repeatedly affirmed that he spoke the truth in many of his epistles and that his words were truth received by revelation from God. God is not only the God of peace and of strength, but He is also the God of truth. Throughout the Old and New Testaments God’s words are declared to be truth. The apostle John affirmed many times in his gospel that Jesus Christ being God, is also the truth. In the first chapter of John in verses 14 and 17 John declares that Jesus Christ was full of grace and truth and that grace and truth are realized through Jesus. Jesus referred to Himself in John 17:8 as He who is true, and in John 14:6 He declared that He is the way, and the truth, and the life. The Holy Spirit is also truth. Three times John calls Him “the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).
Paul wanted the church in Thessalonica to be the pillar and support of the truth. But to do this they must be able to distinguish between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. The only standard to do this is the word of truth, which is why Paul so deeply concerned to guard, protect, and assure the authenticity of the revelation God gave him.
GOD’S GRACE (2nd Thessalonians 3:18)
Returning now to his benediction Paul closes his prayer and this letter by expressing his desire that all who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation continue to experience God’s grace in their lives. Again, God’s grace is His undeserved goodness and blessing granted to those who in no way deserve it. Saving grace was decreed by God and given through the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s grace is essential not only for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10) but also for endurance, service, spiritual growth, and giving. Believers experience God’s grace by trusting in Him as Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NASB95)[20] Then we experience His enabling, sanctifying grace as we continue to trust, as we obey His Word, endure His discipline, seeking to work by His power, walking in the Spirit and communing with Him in prayer. It is by God’s grace that we live each day, and that grace is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
There is no greater life to live than the Christian life lived to the glory of God. To live that kind of life requires all the understanding, obedience, commitment, dedication, and effort that any believer can give. But all of that would be nothing and would be impossible without the peace, strength, truth, and grace that only God can provide. As we depart from this book let us do so knowing that God’s peace is available continually in all circumstances and it is not dependent on us, but on God’s sovereign control in our lives. Let us live for God in His strength because our strength will fail us over and over, but God’s strength is always available and there is an inexhaustible supply available to us. Let us hold fast to the truth that is supplied to us from God’s Word so that we are grounded firmly in the faith, and we are no longer “children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men.” (Ephesians 4:14b, NASB95)[21] Hold fast to the truth. Finally, remember to enjoy God’s grace in everything that you do, and know that His grace is sufficient for anything we may face in our day to day lives.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[21]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.