Well, as we said, we've come
to the end of this third chapter and this evening we'll just speak
on the last two verses principally. That's the third chapter of the
first epistle of the Thessalonians and verses 12 and 13. And these read as follows. And the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another. and toward all men,
even as we do toward you. To the end, he may establish
your hearts, unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. We see here surely that the Apostle
was concerned about the unity of the Spirit and the bond of
peace, and that there might truly be that love one toward another. And surely it's good for us today
to follow on, to realize the great truth that he sets before
us, remember, As he commenced this epistle to the Thessalonians,
he said, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church and
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. Now, therefore, he really expands
it in this way, speaking to them that they might be blessed with
this increase and abound in love one toward another. Well, that's
a wonderful evidence of Christ in us, the hope of glory, when
we do show love toward one another. He goes on, of course, and says,
toward all men. You may think that's really quite
hard to understand. Well, it really indicates to
us, as we're told in another place, that we are to do good
unto all men, and especially unto the household of faith. And it's very easy to pass by
those who we think could be a problem, or could be difficult, and therefore
try and avoid them. And if we're not careful, we
become like the Pharisees who walked by on the other side.
and they don't want to be involved. And yet we never know that through
meeting such people and showing unto them kindness and love,
it may work together for their souls' eternal good. And surely that should be our
great concern for the eternal well-being of our fellow beings,
our fellow countrymen who we come in contact with. We shouldn't
ignore them. And we shouldn't pass by on the
other side. And so the Apostle says here,
And abound in love, one toward another. And that's a very full
word, isn't it? To abound in love, one toward
another. It doesn't say, well, you can
weigh out what they're like, and if they're a bit awkward,
you need to be to this extent, but no, the Word of God tells
us here to abound. And it is really good if we are
given grace to take heed to the gracious exhortations that the
Word of God contains. There are very many, and we often
fail in following them out. I often think if we had that
grace to walk in them, more accurately and more in accordance with God's
will and purpose. Surely our lives and the lives
of others would indeed be much better and many may of course
may indeed be led to the Saviour through our walk and influence
and conversation. Remember we are epistles known
and read of all men and so we have this and the lord make you
that's the prayer it was a prayer and the lord make you and that
is so true we cannot do it ourselves we're the opposite to that but
the lord can do it and the lord does do it and may we have that
confidence he will do it and the lord make you to increase
and abound in love, one toward another, and toward all men,
even as we do toward you." And quite clearly, therefore, the
Apostle was able to set forth his testimony. And the testimony
of not only himself, but also Silvanus and Timotheus who were
with him. And we're thankful, therefore,
that we do have such words of encouragement like that. Because
we don't know what's going to happen day after day. The Apostle James, as we commented
last week, makes this statement. Go to now, you that say, today
or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year,
buy and sell and gain, whereas ye know not what shall be on
the morrow. what is your life? It is even
a vapour that appears for a little time and it vanisheth away.'
Surely that is a word of direction. It's very easy for us to say,
well the word of God encourages me to do good to all men, And
I'll think about that tomorrow. Well, tomorrow may not come.
And therefore, we have this gracious instruction to do that which
we are able to do today. What a blessing it is. And what
a mercy it is that we have such a kind and gracious God. And
then the apostle goes on to say, to the end, he may establish
your hearts Unblameable in holiness before God That's a great statement
and when you read it carefully It's a very comprehensive one
and it says here to the end. He may establish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God. Well, I'm sure if we examine
our hearts, remember it's not speaking of that which is seen
outwardly. The apostle speaks that it may
speak to our hearts, establish our hearts unblameable in holiness
before God. That is a very tremendous statement,
really. And I'm sure if we think about
it carefully, we all have to recognize we do come short. And therefore, there are many
things that you and I need to pray to God about, that he may
help us, especially in this evil day in which we live, a day when
there are very many temptations, a day when it is very easy to
think not of holy things, but to think of unholy things. Remember, this is speaking to
our hearts. It's a very direct statement.
Something we can easily pass over. But he says, to the end,
you may establish your hearts. Unblameable in holiness before
God. And it's God who looks into our
heart. Each one of us, we don't see what another one's thinking.
We don't see the hearts of each other, but God does. And that's
why we have such a clear statement, and yet such an important statement,
and to realize how far short we come and the need to pray
earnestly that we may have grace to be a true follower of these
words in the set, a good example not only in the Church of God,
but in the world. Those that we mix with every
day, and those that we come in contact with, perhaps rarely,
perhaps just on an occasion. Yet to think that we walk like
that with our hearts unblameable in holiness before God. What a blessing it is, therefore. and to realise the necessity
of such an example. The Apostle tells us in the second
epistle to the Thessalonians, he says, We are bound to thank
God always for you, brethren, as it is meat, because that your
faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity, that means, and
the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth. You see, there's no excuse, is
there, not to love one another with our whole heart, especially
as we consider the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because what
a mercy it is to know that he loves us. He loves us with all
his heart. an unworthy sinner of the earth. What a great and wonderful Saviour. What a great and wonderful example
to us. And if we are to be true followers
of the Lamb, the true followers of our Saviour, then we should
desire to follow this example. And so to the end, he may establish
your hearts, unblameable in holiness before God. even our Father at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now none of us know when the
Lord will return. What we do know is it's over
2,000 years nearer than when these words were written. We
know not what a day nor an hour may bring forth, but we are warned
to be ready. And what a blessing it is if
we are. You know, the Apostle, again,
in this first epistle to the Thessalonians in the fifth chapter,
he speaks of the very God of peace. Sanctify you wholly. That makes you holy. And in sanctify
you wholly, that means completely, not the same word. Sanctify you
wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit
and soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ hastens on, and may we be ready when that time
comes, when the Saviour returns in all his glory. If we're on
the earth at that time, may we not be amongst those who are
unprepared and those who call upon the rocks to cover them. But may we be looking up for
that glorious redemption which has drawn nigh. Again in the
Thessalonians, we just read these few verses because it's very
constructive. And he tells us this in the fourth
chapter. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, We may all say, well, I do believe that.
Even so, then also, which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him. For this we say unto you, by
the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself, the great and glorious Savior, the Lord
God, the Lord himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air So shall we ever be with the Lord. Now, this is not a morbid statement. This is a wonderful truth. And
that's why Paul finally completes this chapter with these short
words. Wherefore, comfort one another
with these words to realize the Lord will return And if we are
his children, the thinking if we're on the earth, we should
be caught up in the clouds to be forever with the Lord. And
the whole church of God will then be forever with the Lord. No departing, no departing, no
end. to the glorious peace and felicity
that the Church of God will enjoy forever. Forever. It's a wonderful
thought. It's a wonderful blessing. And
may we each be given that grace and desire to anticipate the
glory of Emmanuel's land. Well, and the Lord make you to
increase and abound in love, one toward another, and toward
all men, even as we do toward you. To the end, he may establish
your hearts, unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints. Amen.