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, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word, (2:16-17).
Things are shaky in Thessalonica; the confusion about the end times has caused no small disturbance.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come, (2:1-2).
shaken: 4531. σαλεύω saleúō; fut. saleúsō, from sálos (4535), wave. To move to and fro, shake. Trans., to put into a state of waving, rocking, vibratory motion,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Conjecture was circulating that these new believers had missed Christ’s return, as though He had come and they were left behind. And who wouldn’t be shaken by that? And Paul addresses the deceptions that threaten to shake and uproot these new believers from their standing secure in God’s Truth.
Paul taught the Truth to these believers, but still he prayed in faith and dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father to steady them in Truth.
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, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word, (2:16-17).
God had firmly established His Will, revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen, (Romans 16:25-27).
And the Gospel needs no Strengthening, it is perfectly fulfilled in the mystery that has been revealed in Jesus Christ. But there is another mystery Paul refers to; a mystery that threatens our stability if we do not know His Truth.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction… 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2:3, 5).
And Paul goes to great lengths to remind them of what he had already told them. Lawlessness will increase as the son of destruction exalts himself, displaying himself as being God (2:5); many will be deluded, even those who are in the church, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved (2:10); but no one will miss the Coming of the Lord when He will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming (2:8); and His judgment will be unloosed on those who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness, (2:12).
And because of the rejection of His Truth, because of their love for lies and their pursuit of the pleasures of wickedness, God turns them over to their own desires.
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, (2:11).
And though they had been told all this before, still these new believers were shaken by the false claims that Christ had already come. And perhaps, they were susceptible to accepting this lie because they couldn’t quite come to grips with a salvation that was given to save them from the eternal flames of hell but had landed them right in the midst of the fire of persecution.
And I was reminded of how easily we are unsettled when we don’t fully understand the times, when it seems as though all hell is breaking loose and nothing is going according to plan. But today, if we will turn our ears to listen and our hearts to believe, He will Strengthen Our Hearts in His Truth.
Consider Him Who Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth
Strengthen:
“4741. στηρίζω stērízō; fut. steríxō, from hístemi (2476), to stand. To set fast, to fix firmly,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
“74.19 στηρίζωa; ἐπιστηρίζω; στερεόωb: to cause someone to become stronger in the sense of more firm and unchanging in attitude or belief—‘to strengthen, to make more firm,’” Louw- Nida Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament.
Heart:
“2588. καρδία kardía; gen. kardías, fem. noun. Heart. The seat and center of human life. In the NT, used only figuratively… As the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses, i.e., the heart or mind,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
“26.3 καρδίαa, ας f: (a figurative extension of meaning of καρδία ‘heart,’ not occurring in the NT in its literal sense) the causative source of a person’s psychological life in its various aspects, but with special emphasis upon thoughts—‘heart, inner self, mind,” Louw- Nida Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament.
If left to our own deciphering of the times, we will easily wobble in every thought, desire, feeling, affection, passion and impulse. But as we grow in our knowledge of His Truth, He will firmly fix our thoughts, desires, feelings, affections, passions and impulses in unwavering faith.
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth of His Coming.
- For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words, (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth that He will Slay the enemy.
- Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (2:8).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth that He has Chosen us from the beginning for Salvation through His Sanctification.
- But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth, (2:13).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth that He has Called us to share in His Glory.
- It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2:14).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth of His Teachings.
- So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us, (2:15).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth of His Eternal Love, Comfort, Hope and Grace.
- 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, (2:16).
- He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth as He Employs us in His Service.
- comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word, (2:17).
How do we respond to Him Who Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth?
It is a very beneficial practice to ponder the great Truths of our salvation in Christ. Jesus expressed this fact as He prayed that we would be sanctified, set apart, set fast and firmly fixed for God’s purposes by the Truth. And He left no room for doubt as to His definition of Truth.
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth,” (John 17:17).
But as the believers in Thessalonica gave attention to rumors and lies, their hearts were shaken, leaving them vulnerable and given to waving and rocking rather than standing fast in their faith.
We too will be left vulnerable and susceptible to shifting and fluctuating in our faith if we do not know His Truth; for how can He Strengthen Our Hearts in the Truth if we don’t know the Truth?
Jesus told us there would be trouble and tribulation in this world until He comes again. But even so, in the midst of the trials of life, He promised that as we recount, reflect and truly come to know His Word, that He would firmly fix our thoughts, desires, feelings, affections, passions and impulses in His Peace as He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33).
Oh, that we would commit to learn and study His Truth; all His Truth; not just the parts we find easy to comprehend, or the writings that we readily relate to, or the teachings that don’t go against today’s culture. We need His Truth, all His Truth. And all His Truth is contained in All His Scripture.
Oh, let us seek Him daily in His inspired Word, for He has promised He will establish us for His Glory and steady us for the work of His service as He Strengthens Our Hearts in the Truth.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work, (2 Timothy 3:16-17).