persecution

Alive Day 9 The Groaning: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Groaning!

The Questions

1) What were the sufferings of the present time, and what future glory was Paul referencing? (verse 18)

2) How does the “groaning of creation” point to truth? (verses 19-20, 22)

3) Who are the firstfruits of the Spirit? (verse 23)

Romans 8:18-23

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility–not willingly, but because of him who subjected it–in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits–we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Original Intent

1) What were the sufferings of the present time, and what future glory was Paul referencing? (verse 18)
Persecution of the church began as soon as it was birthed. Immediately in Acts we find the temple police and Sadducees putting apostles in prison (Acts 4) and stoning the Christians, including Stephen. (Acts 7) Some of this was under the leadership of Saul (later Paul). Paul suffered greatly after his salvation. Right from the start, he was blinded and needed to find his way to Ananias for prayer in order to be healed. Some think that poor eyesight was the suffering “thorn” he bore, or perhaps his health issues contributed to his poor eyesight. (Acts 9:15-16, 2 Corinthians 12:1-6) (Blue Letter Bible) He wrote to the Corinthians concerning his many trials throughout his ministry. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, weary, sleepless, poor, hungry and thirsty, cold and naked. Yet, through Christ, he prevailed. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) (Bible Charts.org) He often shared, however, that these sufferings not only kept him humble, but also cultivated his faith. God used Paul’s sufferings to further God’s Kingdom and spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. These persecutions continued not only for Paul, but for all believers in the first century leading up to all the horrific acts of Nero and many others against Christians. Paul’s letters, which were already circulating by the time of Nero, would become a great source of encouragement to the early Church, reminding them of future glory with Christ. We often think of “future glory” as being “when we all get to heaven” where sorrows and tears are gone. But Paul shared with the Romans of the peace available now as well as the certainty of knowing that God was working through their afflictions to produce His character in them. (Romans 5:1-5)

2) How does the “groaning of creation” point to truth? (verses 19-20, 22)
“The heaven declares the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1) God’s creation is so wonderful that it alone can draw us to God. Just from observing creation, all people can see that God is Truth; we are all without excuse of understanding a Creator exists. “Ever since the creation of the world His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things He has made.” (Romans 1:20) Yet, creation has been groaning since the Fall of Man. (Genesis 3) The ground was “subjected to futility” (verse 20) because of sin and it began to decay even as our bodies decay; aching to be restored to its original state. Creation waits, just as we wait, to be fully redeemed. Isaiah shares how it once was in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world, and how it will be again one day, ‘The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them.” (Read more in Isaiah 11:6-9!) The Psalmist wrote of the second coming of Jesus as well saying all creation would praise God and truth would be revealed,  “Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.” (Psalm 96:11-13, NLT)

3) Who are the firstfruits of the Spirit? (verse 23)
When Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, God gave instruction for building the tabernacle and how to celebrate the feasts. (Leviticus 23) The feasts were periods on the Jewish calendar to stop and worship the Lord, it was a time to remember what God had done. I found the study of the feasts very exciting as they each pointed to Jesus, even though they were instituted centuries before He was born. The Feast of Firstfruits directly followed Passover, which was a celebration of spring and new crops. Everyone offered up to God the very first of their crops during the Feast of Firstfruits. It was no coincidence that Jesus rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits as the ultimate celebration of new life. He was the first to rise from the dead and live forever. (Matthew 28) All who trust Christ for forgiveness and salvation will experience this same resurrection from the dead! “For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ”. (1 Corinthians 15:22-23) (Finding Christ in the Feast of Firstfruits) Something I find interesting is that an earthquake (creation groaning) was the first to celebrate the resurrection. The earth groaned exceedingly during the crucifixion, (Matthew 27:45-54) but creation shook again, this time with anticipation, at His resurrection. (Matthew 28:2)

Everyday Application

1) What were the sufferings of the present time, and what future glory was Paul referencing? (verse 18)
Paul wrote of his sufferable “thorn in the flesh” to the church in Corinth saying, “…so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) We can’t identify exactly what Paul’s thorn was, but this unknown is for our advantage; we can relate his sufferings with our own regardless of their source. Christians from many generations have benefited by his reference to the thorn while applying it to their specific problems. (Dr. Thomas Constable) The thorn of which Paul speaks gives us an understanding of God’s perspective concerning physical infirmities and suffering. (Blue Letter Bible) Personally, I have suffered from chronic pain for over 10 years. At times the pain is excruciating, but I have found complete trust in God despite the intensity. Turning to God in my pain has resulted in a much deeper relationship with the Lord of Lords than I would have had before. At one point, I had the same conversation with God that Paul records. “Please, Lord, take this pain away from me. I have learned my lesson.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) But God reminded me that I, like Paul, needed this pain to keep me humble. So, we walk hand in hand, day-by-day as I learn to trust Him more. It’s a wonderful hope of glory! I look forward to the day when He will wipe away every tear from my eyes. (Revelation 21:4) Then I will leap with the lame, see with the blind, hear with the deaf, and shout with the mute! Oh! What a glorious day!

2) How does the “groaning of creation” point to truth? (verses 19-20, 22)
Today, we are seeing the teaching of Jesus on the Mount of Olives fulfilled. He said mankind would become increasingly evil, fighting brother against brother. “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of labor pains.” (Matthew 24:3-8, emphasis mine) We are certainly seeing those labor pains in our day through earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, mud slides, volcanoes, fires, and other “natural disasters”. We hardly recover from one tragedy before another comes. Earthquakes alone have been increasing over the 120 years they have been recorded. You may remember the deadly earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004. (World Vision) That year there were 1,672 earthquakes around the world. After that, numbers increased steadily through 2011 which topped at 2,481. We have had a slight drop since then, ranging between 1433 and 1808. But still, that is at least 4 earthquakes somewhere in the world every day. (Statista) All that without mentioning other “groanings of creation”! Obviously, the earth groans for the coming inheritance promised in Revelation by the Creator God Himself. The Apostle John wrote down what He saw as the new heaven and earth. (Revelation 1:1-2) Certainly, what we see in John’s book of revelations is only a glimpse of what we will experience in perfected Glory with God such as, clean water, the Tree of Life bearing all kinds of fruit, and the curse removed. Revelation 22:1-3 says, “Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, and there will no longer be any curse.

3) Who are the firstfruits of the Spirit? (verse 23)
When we accept Christ as Savior, we become a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) His Holy Spirit works within us to remove our carnal spirit and to become new in Him. The things in our past are now gone! We are now alive in Christ. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6) Paul takes it one step further… “so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7) One day, all who trust Christ for forgiveness of sin and have repented (turned away from) of their sin will rise! We will be raptured into Heaven ever to be with the Lord. This is our very certain future hope! “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) And that time, our adoption in Christ will be finalized and our bodies will be gloriously changed. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58) So, in conclusion, dear sisters, I urge you, just as Paul did the Corinthians, “Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Groaning!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Alive Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Terrain Day 14 The Island Of Patmos: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Island Of Patmos!

The Questions

1) How is perseverance through persecution clear evidence that God counts us worthy of His Kingdom? (verse 5) 


2) Why is it just for God to “repay with affliction those who afflict you”? (verse 6) 


3) What does it mean to “pay the penalty of destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength”? (verse 9) 

2 Thessalonians 1:4-12

Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches—about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring. 5 It is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, 6 since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, 8 when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength 10 on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. 11 In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Original Intent

1) How is perseverance through persecution clear evidence that God counts us worthy of His Kingdom? (verse 5)
Paul was pleased with the Thessalonian believers because they continued to remain faithful to the Lord through the trials they suffered because of Christ. Many converts were former Jews, “which angered the Jews and caused them to resort to violence and mob activity”. (Bible.org) Even amid persecution, the new Christians held to their faith, which Paul called “clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering”. (2 Thessalonians 1:5) The wording here can make it sound like these Christians were worthy of God’s Kingdom because of their suffering, but that isn’t accurate. People can’t do anything to make themselves worthy of God’s Kingdom. We can only gain Heaven through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. (Titus 3:5-7) Suffering for God’s Kingdom, though, shows love for God and faith in His Word and His promises. It is a mark of genuine, saving faith in Christ. It is easy to fold under pressure, and enduring the face of persecution demonstrates authentic faith; it pleases the Lord when His children endure. Author Steve Lewis asserts, “Something about the Thessalonians was a plain indication . . . that God does indeed judge righteously. The indicator was not the trials themselves, but their response to the trials. Their perseverance and faith provided solid proof that God was at work within them, enabling them to behave in ways that were opposite to their natural desires.” The fact that the Thessalonian believers allowed Christ to empower them proved they belonged to Him, had His Spirit within them, and were truly part of His Kingdom. Author David Guzik suggests “Paul’s prayer was that the worthiness of Jesus may be accounted to the Thessalonian Christians.” Paul was pleased to know the Thessalonians stood strong in their faith in Christ and His power at work in them.

2) Why is it just for God to “repay with affliction those who afflict you”? (verse 6)
In verses 6-7, Paul encourages the persecuted church by writing, “it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us.” This resonates with many because it doesn’t seem fair when someone is mistreated for no good reason and the perpetrator goes unpunished. Everything in us cries out for justice! Acting justly is a crucial component for believers in accurately reflecting God’s character. (Micah 6:8) However, God does not want us to exact justice for ourselves. (Matthew 5:38-39) He tells us vengeance is His alone. (Deuteronomy 32:35) God instructs us to seek justice and show mercy; because He is Righteous and Just, He must let justice be served. Author David Guzik explains how “God’s judgment is based on the great spiritual principle that it is a righteous thing with God to repay those who do evil. Since God is righteous, He will repay all evil, and it will all be judged and accounted for either at the cross or in hell.” The Scriptures tell us God is a jealous and avenging God (Nahum 1:2) and that God will judge everyone according to what they have done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) The wicked will face the wrath of God, but Christians are righteous through Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30) because He sanctified us through His death on the cross, which cleansed us from our sins. He took the punishment of sin on Himself, fulfilling the justice of God. We can rejoice because, unlike those who don’t have faith in Christ, God’s wrath is turned away from us because Jesus’ blood makes us righteous before God.

3) What does it mean to “pay the penalty of destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength”? (verse 9)
Paul describes what will happen to those who persecute God’s people in verses 9-10 when he writes, “They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed . . .” While Paul does mention “flaming fire” in verse 8, the greatest penalty for the wicked is being cut off from the gracious, good presence of the Lord. Author David Spence Jones explains, “As the presence of the glorified Jesus will constitute the happiness of heaven, so banishment from His presence will constitute the misery of hell, because the soul is then cut off from the source of all good and of all holiness.” In the beginning, before sin entered the world, God walked with humans in the Garden of Eden, communing with them in perfect harmony. After their sin, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, never to walk in perfection with the Lord again. (Genesis 3:4-24) Their sin separated them from the presence of their Holy God. Being deprived of God’s presence is disastrous because it is only in His presence we can find fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) The persecutors of the saints were also cut off from the glorious strength of the Lord, for it is the joy of the Lord that is our own strength for believers. (Nehemiah 8:10)

Everyday Application

1) How is perseverance through persecution clear evidence that God counts us worthy of His Kingdom? (verse 5)
I coordinate children’s church volunteers, and I quickly recognize those who will stick and those who will hand in their nametags before they even get smudged with finger paint. The ones who stay endure toddler tantrums, diaper blow-outs, eye-rolling tweens, and difficult parents because they love serving the Lord. They believe sharing the Good News of Jesus with kids is essentia. Their willingness to serve, despite the challenges, blesses the Lord and plays an integral part in growing God’s Kingdom. Truly following Jesus always means struggle and suffering. Depending on location in the world and your dynamics, that suffering looks different. Sometimes it’s loving on hard-to-love kids, being rejected by your friends, or choosing the unpopular decision to follow Jesus first. For many believers around the world, following Jesus means literally putting their lives at risk because of their faith. This was the case for the believers in Thessalonica. In 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, Paul wrote, “Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches—about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.  It is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering.” Paul lauded the believers for walking out their faith in trying times. Author David Guzik observes that “Where suffering is coupled with righteous endurance, God’s work is done. The fires of persecution and tribulation were like the purifying fires of a refiner, burning away the dross from the gold, bringing forth a pure, precious metal.” When Christians experience difficult things and come through on the other side with their faith intact, they mature and develop the characteristics God desires in His Kingdom people. May we seek the Lord’s grace, wisdom, and strength to endure hard times so we can grow in our faith and fulfill the role God has for us in His Kingdom. 

2) Why is it just for God to “repay with affliction those who afflict you”? (verse 6)

Have you ever fumed at someone speeding past you at a ridiculous rate on the highway only to rejoice a few miles later to see an officer giving a speeding ticket? Something in our nature hates to see wrongdoers get off without penalty. It is satisfying to know that justice has been served. It seems easy to agree with Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 when he writes, “it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us.” It is fitting for the Righteous God to enact justice on sinners, but it can be very tempting for us to take matters into our own hands. God is very clear that making wrongdoers pay is His job, not ours. Jesus tells us in Romans 12:19-20, “do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. ” Not only does God tell us not to avenge ourselves, He tells us to treat our enemies with love. We are to show kindness and let Him repay the evildoers. Treating those who afflict me with love and letting God handle the justice is not as natural as cheering on the punishment I think they deserve, but it is what God requires. It’s a helpful perspective to remember that, in view of God’s supreme holiness, we are all sinful and rebellious. (Romans 3:23) My prayer is that seeking justice and loving mercy becomes easier as we humble ourselves before God and allow Him to be the Righteous Judge over every situation in our lives.  


3) What does it mean to “pay the penalty of destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength”? (verse 9) 

Being a Mom means having “superpowers” such as Finder of Lost Things and Healer of Boo-Boos. But the best “superpower” is that Mom’s presence can instantly make things better. Kids sleep better and worry less when Mom’s around. A mother’s presence brings incredible peace to her children! The Lord’s presence blesses His children in infinitely greater fashion. Zephaniah 3:17 declares, “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in His love. He will delight in you with singing.” In God’s presence, we experience His salvation and the delight of His love. In John 15:5-6, Jesus remarks, “I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. . .” Jesus tells us that if we stay in His presence, we are productive and alive. Without His presence, we are like useless, withered branches. Paul describes the loss of God’s presence in verse 9, when he notes that those who persecute the Church will “pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength.” Eternal destruction is described as being apart from God forever. Author David Guzik explains how the phrase, “From the presence of the Lord”, sums up the Bible’s teaching on hell. Nothing more needs said of its horrors, other than hell will be completely devoid of God’s good presence and every kind aspect of His character. Only His unrelenting holy justice remains. Just as being in God’s presence is a blessing, being apart from Him is punishment. We delight and take comfort in God’s presence, and we suffer when our sin separates us from the Lord. Anyone who finds themselves deprived of the Lord’s presence need only repent and turn from their sins to experience refreshing from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19-20) We serve a mighty and merciful God!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Island Of Patmos!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Terrain Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ready Day 14 Gathered Together: Digging Deeper

Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Gathered Together!

The Questions

1) What event was the author, Paul, addressing in verse 1?

2) Why did the believers need to be encouraged? (verses 2-5)

3) What restrains “the man of lawlessness” and his evil work? (verses 6-12)

4) How is the believer’s behavior contrasted with those who do not accept God’s love and truth? (verses 13-17)

2 Thessalonians 2

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? 6 And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie, 10 and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, 12 so that all will be condemned—those who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.

13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

Original Intent

1) What event was the author, Paul, addressing in verse 1?
After years of persecuting Christians, a radically changed Paul launched many churches across the ancient world. As one of the most prominent leaders of the early church, his letters encouraged believers to maintain their faith and fix their hope on Jesus’ return. Amid the hardships they faced as Christians, the belief in “the coming of the Lord.” (verse 1) was an important foundation of the church. Church leaders like James, Peter, and John all affirmed the return of the Lord Jesus. (James 5:7-8, 2 Peter 3:10-12, 1 John 2:28) Bible scholars tell us the event is referenced over 1,500 times in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself referred to His return over 20 times. (5 Facts about Christ’s Return) The New Testament focuses primarily on Jesus’ first coming as a baby, but it also contains many references to an occasion in which He will come again to gather all believers to Himself and bring everything to its appropriate end. 1 & 2 Thessalonians are letters written by the apostle Paul to the Christian believers in the city of Thessalonica. (bibleplaces.com) Though Paul’s initial visit was cut short by a riot, this didn’t deter him from covering weighty matters concerning Jesus as Messiah. (Acts 17:1-10) Paul’s first letter to Thessalonica addressed questions about the resurrection and return of Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) It makes sense that questions concerning Jesus’ return were often on their minds. It now seems they were being told His return had already happened, and Paul responds in verse 1 to their specific concerns.

2) Why did the believers need to be encouraged? (verses 2-5)
After Paul commended the believers in 2 Thessalonians 1:4-12 for their faith and love, he explained again about the coming of the Lord Jesus. It seems they had heard disturbing news through erroneous prophecy that the return of Christ had already happened. Paul reminds and encourages them by instructing them that two things must occur first: 1) the apostasy, and 2) the revelation of the man of lawlessness. The English word “apostasy” is a transliteration (What Is Transliteration?) of the Greek word apostasia, which signifies a great rebellion against God. This will be led by the “man of lawlessness”, an evil world ruler to come. Bible scholars believe Paul gleaned his understanding of future events from the Old Testament prophet Daniel. Several times in this passage, he refers to “the man of lawlessness” who will rise to power. (verses 3-9) In Daniel 7-9, the prophet dreams and speaks of one who is a boastful king who will “oppress the holy ones … [and] intend to change religious festivals and laws.” (Daniel 7:25) This evil ruler will introduce a false peace to the world and will oppose God. He will even claim himself to be God. (verse 4) Paul assures them in verse 3 that all this was yet to come; they had not missed it!

3) What restrains “the man of lawlessness” and his evil work? (verses 6-12)
In Matthew 24:3-12, Jesus mentions His return and warns His disciples to be aware of rumors regarding His future coming “and of the end of the age.” Even though some Jews had come to understand Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah (Matthew 3:11-12, Matthew 21:9), the “day of the Lord” was shadowy and confusing to many who believed in Him. (Bible Project) Paul is reminding them of truth they already know so they wouldn’t despair. (verses 5-6) Despite the current signs that were potentially signaling the last days, Paul encouraged them to remember his teaching about the timing and details of what would occur. He wrote to them that the “mystery” rebellion against God would continue. “It is not open sin and wickedness, but dissembled piety, specious errors, wickedness under a form of godliness cunningly managed, that is here meant.” (studylight.org) Since the Thessalonians already had knowledge about who was restraining the evil one, he does not specify in these verses who it is. Bible scholars have differing views regarding the identity of the “one now restraining.” (verse 7) There is biblical evidence, however, that the Holy Spirit of God works to restrain evil through His presence in the lives of Christ followers (John 14:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Titus 3:4-7) The Spirit of God works in the lives of Christians in order to exhibit His righteousness to the world through us. In doing so, He holds humanity back from the swelling tide of complete and utter lawlessness. Though we should not be dogmatic about specifically “who” the restrainer is, Paul is clear that at some future time human depravity will no longer be restrained. When that happens, the lawless leader will be revealed for who he truly is.

4) How is the believer’s behavior contrasted with those who do not accept God’s love and truth? (verses 13-17)
Jesus said He would come again to gather the saints (those called and set apart for the Lord’s work) to Himself. He first came as a humble baby to rescue humanity from their death through His own death, consequently transferring those who believe in Him from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:13-14) Paul was glad he could always give thanks for his Thessalonians friends, and in his letter, he expresses his thankful heart. (2 Thessalonians 1:3) The basis for his joy was their salvation in God and obedience to Him. Paul’s boast about them was based completely on God’s power in them. He wrote to them regarding his firm conviction about the manner in which God accomplishes salvation through a person’s faith, and how they demonstrated that faith with their obedience. (2 Thessalonians 1:4-12) He contrasted that obedience with those “who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8) In verse 12, Paul writes that those who delight in unrighteousness will be judged and condemned. BUT thankfully, this is not the case for these believers in Thessalonica. (verses 13-14) They were growing in righteousness (right living before God) and had obviously heeded his previous letter’s challenge to them to live uprightly. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7)

Everyday Application

1) What event was the author, Paul, addressing in verse 1?
You wouldn’t need to search long to realize there are a myriad of beliefs about Christ’s return. Though there is an abundance of teaching about this in Scripture, there is no simple outline or timeline to clarify exactly what will happen or when. Many people throughout church history have confused the teaching of the apostles that Christ could come at any moment with the unbiblical idea that He would come at any moment. While the return of Christ should be taught as a certainty, the details surrounding His coming back should not be. It would be right of us to say that Christ will come “soon”. What we should mean by that is we believe Christ will come “surely.” Unfortunately, too many people today equate “soon” with a microwave mentality. Jesus’ imminent return is not the same as His immediate return. Jesus explained in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 that we are unable to precisely predict the time of His return. Apparently, we do not need to know the timing or He would have told us! We are admonished, however, to continually anticipate His return and be ready in a way that demonstrates we believe He is coming to gather to Himself those who have been made righteous through Jesus. (Luke 12:36-40) Because the specific time of Christ’s return is unknowable, believers are urged to be prepared by keeping our lives unstained by the world’s evil. Sisters, we do this not by removing ourselves from culture, but by immersing ourselves in God’s word and praying for His Spirit to teach and empower us to daily live for Him.

2) Why did the believers need to be encouraged? (verses 2-5)
Paul’s letter is filled with information regarding Christ’s coming again to earth. The problem is that, as curious humans, we will not find all our questions answered as specifically as we probably wish. Those with inquiring minds want more details, don’t we?! I especially would like to know just who is going to make all the trouble for everyone before Jesus comes back. Is he alive right now? Where does he live? These questions have possibly come to your mind, too. Thankfully, we have Paul’s encouragement to “not be easily upset or troubled” by these thoughts. In fact, the Bible speaks often about the unshakeable hope we have as believers, even as we live in this unsettled world. This is not a “hope so” kind of belief, but it is a confident assurance based upon the strong foundation of the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ! Paul encouraged the believers to stand firm amid the false messages they heard because of their sure hope. This is a good word for us as well! My friend, we do not need to fret when we hear rumors and conspiracy theories about the end of the world. When Jesus returns “we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonian 4:17-18)

3) What restrains “the man of lawlessness” and his evil work? (verses 6-12)
Some would call current times the “Church Age”. Since the Church was born, it has existed on earth as God’s revelation and expression of Himself. Before Pentecost, God had not indwelled humans permanently and eternally. Scripture records the Holy Spirit of God working before Jesus came to earth, but His presence with people was temporary. (Psalm 51:10-12) The Church Age is marked by the Holy Spirit’s permanent indwelling of God’s people. The Spirit’s presence is evident as God’s people gather to pray, preach, sing, and serve. That the Church exists and thrives worldwide is a powerful picture of God’s nearness. I sometimes forget the Church is one of the most significant means of restraining evil on earth. I’m not talking about people going to a church building, but people indwelled by the Holy Spirit, which happens when they surrender themselves wholly to God. Their presence continues to be part of what keeps society from total chaos and unbridled lawlessness. It’s the Holy Spirit, through His people, who is hindering unrighteousness and rebellion from spiraling out of control. Sisters, reflect on this amazing truth with me. As the Holy Spirit controls our lives, it’s our prayers, our service, our joy, and our love that God uses to keep Satan from causing complete anarchy. Although the world is ultimately helpless against Satan’s schemes and power, God, in His providence, uses the Church to restrain him. We might better understand the text if the identity of the restrainer wasn’t vague, but it is. Whether or not we’re ever sure of the restrainer’s identity, the necessary point is seeing God’s sovereign control in the return of Christ, as it is He who orchestrates the signs and time of His return. Oh friend, may our trust in His good and perfect plan sustain us as we wait with certain hope for our Lord’s return!

4) How is the believer’s behavior contrasted with those who do not accept God’s love and truth? (verses 13-17)
As a Christ-follower, I believe Jesus plainly spoke of His return. Scripture records several instances of Jesus telling of His imminent return, which is sooner than later and will happen quickly. We may not know exactly when Jesus will return, but what we do know gives us insight into how we should live until He does. The people of Jesus await His coming with eager anticipation. It is this hope that binds us together in unity and expectation. As we gather to worship, we sing and prayerfully declare our joy and hope. In doing this, we are actively encouraging one another to “hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since He who promised is faithful. And [we] consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as we see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25) Oh, please hold fast, dear Sister! Let’s remind ourselves of truth about Jesus. I urge you to make a personal habit of gathering often with others who hold this same hope. Jesus gave His followers who were with Him on earth, and those who would come after them, this instruction and encouragement, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:32-33) It is because of this truth Paul reminded his friends to live differently than those living without hope. Praise God, we live for the glory of Christ! “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.” (verses 16-17)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Ready Day 13 Gathered Together

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Thessalonians 2
Psalm 18
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ready, Day 13

There’s nothing quite like having something taken away to make you realize how much you love that something. The idea of gathering together feels different for all of us around the globe in the wake of Covid-19.

Most churches closed their physical doors for a time. When they did re-open, masks and social distancing made us all acutely aware that gathering together had significantly changed. My dear friend in Scotland cannot even sing aloud with her church when they finally do gather in person.

The early church multiplied quickly, spreading across provinces and countries like wildfire. Jesus had come as God in the flesh to point our sin-wrecked hearts back to Him (Romans 5:6-11), He ascended to rule and reign with Father God at His right hand (Romans 8:34), and now He was building His other-worldly kingdom through His beloved ones, those who called out to Him as Savior. (Acts 2:41-47)

The work was the Lord’s.
The people were His.
The Church was His Beautiful Bride, His very great reward.

As precious as the early church was, they faced struggle, persecution, loss, and distance just like we do today.

Because Christ’s Church spans oceans, deserts, forests, rivers, and plains, it can be hard to remember we are all integrally connected to one another.

The sister in Nigeria who faces a government in disarray and ruled by those bent on destroying Christians is as much a part of me as the skin that covers my bones.

The brother in India who spends his days entering villages closed to the gospel in order to have even one conversation with a person of peace willing to hear about Jesus is as deeply intertwined with me as my lungs that inhale and exhale.

We are the Body of Christ, His Church.

My best friend and her family live as far around the world as possible without beginning to return the other direction. While we grieve our distance, knowing I can’t watch her kids for a date night and she can’t sit on my couch eating late night ice cream, the Spirit of God binds us together in such sweet intimacy, it’s almost like we share the same air.

The Holy Spirit reminds one of us to pray specifically, fervently, for the other, and the Lord brings us together. My heart yearns for her physical arms and for flesh and blood fingers to wipe away tears, but in the Spirit of the God in whom we share, we are gathered together.

It’s with this gut-level yearning Paul draws the members of the Thessalonian church into his embracing words of encouragement. Though aching for their physical closeness, Paul intimately whispers of the richest of all secrets.

Soon, brothers and sisters, soon, we will all be gathered together with Jesus Christ Himself!
Soon, we will stand face to face with one another, every tribe, every nation, every race, and every language gathered together.

We will be one and that gathering will be flooded with the magnificent glory of the Lord Jesus. We will touch hands, hug shoulders, laugh and dance in freedom, and oh, we will worship, how we will worship as One Gloriously Beautiful Bride of Christ!

Soon, but not yet.

It’s not a secret thing, this gathering together with our Lord Jesus; all who draw breath will know, unmistakably, our King has indeed finally come to bring His people home.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the archangel’s voice,
and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are still alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will always be with the Lord.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Satan will be allowed to wreck his havoc in the now, tormenting souls and deceiving them into thinking they have it all, but they have nothing.

“He (Satan) opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. (…) working every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders to serving the lie (…) with wicked deception among those who are perishing.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 9-10)

Those who believe Satan’s lies will perish because “they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

In light of our coming reality of gathering in person,
Paul urges us to lean in to God’s Kingdom work.

Who do you know who “refuses to love the truth and so be saved?”
Are you actively praying for them and for an opportunity to share truth with them?

“…from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

Would you consider yourself a “lover of truth”
that you might be “gathered together” when Jesus returns in glory?
What are the evidences of your claim?

God has a purposeful call on our lives to trust Him,
to be sanctified (made more like Him by the Holy Spirit) by Him,
to tell others about His Hope,
and to trust that, regardless of struggle and distance now,
one day, He will gather us all HOME!

Let’s be Ready for His Return!

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Ready Day 11 Unlikely Abundance

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Thessalonians 1:3-8
James 1:2-4
Romans 5:1-5
1 Peter 4:12-19

Ready, Day 11

Never one to shy away from an uncomfortable topic, Paul begins his second letter to the Thessalonians by writing about the persecutions and tribulations we will endure in this life. His choice is not terribly shocking; in fact, trials and tribulations are common topics throughout the New Testament. As we’ve seen in Read His Words Before Ours, believers are repeatedly instructed to delight in these hardships, for they produce godliness in us and are a part of our sanctification process.

What is a bit shocking, perhaps, are Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 1 regarding these sufferings. He asserts our hardships are “clear evidence of God’s righteous judgement that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you are also suffering.” (verse 5)

Did you catch that? Our trials, tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings in this life are direct evidence of the righteous judgment of God.
They are evidence He is considering us worthy of the kingdom of God!
That’s a big deal!

Similarly, in 1 Peter 4:13, Peter urges,
“Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, that you may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed.”

Amazingly, there is a direct connection between the suffering we experience in this world and the abundant level of glory and rejoicing we will experience in the next.

Recently, I wrote a social media post reflecting this idea of life’s hardship leading to a deeper walk with Christ, and how this serves as a precursor to our coming glory.

The concept of the hardships in this life leading to a deepening of our walk with the Lord and serving as a precursor to coming glory inspired a post I recently wrote on social media.

“We have to stop being so myopic and quit looking just at the US. We need to zoom out and look at the world as a whole, both now and down through history.

When we do that, what we see is that the church has repeatedly been strengthened in the hard times. In fact, the church has always proven to be stronger, more faithful, and more able to lean on Christ when times are hard and persecution is rampant than when everything is easy, earthly freedom abounds, and we all become complacent.

It’s not that I’m over here begging God for hardship so that the church would wake up and stand firm and learn what it means to be strong in the faith. But, as I’ve said before, God is always on the move, not the least of which being in those times when the church is persecuted or facing hardship.

While we don’t yearn for hardship and freedom infringement, we can be a little excited about seeing God strengthen, build, and grow His church in amazing ways – and prove Himself the faithful sustainer of that church!- if the church does begin to lose some of its freedoms.

So, brothers and sisters in Christ, please do not lose heart!
Please do not fret or wring your hands or get worried and worked up.

No. Rely on your faith.
Live it out.
Test it.
Prove that it can withstand hardship. And excitedly watch God work!”

We will undoubtedly face hardships in this life. They are promised to us.
Yet, those hardships are never an indictment against God, grounds for disproving the Bible, or trials that render God weak or useless.

Far from it, friends!

While we don’t yearn for hardships, trials, and sufferings, we are able to rejoice when they come because we know they will produce abundant fruit in our lives,
both now and in eternity.

No pain we suffer in this life is purposeless. Rather, it serves a great purpose and provides us with an opportunity to watch Romans 8:28 come true right in front of our eyes.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God,
who are called according to His purpose.”

Take heart, my friends! The sufferings of this present life are leading to an abundance of glory unlike anything we can presently imagine.

Hold on. Hold fast. Look up. And keep the faith!

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Ready Day 4 Are You In?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Why are Paul, Silas, and Timothy thankful for the Thessalonians? (verses 2-3)

2) How did Paul, Silas, and Timothy know God had chosen the Thessalonians? (verses 4-5)

3) How should we respond to persecution? (verses 6-8)

1 Thessalonians 1

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy:
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace.

2 We always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. 3 We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance. You know how we lived among you for your benefit, 6 and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. 7 As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you 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—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Original Intent

1) Why are Paul, Silas, and Timothy thankful for the Thessalonians? (verses 2-3)
First Thessalonians begins with Paul’s expression of gratitude for the Thessalonians. Author Chuck Swindoll explains that Paul’s stay in Thessalonica was brief, so he sent Timothy back to discover how they were doing. Although Timothy’s report raised some concerns, Paul was grateful to find them thriving. He declares in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, we “…always thank God for all of you, making mention of you constantly in our prayers. We recall (…) your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul is thankful that their faith in, and love for, God motivated them to work hard and do great things to build His kingdom. They labored to spread the Gospel because they believed Paul’s message. Paul is also grateful for their endurance inspired by hope in Christ. God’s love and His promise of heaven empowered the Thessalonians to endure hardships in order to share the Good News of Christ with others. Author David Guzik observes, “there was an undeniable work of the Holy Spirit and a marvelous change in their lives. The three great Christian virtues were evident among them: faith, love, and hope. . . Therefore, their faith produced work – as is the nature of true faith. Their love produced labor. . . Their hope produced patience, which is the long-suffering endurance needed to not only survive hard times, but to triumph through them.” The Thessalonians loved others because God loved them; it was His great love which spurred them on. Their hope in Jesus enabled them to endure persecution. They knew He died, paying the penalty for their sins, in order to give them eternal life with God. This secure hope of a forever home in the glorious presence of God urged them onward to persevere in their faith. Paul thanked God for how the Thessalonians were growing in their faith and expanding God’s kingdom.

2) How did Paul, Silas, and Timothy know God had chosen the Thessalonians? (verses 4-5)
Paul, Silas and Timothy established the church in Thessalonica. Paul’s first letter to them after their departure celebrates their spiritual growth during their short existence. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, Paul tells the church he knows God chose them “because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance.” Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament explains how this verse describes an “election of you by God. It is an old word from εκλεγομαι — eklegomai used by Jesus of His choice of the twelve disciples (John 15:16) and by Paul of God‘s eternal selection.” (Ephesians 1:4) Paul encourages the saints that they were chosen by God, which he confidently knows because the Holy Spirit visited them with great power. The Spirit’s presence, and His work through them, evidenced God choosing them. They did not just hear the Word, but they actively responded to God’s call. As a result, the Holy Spirit did mighty work in their lives. John Gill notes that the power of the Holy Spirit was “working and implanting His graces in them, as faith, hope, and love, and every other; and He Himself was received along with it, as the Spirit of illumination and conviction, of regeneration, conversion, and sanctification, and of faith and adoption; all which gave full evidence of their election.” The indication that God had chosen the Thessalonians was the way they allowed God to work in them and through them. When they heard the Good News of the Gospel preached to them by Paul, Silas, and Timothy, they did not receive it as just a nice message. They submitted to the Truth of God’s Word which penetrated their hearts and minds, changing them forever. The power of God was evident in their lives in the way they shared His love with others, even amidst opposition and persecution. Only God could do such things!

3) How should we respond to persecution? (verses 6-8)
In 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, Paul applauds the Thessalonians because, while they were being persecuted, they imitated Timothy, Silas, and the Lord by welcoming the Good News with joy from the Holy Spirit. Author D. Edmond Hiebert notes, “They actively began to express in their own lives the characteristics of this new life as they observed it in the lives of the missionaries.” Rather than abandoning their new faith, or hiding it to avoid persecution, they surrendered to the Holy Spirit who filled them with joy as they welcomed the life-changing message brought by Paul and his team. By following the example set before them in Paul, the Thessalonians “became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.” (1 Thessalonians 1: 7-8) Despite persecution, the Thessalonians lived out their faith by declaring the Word of the Lord to others. Paul was also no stranger to persecution. He endured beatings, stoning, imprisonment, and more for the Gospel. (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) Paul encouraged their positive reaction to persecution, which was to persevere because of the joy set before them. Author Ray Stedman points out, “These young believers were ostracized at their work, hounded out of their homes, arrested, and put into prison because of their newfound faith. But, says Paul, they had learned to see these afflictions in a new way. They saw them as privileges, given to them for Jesus’ sake. The result was joy!” May we also endure because of the joy set before us and count it a privilege to serve Jesus even in hardships.

Everyday Application

1) Why are Paul, Silas, and Timothy thankful for the Thessalonians? (verses 2-3)
My husband taught Spanish years ago in a small country school. He also coached the boys, including Joe, in football and basketball. Joe was a strong athlete, but a mediocre Spanish student. Years later, my husband ran into Joe and was delighted to learn he had become a Spanish teacher himself! It encouraged my husband to see Joe had mastered the skills he struggled with and was now teaching others. Paul, Timothy and Silas also experienced this same joy and pride when they learned how the new church in Thessalonica was growing and maturing despite the struggles they faced. It would have been easy to give up in the face of hardship, but Paul tells us the Thessalonians worked, labored and endured because of their faith, hope, and love inspired by God. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3) We are shown how “The work of the Thessalonians was the result of their faith, and just as important was also the evidence that their faith was genuine and not simply an intellectual assent to an emotional, persuasive message to believe. (Preceptaustin.org) The church in Thessalonica continued to love God and do His will, even when obeying Him came at a high personal cost and their inspiring preachers had left town. They were willing to persevere despite struggle because they had experienced God’s love for themselves. They knew His message was true and obeying Him was worth everything. The coming promise of living forever with God in Heaven made it easier to endure hardship on earth. My prayer is that our faith in God will spur us to do good works, just as it did the Thessalonians. God’s love should pour out of us and onto others, motivating us to share the eternal hope we have in Jesus!

2) How did Paul, Silas, and Timothy know God had chosen the Thessalonians? (verses 4-5)
I remember the first time I put pen to paper. I was 6 years old and in possession of a new Hollie Hobby diary. I wrote a few words and then enlisted the help of a scribe (my dad) since my spelling skills were limited. It wasn’t long until I was writing stories, poems, essays and journal entries all on my own as I evidence my love for putting thoughts on paper and creating new worlds of fiction. When you love something so much, there is always evidence to prove it. The church in Thessalonica had much proof of their love for God and His choice of them. Paul points to this evidence in saying, “our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance”. (1 Thessalonians 1:5) The fact that the Holy Spirit was moving in their lives, empowering them to share the Gospel in many places under severe persecution, was proof that God had chosen the Thessalonian church as His own. Author Charles Simeon notes, “If we find the fruits of the Spirit within us, we know infallibly who the agent is that has produced them; and from such an undeniable evidence of God’s love we may safely conclude that we are elected of Him.” The Thessalonians were obviously chosen by God because they were bearing the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. I want to have even more evidence of God’s work in my life than I have boxes and files that evidence my love of writing. The more we let the Holy Spirit empower our daily interactions with others, the more evidence we will have of His love working through us. 

3) How should we respond to persecution? (verses 6-8)
We all love the storyline where a hero risks his or her life to save another. It is inspiring to see love working as self-sacrifice, putting the needs of others above one’s own. Think of an example you’ve either read about, personally witnessed, or watched on film where the hero sacrifices for someone else. These depictions help us understand how the church in Thessalonica was doing much the same thing. Paul’s letter was meant to encourage the fledgling church to persevere in the face of “severe persecution” for the faith. (1 Thessalonians 1:7) As they were giving themselves up in surrender to Jesus, they held out the hope of eternal life to all those around them. Even though they were being oppressed, their love for God motivated the Thessalonians to keep sharing God’s love and the hope of His salvation, preaching the Word of the Lord “not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8) The Thessalonians were living like their teachers, Paul, Timothy, and Silas, loving Jesus and His Gospel above all else, and letting it permeate all areas of their lives. They were not just preaching the Gospel, they were living it! And the fact that they were doing so even under great duress made others want this same life-giving source. Preceptaustion.org notes how “The spread of the gospel from Thessalonica was the result of vital Christian living rather than aggressive missionary propaganda. (…) The amazing joy of the Thessalonian believers under affliction has amplified the message of the gospel, causing the reports to spread in all directions.” Our lives should speak of Jesus’ incredible love in all situations, through good times and hard times, drawing those around us to Him, like the Thessalonians exemplified.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Are You In?!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Ready Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ready Day 2 Trade Routes: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Trade Routes!

The Questions

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

6 But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love. He reported that you always have good memories of us and that you long to see us, as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction, we were encouraged about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God for you in return for all the joy we experience before our God because of you, 10 as we pray very earnestly night and day to see you face to face and to complete what is lacking in your faith?

Original Intent

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)
Paul’s original visit to Thessalonica was cut short and he was sent away due to a riot initiated by the Jews. Check out the story in Acts 17:1-10! However, Paul did not forget about the believers in Thessalonica and, while he himself was delayed in revisiting them because of Satan’s hindrances (1 Thessalonians 2:18), he sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage” the believers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2) Paul was concerned that the persecution would ruin the faith of the Thessalonians and they would feel overwhelmed, buying the lie that Jesus wasn’t worth the struggle. As with everywhere he went, Paul had fully invested himself while with the new believers in Thessalonica. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) He sent Timothy to ensure his (and Silas’) labors in sharing the gospel hadn’t been for naught. (1 Thessalonians 3:5)

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)
Paul had been driven out of Thessalonica during the riot of the Jews. Yet again, Paul was met with persecution for his faith, which he lived out in daily, obedient surrender to Christ. While no stranger to persecution, it still caused distress and affliction in his life. He suffered emotionally and physically in ways we may never experience, but he counted it all as significant gain because he suffered for Jesus, who is of immeasurable worth! (James 1:2-4, Philippians 3:8) Paul was no stranger to the feelings of physical and emotional distress as he was continuously confronted with persecution after his conversion to Christ. However, Paul knew every affliction that came as a result of his obedience to God was absolutely worth it if the gospel was being spread! (1 Peter 3:17-18) He wrote to the church in Philippi regarding his suffering for Jesus, “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” (Philippians 3:10)

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)
Timothy brought back an encouraging report to Paul that far exceeded his expectations. The believers in Thessalonica were persevering and flourishing both in their faith and love for one another. This caused great joy in Paul and he publicly thanked God for His work in the lives of the Thessalonians. Paul knew this good work was not to be attributed to him and quickly placed credit where credit was due. Paul was witnessing in the testimony of the Thessalonians what he himself had experienced to be true in his own life of persecution. The more believers surrender to the work of God in their lives, the more God advances the gospel and finishes His work in and through their outpouring of faith and gratitude. Even in the midst of significant hardship, there was still reason to offer thanksgiving, and Paul did exactly this. Paul was also joyful that the Thessalonians had not forgotten him (verse 6), which emphasizes the love all believers share because of the love of God at work within them!

Everyday Application

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)
Paul had been forced away from Thessalonica before he had finished the work he planned to do there. He was concerned the work of discipling new believers, and helping them grow into mature Christ-followers, would fall apart. He was concerned the Gospel would not flourish or take root in his absence. There are times in our own lives where we share the Gospel with people and don’t have the opportunity to stay and watch it grow. If we travel to a mission field away from home, we will likely need to return home before we can witness the growth and change happening in the hearts of those with whom we shared Jesus. People may briefly be placed in our lives for a short season and then they are no longer part of our everyday life for us to see the Good News take root in their lives. Whatever the case, there will be times where we will obediently plant seeds we may never have the opportunity to see grow. While Paul had the ability to send Timothy to follow up on the Thessalonians, we may not have that same privilege. However, we can take comfort that it is God’s job is to grow the seeds we plant; He will send the right people into the lives of those we share with at just the right time in order to encourage and strengthen them. Conversely, we may be the people fulfilling this specific role after someone else has planted seeds in obedience. Whatever the task, and whoever is around us, our command to share Jesus and invest well never changes! We never know where someone is in their faith journey, but it is always our job to work as God is calling us in the lives of those He places around us. While we are obedient to His call, He will be faithful to accomplish His mission!

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)
Paul was no stranger to significant struggle. We see him confronted with it time and again throughout his ministry. However, Paul was willing to accept distress and affliction if it meant the Gospel was advanced. (Philippians 1:12-13) He lived a life exemplifying what it looked like to continuously surrender to Christ no matter the earthly consequences. Paul never allowed affliction to prevent him from sharing the reason for his faith, which is a lesson we all need to learn and put into practice! Persecution, distress, and affliction will come our way if we are committed to following obediently after Jesus. However, it is our choice whether we will be silenced by these struggles or, whether we, like Paul, will choose to share the Gospel regardless of our circumstances. Paul always had a response to the hope he had in the midst of all kinds of persecution. (1 Peter 3:15) The question we must ask ourselves is, do we?

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)
The genuine joy Paul abundantly experienced resulted from the fruit of the Thessalonians’ actively growing faith in God. While not all was perfect in Thessalonica, the believers there had not abandoned their faith and instead they were maturing in it, despite living in the midst of conflict and persecution. In the same way, our authentic joy comes from knowing God and seeing Him move regardless of the circumstances around us. Joy also flows out of actively engaging in shared biblical community. The Thessalonian believers had not forgotten Paul, just as he had not forgotten them; this shared unity and delight in being mutually invested in one another brought deep, satisfying joy. We cannot live this life alone and the joy Paul and the Thessalonian believers felt speaks to the sense of community we all long for, to be known and loved, both by fellow believers in Jesus and by God Himself. What a delight to know God gives these as gifts to share between all believers and Himself!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Trade Routes!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Ready Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Ready Day 1 Trade Routes

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Thessalonians 4
2 Thessalonians 2
Acts 17:24-31
Romans 8:35-39
Isaiah 66:1-4

Ready, Day 1

As I sit savoring my tea, I recall learning about ancient trade routes in school. Of interest to me back then was The Tea Horse Road. Now I take particular interest in the most famous trade route linking ancient China to the Roman Empire, “The Silk Road.” It was for more than just trading silk, produce, leather, gold and grains; it also facilitated the exchange of knowledge, technology, arts and intellectual ideas.

Most importantly, it helped spread the Gospel. And Paul was one of the main “traders.”
I learned recently the Silk Road may have been instrumental in the spread of Black Death. How significant then that Paul was spreading the good news of “The Life,” Jesus Christ! (John 14:6)

In the church Paul planted in Thessalonica, there were a few Jews, “a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.” Paul wasn’t able to provide extensive teaching because the Jews from the synagogue threatened his team’s safety. So, the church sent Paul and Silas to Berea. (Acts 17:5-10) As a result, the new believers in Thessalonica were left . . . alone.

As newcomers to anything, our knowledge is limited and we need guidance. For example, if I don’t read the instructions for steeping time, I’ll brew bitter, nasty tea. Similarly, without experienced leaders present to offer instructions on how to live new life in Jesus, the church fell into discouragement and disarray due to persecution and bad theology. This made Paul’s two letters critical, because they instructed, corrected, and encouraged during his physical absence.

Discouragement. Troubles. Suffering. Even today, first-world Christians have a hard time believing we’ll endure such hardship. After all, we belong to Christ. Surely we should be exempt. Likely, these babes in the faith at Thessalonica thought and felt the same.

Here’s the rub. As a believer, suffering is certain. Jesus told us in John 16:33 to expect trouble in this world because we follow Him. Throughout his letters, Paul mentions the Thessalonians’ suffering and persecution, as well as his own. Consider Romans 8:35, which speaks of affliction, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword. Honestly, by itself, this list scares me a little.

But suffering is not the end of the story. Jesus completes His thought in John 16 by declaring He has overcome the world! Jesus suffered on the cross, but He rose victorious over sin and death. 

For us, we endure “by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
We become imitators of Christ through suffering. (1 Thessalonians 2:14)
We are “counted worthy of God’s kingdom” when we suffer for it. (2 Thessalonians 1:5)
In the end, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us,” Jesus. (Romans 8:37)

Yes, suffering is certain, but so is hope, for when we suffer well, we imitate Christ and become examples to others. In fact, Paul tells the Thessalonian church, “you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:7) This was especially significant for the Thessalonian church, because their position as a seaport, allowed influence to reach not only other believers, but also those still following other religions. Recognizing this immense opportunity for spreading the Gospel, Paul sent Timothy to encourage and instruct them. They needed the encouragement to continue to hold strong in their faith. But what about instruction?

Both Paul and Timothy gave instructions on how to live as believers. Thessalonians needed to be anchored in the truth of the gospel so they would not be deceived and influenced by false teaching, flawed doctrine, and a polytheistic culture. There were two particular points of instruction. One was how to live as they waited for their ultimate hope, Jesus, to return. The second was regarding the Day of the Lord (the return of Jesus).

Our hope is in Jesus’ return, for which we expectantly wait. But, like the Thessalonians, we frequently view waiting as passive. They had false teachers who convinced many the Lord’s return had already happened. So why continue preparing for the Lord’s return or live faithfully?

Paul corrected this lie. He said, until Jesus returns, believers are to not be lazy but instead, to love one another, “to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:10), to “stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote,” (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and to “stay awake and be self-controlled” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

Sisters, we also need to wait expectantly for Jesus’ return, by engaging in active readiness, not just sitting around twiddling our thumbs. There won’t be time to get ready when He comes. (1 Thessalonians 5:2) We need to be ready!

It’s been over 2000 years since Jesus left earth. Let’s not become lazy in our wait for His glorious return. Instead, let us be humble, submissive, and honor His word, thereby experiencing His favor. (Isaiah 66:2) I encourage us to read Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and determine how we will go about being ready for His return. How can we be traders of the gospel? Let’s each settle on actions through prayer and study and then live ready!

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Word Day 14 Chosen, Appointed, Loved, Persecuted: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Chosen, Appointed, Loved, Persecuted!

The Questions

1) How does having the joy of Jesus make our joy complete? (verse 11) 

2) What does Jesus mean in saying, “If they kept My word, they will also keep yours?” (verse 20)

3) To what passage is Jesus referring when He states, “They hated me for no reason.” (verse 25) 

John 15:9-25

9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.

18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.

Original Intent

1) How does having the joy of Jesus make our joy complete? (verse 11)
In John 15:9-10 Jesus tells His disciples to remain in His love and keep His commands. He says, “I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Having the joy only Jesus can give will makes their joy complete. This fullness of joy comes from following the commands Jesus gives to His followers. Jesus proclaims that obeying God is the same as loving God when He says, “If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” (John 15:10) Obedience to God causes us to remain in a close loving relationship with Him; this intimacy brings us the deep Joy of Christ. Remaining in God’s love is to dwell in His presence because God is love (1 John 4:16) When we remain in His loving presence, then we are enveloped in the fullness of His joy as a result. (Psalm 16:11)    Jesus calls this “complete” joy. (John 15:11) Author, Melissa Kruger, explains, “Jesus is the source of our joy, and He’s the sustainer of it. Apart from Him, our lives are empty, meaningless attempts to find satisfaction. (…) Our desire for joy is ultimately a desire for Jesus.” When we love God and keep His commands, we experience complete joy because our obedience brings us closer to Jesus, the source of our joy.

2) What does Jesus mean in saying, “If they kept My word, they will also keep yours?” (verse 20)
In John 15:20, Jesus reminds His disciples, “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.” The overall gist of the passage is clearly understood, the world will treat Jesus’ followers the same way it treated Him. But the phrase, “kept My word” causes some confusion. Some people see it as sarcasm. Author, John Knox, suggests Jesus is saying, ‘they will pay the same attention to your words as to mine; that is, none.”  John Gill notes that the remarks can be taken positively or negatively, “either they will attend to your doctrines, or they will make the same spiteful remarks, and put the same evil constructions on your words as on mine.” We learn from the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Scholars that “The phrase ‘keep the word (or words)’ of any one is frequent in this Gospel . . . [and] occurs in John’s writings only.” John chooses to emphasize the fact that, in the eyes of the world, the disciples’ words are the same as Jesus’ words. Choosing to obey Christ and share the Good News of the Gospel comes with the blessing of complete joy, but there is also a cost. The disciples saw Jesus persecuted and ultimately killed for the words He said, and they chose to love and obey God even though He warned the same would happen to them. The love and joy that comes from following Christ was a bigger blessing than the persecution was a deterrent. Let’s share Christ’s words today, praying God will use them to impact lives and bring life to those around us, no matter the opposition rising against us!

3) To what passage is Jesus referring when He states, “They hated me for no reason.” (verse 25) 
In John 15:25, Jesus describes people who hate Him and who hate His Father.  He says of them, “But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.” When He says, “written in their law,” He is referring to the Jewish religious leaders who purport to love God’s law, but who are, ironically, fulfilling it by hating God’s Son. Jesus explains their selfish motivation for hating Him in John 15:22 when He says, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin.” The law He refers to comes from Psalm 69:4, where David says that “Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head; my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me, are powerful.  Though I did not steal, I must repay.” This Psalm, along with Psalm 39:15 and Psalm 109:3, are among the Old Testament Messianic prophecies that Jesus ultimately fulfills. The Pulpit Commentary asserts that “Jesus knew . . . that He would have to complete and fulfill the solemn portraiture of the suffering, burden-bearing, and rejected Christ, as well as that of the triumphant Christ and King.”  Knowing He would be despised, rejected, and hated for no reason, Jesus still chose to be our Reconciler, bringing us into a right relationship with God the Father through His death and resurrection. He is our Redeemer and also our King, leading us into abundant life as we follow His Word and trust in His plan for our lives.

Everyday Application

1) How does having the joy of Jesus make our joy complete? (verse 11)
It happens to every parent or teacher, regardless of their skill or acumen. A child in their care will purposefully disobey some clearly stated rule. When caught, they might deny their guilt (though the case against them is air-tight) or, when they see there is no way out, they pour on the apologies and “I love you” professions. They are likely trying to soften their consequences, but they also seem to understand that disobedience puts us outside of a close and loving relationship we would otherwise enjoy. This is the same idea Jesus conveys to us in John 15:10 when He declares, “If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” Jesus presents it as a simple equation, obedience equals love. Author, Leon Morris, points out, “This is not some mystical experience. It is simple obedience. It is when a man keeps Christ’s commandments that he abides in Christ’s love.” When we obey God and abide in His love, Jesus promises our joy will be complete, not lacking anything. (John 15:11) Without the joy of communion and intimacy with God, which we experience by obeying Him through loving Him and others, our joy is not full. We may have moments of joy, but we lack the sustaining joy that only comes with abiding in Christ. Author Scotty Smith explains it was Jesus’ obedience “that earned the fullness of God’s love for us, and it’s our obedience that frees us to enjoy every good thing we have in [Christ.]” My desire is to love and obey God and live in freedom to enjoy all the good things He has in store for me. My heart’s cry is to love and obey God at every turn and experience the full joy of life in Jesus!

2) What does Jesus mean in saying, “If they kept My word, they will also keep yours?” (verse 20)
Jesus is very clear to His disciples in John 15:20 that they would be persecuted for following Him. While the wording at the end of the passage can be difficult to understand (“If they kept My word, they will also keep yours,”) the meaning is clear. According to the Expositor’s Greek Testament, “In so far as they are identified with Him, their experience will be identical with His. The attitude of the world does not alter.” Jesus is transparent with His followers. He doesn’t promise all the good stuff up front and then spring the persecution part of it on us when we sign on the dotted line. Christ’s sacrifice is the very heart of the Gospel. 1 Peter 2:24 tells us Jesus died on the cross so we could live as a result of His death and ultimate victory over the grave. His invitation to live as Jesus did includes the invitation to love like He loves, sacrificially. Jesus says in John 15:12-13, “This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” If you don’t know Jesus’ love or the freedom He gives for yourself, this call to be like Jesus might not seem very appealing at first glance. Why risk the pain of persecution? Hebrews 12:2 tells us Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the joy set before Him. To Jesus, it was pure joy to reconcile all people to God. In like manner, He promises us complete joy if we love Him and obey His commands. (John 15:11) Abiding in Christ and living in fullness of joy are part of the benefits of obeying God, along with the many other blessings that come from living life with Christ. May everyone who reads about His love today embrace Him and reach out to others with His love!

3) To what passage is Jesus referring when He states, “They hated me for no reason.” (verse 25) 
When I was little, my parents broke some news to me about my friend, Missy, they thought would upset me. Missy’s parents were divorcing. My ugly response shocked my parents, “Good! I don’t like Missy. She thinks she is so perfect.” My parents explained that my jealousy of Missy’s “perfections” did not reflect poorly on Missy. She was just living her best life, with her long hair, pretty penmanship and gentle, sweet spirit. Since I didn’t have the patience to grow out my hair, or practice my handwriting, or hold my tongue when angry, I hated those characteristics in Missy. In a way, my attitude was like that of the Pharisees and Sadducees who hated Jesus without reason. (John 15:25) Jesus said their hatred stemmed from the fact that He showed them sin in their lives, and they did not appreciate it. (John 15:22) They should have pleaded for Him to change them when Jesus revealed sin in their lives, but instead of repentance, they hated Jesus and plotted to kill Him. (Matthew 26:3) Sometimes my response is still ugly when Jesus reveals sin in my life. I ignore that twinge of conscience when I watch certain programs. I pretend not to notice the person God keeps asking me to help. Instead of turning from my sin and embracing His ways, I resist. I don’t want to see my sin clearly, because then I will need to either decide to change my ways or go against God. I have no good reason to hate God by continuing in my sin except for my own selfishness. If you also struggle with choosing your own will over God’s, join me today in declaring His ways are better and higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:9) We can rejoice that He is working in us to help us want to do His will. (Philippians 2:13)

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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