lesson 11 from 1 Thess ch, 4

In the last blog entry I asked this question… was Paul being a bit facetious here and using this inscription as an opening to proclaim the Gospel? Let’s investigate this passage further in Acts 17. beginning with verse 24 “ Acts 17:24-32 (King James Version) 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter” Page4 /Whenever Paul preached or mentioned the resurrection he found himself being persecuted. To the Corinthians he says in 1 Cor. 1:17-31, the end of the chapter from the King James Version, here it is “1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (King James Version) 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (it seems that when man tries to bring the Gospel to his or her own private interpretation, it makes the Gospel of no effect) 18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (truly this is the case…it makes about as much sense to argue the case with God as it does to deny the Word) 21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. So the answer to my question is Paul being facetious or is he using this inscription TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, HE USES IT as an opportunity to once again preach the Gospel of God I think you can see here in these two passages that I have quoted that if there is one thing that makes the devil mad it is the resurrection….the preaching of the cross. That was what Paul got so much trouble from the enemy for, when he mentioned the resurrection. Satan can tolerate us talking about Jesus as a good man, a good teacher with good morals. Just don’t mention the cross or the resurrection, he hates that truth. This call from 1 Thess ch. 4 is a call , a plea really for purity and holy living. Get ready he is saying and we need to be ready and have our lamps all trimmed in preparations for the rapture commonly known as the “catching away/”…the wedding of the bride united with the groom, we shall see the king when He comes. (Lord, only You can make us ready...we just need to submit ourselves to your will.) Verse 7 tells us that “God did not call us to uncleanness but rather he called us to holiness. Paul says that we have been called to holiness Preparation for the rapture. In the 8th. Verse if we reject his teaching, don’t think it is man that you are rejecting…rather you are rejecting God. And He has given us His Holy!, His Holy!Spirit…The Spirit of God is HOLY…HE IS THE Holy Spirit. And he said, “be ye holy even as I am holy! Verse number 9.If we are going to receive more of God, we need to live a brotherly and orderly life. In order to achieve that level, that standard of holiness, we need to get the truth of this message from Paul down into our hearts and let it become our life. So many times we hear people asking for the will of God, wanting to know what God’s will is for their life. Paul says, “ For this is the will of God (for your life) even your sanctification….sanctification means to be separated, set apart for pure and holy living, it means to be separated from things profane. It means to be consecrated to God. “Consecrate me now to thy service Lord by thy power of grace divine, let my soul look up with a steadfast hope ‘til my will be lost in thine. And that is where God wants us to be, with our will lost in His will. Do I think that I am in that place? No, I’m striving to attain, but so was the Apostle Paul. Look what he says in his letter to the Phillipians reading from ch. 3 verses 12-16: Pressing Toward the Goal 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,[a] let us be of the same mind.” We will be judged I believe by the light that we have, nevertheless we are all to walk by this rule of increasing more and more, in the will of God, sanctified, set apart unto holiness in the LORD. We are to walk circumspectly and not as fools, redeeming the time because the days are evil. We must be ready, we need to have our lamps filled with oil. What a tragic thing it would be to have our lamps go out just at the midnight hour just as the bridegroom shouts? And we are standing there in the darkness? And the cry goes forth GET READY FOR THE BRIDEGROOM COMES! I don’t understand all of that yet but I know that we must be prepared, we need to watch and pray, Jesus said. He said that “men ought always to pray and not faint.” He asks the question, “when the Son of Man comes…….will He find faith in the earth?” Will He find faith in you? Will He find faith in me? Let us resolve, make a resolution in our hearts…..yes Lord, by God’s grace I am resolved to seek your face until You come! I have quoted a lot of scripture in these blog entries for which I make no apology...it is the best thing I can do.