“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28).
Introduction
We arrive at Paul’s closing comments to the Thessalonian church in the form of prayer. These words can be itemised as a prayer (:23), a word of encouragement (:24), a request for prayer (:25), a charge (:26), a command (:27), and a blessing (:28).
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prayer (:23)
God is a God of peace, and He wants His children to have that peace reigning in their souls. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). How can we know such peace if we are living in rebellion to God’s word?
The sanctification Paul continuously speaks of throughout Thessalonians must affect the believer’s life in every detail. “Wholly” and “whole spirit and soul and body” and “blameless” reveals the purpose for why God desires our sanctification. In short, the apostle is saying, “You must be completely sanctified.” It is important that we note that he is not speaking of “sinless perfection”, for he understands that sanctification cannot reach true completeness until Christ returns. Sanctification began in us at salvation, “Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13), it is expected that we live sanctified lives, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour … For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 7), and God is bringing it to completeness, “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). This last stage of sanctification involves our glorification. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). “The apostle prays that they might be sanctified more perfectly, for the best are sanctified but in part while in this world; therefore we should pray for, and press toward, complete holiness” (Matthew Henry).
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word of encouragement (:24)
We may look at our lives and feel that we will never reach complete sanctification, but notice that it is God’s work rather than ours. We are called to obedience, and if we walk in it, God will finish what He started at the new birth. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6) … “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Salvation, including the work of sanctification, begins and ends with God (see Romans 8:28-39). We serve a faithful God. “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9) … “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
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request for prayer (:25)
Here is Paul’s brief request for prayer for the missionary team and himself. In several of his letters he asks for prayer (Romans 15:30-32, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Ephesians 6:19-30, Philippians 1:19, Colossians 4:3, 18, and Philemon :22). We should not forget to pray for those engaged in the Lord’s work.
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charge (:26)
The term “holy kiss” is found four other times in the New Testament (Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Peter 5:14). It consisted of a hug and a kiss similar to that practiced in many European and Mediterranean countries. It is basically a heart-felt Christian greeting. This does not mean that we must actually kiss the person we are greeting, since it is not the norm in our culture (though it is becoming more common), so a heart-felt shake of the hand will suffice. Whichever form the greeting takes, it must be holy. Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49). It is possible to shake someone’s hand but wish it were their neck.
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command (:27)
This letter is to be read wherever Christ’s name is exalted. The message is for those who are determined to walk in holiness as they await the coming of the Lord. Paul was convinced that what he had written was inspired by God, and was applicable to all believers in every generation.
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blessing (:28)
This was more than a goodbye for Paul was praying for their spiritual welfare as they lived for the Lord. He wanted them to experience the riches of God’s grace in their everyday lives. This prayer came from the heart of someone who truly loved the people he was commissioned to teach.
Conclusion
The theme of 1 Thessalonians is the need of personal holiness and sanctification while the believer awaits the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This theme is carried forward in 2 Thessalonians.
© 25/8/2008