Some Golden Daybreak
For the introduction to this series click here
Today is the 10th day of Christmas and I am finally finished with my Advent series! And this last post has a surprising twist. Let’s take a look.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
“This preparation for His coming does not lead us to neglect any of life’s duties, but a simple, faithful attitude of righteousness and fidelity to every trust, or, as the Apostle expresses it so finely: “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
In the days of Paul a class of men had risen up who have never been without their successors, who abused this doctrine by turning it into an occasion for all sorts of irregularity in life and conduct. They neglected their families. They gave up honest work. They fell into fanatical practices, and they disturbed all religious social order. The Gospel of the Kingdom has no sympathy with such rubbish. The best preparation for Christ’s coming is to be faithful in your calling, whatever it may be, and found at your post. The idea seems to be that Christ expects us to be always ready, and then everything that comes in the way of life’s duties is equally sacred and heavenly.” (A.B. Simpson)
And now let’s go back to a passage I skipped. What?? Yes, I confess, I slid right past a second reference to the advent in 1 Thessalonians 5
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
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 calls you, who also will do it.
As I said before, Paul was a holiness preacher.
“This verse contains a prayer for the entire sanctification of the believers at Thessalonica in order that they might be fully prepared for the Lord’s coming. The word “unto” should be translated “at,” implying not that we are to grow into sanctification in view of the Lord’s coming, but we are to receive it as a gift of the God of Peace, and then be preserved in it by His grace so that we shall be in a constant state of preparedness whenever the Lord may come, and we shall be “found of him in peace without spot and blameless.” This preparation must be very thorough and complete, embracing our whole spirit, soul, and body, and including our abiding in Him so that we shall be “preserved blameless” and presented “faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Such a high degree of grace is beyond human attainment, and therefore it is divinely provided and promised to those who will receive it. “Faithful is he that calls you who also will do it.” Dearly beloved, by all the hopes and fears of the coming age, let us receive this grace and be clothed in the fine linen and white, which is the righteousness of the saints.” (A.B. Simpson)
The way I figure it, if the apostle can pray this for me, with confidence that God will do it, then I can pray this for myself, with the same confidence! Is this not confirmed by Peter and John:
2 Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Jesus is coming and God has his work cut out to make me ready, but “faithful is he that calls you who also will do it” Amen and Amen!
I want to conclude this series with a chorus we learned in the first church I pastored, Brent Alliance Church in Pensacola, FL. If you don’t know it, stop by some time and we’ll sing it for you!
Some golden daybreak Jesus will come
Some golden daybreak, battles all won
He'll shout the vict'ry, break thro' the blue
Some golden daybreak, for me, for you.
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