Pulling up the Slack

1 Thessalonians 3-Part 6
So that He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.        1 Thess. 3:13


LET IT GLOW

When you're young, there is a tendency to go crazy things without thinking. Back in the late 70's we bought a
newer house in our hometown. Eventually we sold the old one. There was a tv antenae on the old house that we wanted to take with us, so my husband and I climbed on the roof to take it down. He wrapped a strong rope around it and the chimney, then another one for me to hold onto the other side. Our friend was down below to help. As hubby gently let the antenae down, he told me to "take up the slack," which meant getting a tighter grip on my rope to help let the antenae down easily without breaking it. Oh, I did it all right. I made a tight rope, but as the antenae went down, it pulled me off the roof. I went straight to the ground as it snapped the rope. At least the only injury I encured was a sprang ankle. The funny ending to this story is that I was still holding onto the broken rope as I went off the roof. (slow reactions) I recall asking myself, "Why am I holding onto this?" Yeah, I took up the slack alright.
Do I let Jesus take up the slack in my life or am I still holding on tight to the reins. It's hard to let go and live by faith, isn't it? Let Him have control instead of me.

Concerning this verse, David Guzik said, "To make up what is lacking, they (meaning Thessalonians) needed hearts established in holiness. The idea about holiness is to be set apart  from the world and unto God. The genuinely holy person marches to God's drumbeat, and not to their own, or to the beat of popular opinion."

Does my heart  march to God's drumbeat or my own? Isn't it called surrendering my will to His?


LET IT GROW

In the NLT, Paul  said it this way, "May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen."

It is our hearts that must be made holy first. The devil wants us to develop a holy exterior while neglecting the interior, like whitewashed tombs, full of death (Matt. 23:27). Paul reminds of Jesus' return, because nothing can encourage us to holiness like remembering that Jesus might come today," said Guzik.

It's like washing windows. If only the outside is washed, it isn't clean. The inside has to be washed, too.
I can do religious things like going to church, doing good deeds, even reading my Bible, but if my heart isn't changed on the inside, I'm not clean.

Swindoll said, "Our standard for purity comes not from human beings but from God. That's why the verse reads that the Thessalonians would be established in holiness before  God. The Apostle Peter made the same point in these words: "Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yoursleves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1Peter 1:15-16).

How long must we strive to be holy and blameless? Until that wonderful day when we will finally be with Christ. Then we will be like Him (1John 3:2b). We won't have to strive, struggle, and fail. But then, forgivesness is only a breath away. (That doesn't mean we are to take it lightly, living however.) We will be holy just as He is holy. Wow!

Am I striving to be holy like Christ? Am I applying knowledge I gain from the Word? I blameless my goal?
Things to ponder.


LET IT GO

Let go of the reins and let God take control of my life, keeping a tight rope, no slack for sin.

Strive to be blameless.

Be strengthend in holiness as I wait for the coming of my Lord Jesus.