Should Be's

1 Thessalonians 5-Part 9
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 Thess. 5:25-26  KJV

Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love. 
I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. NLT


LET IT GLOW

In my Sunday School class, we have an ongoing thing. When our teacher asks us a question about how we are responding to the passage we are studying, "Are we doing such and such?", we answer, "We should be doing that." Now, I'm talking about middle-aged or older folks. Most have attended this church twice as long as I have. We know what we are should be doing. Shouldn't the question be, "Are we doing it?"  Sometimes we say "It's the s-word." Now that I think about it, that's a copout, isn't it? To know what the Bible says to do and not do it, it is sin, right?

According to Charles Swindoll, Paul gives us three traits that should characterize believers who are loyal friends:
1. Loyal friends pray for each other.
    Do I regularly intercede in a friend's behalf before the throne of grace?
2. Loyal friends are affectionate toward each other.
    It was culturally acceptable in Paul's time for a man to greet another man with a kiss on the cheek, or for a
    woman to do the same with another woman. Today, a handshake, pat on the back, or an embrace are
    acceptable alternatives. Whatever the method of greeting, it's an outward expression of our inward
    affection for other Christians. How often do I do it?
3. Loyal friends listen to the same body of truth.
    Paul's letter was written to all the Christians in Thessalonica, so he wanted them all to hear it. Real friends
    point each other back to the Scriptures. They must hear, seek to understand, and even challenge each
    other to accurately apply God's Word. Is there any better counsel than that which comes from the Bible?

Paul began his letter with grace and ends it with grace.
The root of the Greek term for grace, refers to things that produce well-being-such as favor, beauty, thankfulness, kindness, and benefit. Grace is always undeserved, immeasurable, unearned, and unrepayable. This unmerited favor of God has been made possible through Christ, who willingly took our judgment at the cross (Col. 2:13-14). Am I living in the light of God's grace? Am I enjoying its benefits?

First Thessalonians isn't just a love letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to the first-century church at Thessalonica. It's a love letter from the divine Head of the Church to those of us who compose His church in the twenty-first century. The spirit of God inspired Paul to write it. So every word is as much from the Lord as it is from Paul. Therefore, to ignore or disobey its message is to ignore or disobey the God who speaks through it. Likewise, submission to its truth is a concrete demonstration of our love for its divine Author (John 14:15, 23-24). Let's not walk away from this love letter without taking the essential steps to appropriate its instruction.
[Resource: Contagious Christianity]


LET IT GO

Pray for my Christian leaders, brothers and sisters, and friends.

Appy the word which I read and learn.