Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

“For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.  You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers;  just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”  1 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

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Fathers and mothers want to be a good example to their children.

Ministers want to be a good example to their congregation.

And, so we can understand that Paul wanted to be a good example to the Thessalonians in today’s Scripture.

We want to do all things that would help our children, our congregation, and those who follow and walk with us, to walk in a manner worthy of God.

In today’s Scripture, Paul mentioned three things that he did to help the Thessalonians walk in a manner worthy of God.  First, he supported himself so that he was not a burden to them.  Verse 9.  Second, he lived “devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly”.  Verse 10.  Third, he was “exhorting and encouraging and imploring” them.  Verse 11.

Paul needed and received God’s grace to be such a good example and do these things, and we likewise need and will receive God’s grace to be such a good example and do these things and other things to lead and help others walk in a manner worthy of God.

But, there is also a lesson here for us children, us congregation, and us followers of our leaders.  Watch them.  Learn from them.  Follow them.  Walk with them!     

“My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.” Psalm 101:6.

“He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  … 

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:16 and 25.

But, in conclusion, we also pay attention to the last phrase of today’s Scripture:  “who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”  There are those children, those congregation, and those who are with us for at least a while and who see everything that we do, who will not follow us and who will not walk with us and who will not walk in a manner worthy of God. These ones are not the elect.  They are reprobates.  

The concluding Scripture points to those disciples of Jesus who were with Jesus and heard all the teachings of Jesus and saw all of His miracles, but yet they withdrew and did not follow Jesus any more and did not walk in a manner worth of God.  

In summary, just as our ability to lead is dependent on God’s grace, the ability to follow is dependent on God’s grace.

“And He (Jesus) was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.  So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”  Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.  We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:65-69.