“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” — 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
I have really appreciated studying 1 & 2 Thessalonians this summer. As he concluded his second letter, Paul asked the Thessalonians (and us) to pray for some specific things.
- Paul asked for prayer — that the Word of the Lord (the Gospel) would speed ahead (or advance). Equally important, he wanted deliverance from wicked and evil men. That’s a great prayer!
- He asked for action — to see God’s Word move mightily through families, churches, cities and states.
- Paul hoped the Gospel would go everywhere and be well received. Additionally, he wanted protection for the messengers (us).
Look at that final phrase in verse 2, “for not all have faith.” Paul connected lack of faith with wickedness and evil. The words “wicked” and “evil” give the idea of being perverse, or improper — actively or deliberately harmful. Without a doubt, there is a strong link between a lack of a belief in God (who will hold us accountable) and subsequent wicked and evil behavior. Obviously, if you don’t believe there is a God who will judge you one day, it doesn’t matter what
you do.
The Lord Will Guard Us
Remember, the message of Jesus isn’t always accepted. It can even cause violent hostility among people. One Bible translation calls these wicked men unreasonable. But the Word of God and the Gospel are the answer to the evils we see in the world around us. Pray it advances!
I love the encouragement of verse 3, “the Lord will guard us”. We need to rest in that. Admittedly, not all people have faith, but God does.
Let’s pray this prayer. That God’s Word would speed ahead and be well received. And, at the same time, God would deliver us from wicked and evil men. Amen!
Praying,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor