2 Thessalonians 3:10

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10 For [gar] even [kai] when [hote] we were [en] with [pros] you, [humas] this [touto] we commanded [paraggello] you, [humin] that [hoti] if any [ei tis] would [thelo] not [ou] work, [ergazomai] neither [mede] should he eat. [esthio] KJV-Interlinear

10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. NASB

The only thing that far too many folks get out of the study of these two letters, 1 Thess. and 2 Thess., is the rapture context. Bet you don t even remember the three nearly simultaneous events that occur at the time of the Rapture. However, the subject of both letters respectively is waiting, and sin. The subject of 1 Thessalonians is waiting. The subject of 2 Thessalonians is sin.

One of the principle components of sin, of which nearly everyone is guilty, is that they do not keep or fulfill their obligations before God. That is why most folks do not grow up in their spiritual life. It is too easy to ignore, or rationalize away ones obligations.

In the last couple of weeks we have seen the three primary mandates that every believer is held responsible for in their spiritual life. Do you remember any of them?

Your first responsibility is to pray for doctrine, for instructors, for the opportunity to grow up in your spiritual life.All of these combine and make for the environment within which you have the opportunity to receive and possess that which God has made available to you, namely a completed life.

God provides that which you pray for.No prayer, no provision.Prayer demonstrates the degree of spiritual assertion that you have in your life, or that society has within it, or conversely, does not have.

As we have already learned, our dispensation, at its end, is going to decline into the worst apostate state in all of history, thus far.That means that the vast majority will turn away from God and likewise prayer. The only more horrible time, for spiritual decline, will be in the Tribulation.

Oh, and by the way, my wife and I went to see the movie 2012. Cool special effects.So if you really like the special effects that are in the movies these days, this one is a great one to see.End of the world stuff, and all of that. We will probably address this end of the world prediction pretty soon. Not sure when, but the Mayan Calendar, the Hopi Indian Prophecy Rock, the Hindu Four cycles, Nostradamus, Yin Yang Number prediction, and the Time Wave Theory, are all a part of this 2012 prediction.

And just as we saw the end of the world predicted for the year 2000 because of the computer date format problem, which at least had some rationalization behind it, so this new prediction is hopelessly off the charts of the bizarre. We ll see if the world moves toward hysteria (as a spiritually dysfunctional world will), as the predicted date in December approaches, three years from now, (now is November, 2009). Anyway, I am getting off the subject.

Your second responsibility, is to grow up in your spiritual life. Most folks will presume that all they need do is believe in God, or any god, or simply believe in Christ, or believe that all they need do is live an honest life (by their own definition) regardless of the existence of a deity. But they completely discount the value of truth, and substitute their own beliefs for truth, which they are not.And the result is the invention of all kinds of religions, philosophies, cults, things that seem reasonable, to things that are beyond the ridiculous.

And yet people will firmly believe in any or all of these.Which leads to folks who are skeptical about anything spiritual, to discount everything, simply because there is so much confusion and ambiguity out there.Thus they blame God for not clearing it all up.

Of course if you know the Bible, then you know that God is a gentleman and will allow any and all who want, emphasis on want, truth, will receive it. But for those who just want to complain, or argue, or debate, or want others to prove truth, rather than digging it out themselves, then there is not much hope.And in this we are nearing the subject of our current verse.

Truth stands on its own, and needs no support, nor proof. Truth is proof. Believers are already told to question, objectively, search, and pursue truth, so that they will discover it. Being argumentative or adversarial is not intended here.If you want something really bad, then you go looking for it until you find it. If you don t really want something, then you try to get others to do your work, you don t look yourself, and you certainly do not pursue it, but rather you ridicule, or mock, or make cute little remarks, using the flaws of people or dress or culture as the basis for their remarks or rational, rather than looking at God and the principles that we are all to live up to.

And the third responsibility for the believer, is to support the teaching of the Word of God.Most folks think that this means paying, and for some that may be Gods intent for them. If so then God will provide the means for that option.But there are many ways to support the teaching and spread of the Word of God. You just have to look deep into your own life, and discover what applies to you. And looking deep does not mean searching for the excuse, for the out, that gets you off the hook of doing something that you simply do not want to do.

And so we arrive at our verse. No work, no food. Life is as simple as that. Work is the effort with which you put into something. Food is the reward for your efforts.

In this temporal world, truth has an opposing view for every principle of truth. That is why you will find government handouts for no work.This leads to unproductivity, low self esteem, laziness, unreasonable expectations, philosophies like socialism and share the wealth or redistribution programs, entitlement programs, and so forth. And this leads to family breakups, immorality, crime, hopelessness, meaninglessness, bitterness and all sorts of problems in a dysfunctional society.

Now, Paul is addressing those who are able to work, but do not, verses those who are not able to work. There is a big difference between the two. Infants are not able. Mentally handicapped may not be able. Common sense should apply here.

In this temporal world, for those who work and are able to make a living, they should be entitled to keep the fruits of their labor or ingenuity. Those who choose to not work, have no right to the wealth of others.

Our study is of course in the spiritual life.

And this is the principle. For those who pursue God, Christ, Bible doctrine, and their spiritual life, the rewards are great. For those who do not pursue these things, there is no reward.This should be an easy concept to understand.The rewards of eternity go to those who are mature, or advancing in their spiritual life, not to those who have consciously decided to not grow up.

For unbelievers, there is only one question that is important to their life, What do you think of Christ?

To believe in Christ is eternal life. To disbelieve is eternal condemnation. Eternity is a very long time. For unbelievers who cling to their unbelief, their sin never ends, thus their condemnation never ends. That is a huge price to pay for refusing to even think those six little words, Father I believe in Jesus Christ. What kind of stubbornness would cause a person to refuse, for all of their life, to even think those six little words?If must take a lot of effort to refuse to believe.

As for believers, those who have believed in Christ, then they face a second question, which is a series of questions. What do you think of Bible doctrine?

For the objective of the believer is to advance to maturity, to grow up.

The reward of belief is salvation.The reward of maturity is blessing beyond imagination.But you have to work, in order to get paid.And that work for the spiritual life, means daily study, everyday of your life, no exceptions, no excuses.

For the unbeliever who rejects Christ, is resistance. For the believer show refuses to grow up, is laziness.

Life is a serious matter.People are so full of their own opinions, that they lose sight of their real place in history. When we were all born, we knew nothing. As we live for a few decades, we presume that we know it all, when we in fact know virtually nothing.

And then reality catches up with us, and we die.Surprise! Then the next life becomes very real to us. But why should we wait until it is too late before we finally figure it all out, when we can easily discover truth, right now?

Some folks don t want to work at all, unbelievers, no food. Some folks want to do just enough to get by, indifferent believers, or those who think that they have done enough. Little work, little pay.

And then there are those (the few) who go beyond the extra mile, advance to maturity, are obedient to Gods mandates (all of them, can t pick and choose) and make Bible doctrine real in their life.To those, the rewards go way off the charts.

God is fair. God is a gentleman. God gives everyone the choice of what pay grade they want to be in.

Which one do you prefer?Which one are you willing to commit your life, your entire life to, and then stick with it day in and day out, for the rest of your life, regardless of the circumstances that you know you will one day face, when God tests your resolve for doctrine?

Prov. 16:26

26 A worker's appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on. NASB

1 Tim. 5:8

8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. NASB

Why worse than an unbeliever?Because the unbeliever works, as it were, only for salvation. That work is one little thought or expression of faith.

The believer, on the other hand, has to commit himself for his entire life for the vast rewards of spiritual maturity, which rewards are far beyond our comprehension. That kings wealth is right at your finger tips. All you have to do in order to lose it, is to do nothing.

The unbeliever gives up one thought, faith in Christ. The negative believer gives up decisions that span a lifetime, and rewards that span eternity.

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