for fun...

I self-published my a paper I wrote for Mid-America Seminary for fun.  Here is a preview. 

Laziness

As I was studying this evening, I came across a section of a passage and commentary worth typing for you here:

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 ESV (11) and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, (12) so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

"They had learned very well that the Lord would be returning in mighty power, and evidently they felt that it would be very soon. Accordingly there was no point in continuing in some steady job. It was much more realistic, they evidently thought, to be about the business of proclaiming the near end of the world. If they had need of this world's goods in the meantime, why, there were others, Christian brethren, who could be relied upon to come to their rescue. This kind of thing can be done from a sense of serious purpose. But, human nature being what it is, it can easily degenerate into downright laziness and idleness. Men can be so taken up with the spectacular, with excitements over the near approach of the Lord, that they pass over the important things of everyday life. So Paul gives his attention to such matters, and counsels these brethren to mend their ways."

Morris, Leon. The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1979, 132.

Whose Role Is It Anyway?

John 17:17-19 ESV Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (18) As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (19) And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Recently, Brent Wells (bio), pastor at Lakewood Baptist Church (website) in Somerville, TN, responded to a group of pastors concerning the verses above.  I received permission to post his comments here.  Hopefully, you will be edified/encouraged by his remarks.

"I can't remember where I read this, but a long time ago I came upon this: In regeneration, it is all the work of God and we are passive. In sanctification, it is all the work of God and we are active. 

This has helped me to not be, on the one side fatalistic (if He's going to sanctify me He's going to sanctify me...until then, eat, drink, and be merry) and on the other side, not neglect grace (it's up to me, I must do it, I did it, I get the glory...or maybe the opposite--I can't do it, depression, undue pressure and lack of assurance).

God has given us many means of grace, all of which can be means by which He sanctifies us (make us more like Christ): prayer, fasting, assembling of saints, word--memorization/meditation, confession of sin, church discipline, etc.

We must be active in all of these, but we must honestly confess that it was the grace of God that led us to participate/be faithful in these means of grace. AND if sanctification occurs through these (because sometimes it doesn't--when we are going through the motions, cold, sluggish), then it was all from the God who alone sanctifies us (1 Thess 5.23-24)."