Farewell But Not For Long!

Farewell But Not For Long! (II Thessalonians 3:16-18)

II Thessalonians 3:16-18, “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Farewell is not always easy, but it is different than saying goodbye to someone. Paul invested in the lives of the people in the various places he ministered. He cared about the people and wanted the Lord's best for the people where he ministered. Pastor's can relate to the way Paul felt because there are times that God will move a pastor to a new ministry and the pastor has to say farewell to the flock. Farewell is different than goodbye. Farewell says that we'll meet again, until the next time, and wishing you well. This is what Paul was doing in the closing verses in his last epistle to the Thessalonians. In these verses, Paul revealed to the church the peace, presence, and provision of God. We must always seek to encourage others with the truth of God's Word. The believers at Thessalonica were suffering severe persecution and all kinds of trouble. This was one of the reasons Paul was writing to the church, to comfort and encourage them to continue on for Christ. But remember, Paul was in Corinth and he too was suffering all kinds of trouble, including persecution. Following salvation and believers baptism, the most important part of your Christian life is growing spiritually. This means that we are to become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Paul reveals four requirements for spiritual maturity. We will study the first requirement today.

I. God’s Peace (II Thessalonians 3:16a)
“Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means” (II Thessalonians 3:16a). We receive peace from "the Lord of peace Himself." The question is, how is it possible to have peace "at all times and in every way"? The answer is because Jesus is "the Lord of peace."

• Christ has peace. That is why he was able to say to his disciples in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Jesus Christ has peace in Himself and that is why He is able to give it to you.

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• Christ makes peace. This is why He came into the world. He came to make peace between God and us. That's why angels said, "peace to men" when they announced Jesus' birth. This is why He was born. How has He made this peace? Colossians 1:20, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

• Christ gives peace. Jesus Christ is the Lord of peace. That means He has command over it. Peace goes where He sends it. And He is able to send it to you.

There are at least three ways God gives us peace by all means.
1. Peace WITH God. Romans 5:1
Romans 5:1 explains we receive this kind of peace by, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” When we are justified, or saved, by faith, the spiritual war between us and God is over. This peace exists only because Jesus made it possible by the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20). Therefore, peace with God is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The Peace OF God. Philippians 4:7.
The word peace speaks of inner tranquility regardless of outside circumstances. This kind of peace is described in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In Isaiah 26:3, we find out God will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed, or fixed, on Him, and we trust Him. If every true believer should already have this kind of peace, why does Paul pray for the Thessalonians to receive peace? Because while God’s peace is always available to us, it can be interrupted when we sin. How can we restore the peace of God when we are no longer experiencing it? To have the peace of God, we must make war on any sin in our lives. We must repent and forsake all sin. However, that is not all! If we are to experience the peace of God, we must also yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, who provides peace as the third component of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

3. Peace in human relationships. Romans 12:18
It is impossible to be spiritually mature without being right with God and with people. Having peace in our human relationships requires obeying the command in Romans 12:18. This means we should never be the cause of conflict, hurt feelings, or dissention. If we have a broken relationship, we are to do our very best to seek reconciliation. However, there are situations where peace is not possible. Peace can never be at the expense of compromising or watering down God’s Word.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Prince of Peace and all the ways He brings peace to my life. Thank You first for establishing peace with me by allowing Your Son to settle all the debts and offenses that would have prevented me from ever knowing You. Help me to respond to your problems with calm, quiet confidence in the Lord instead of panicking. Thank You for the peace of Your presence and power in my life that overcomes all obstacles and draws me to You. In Jesus Name, AMEN!

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