The first part of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 urges:

“Let no man deceive you by any means.”

But how do I do that? After all, deception is sneaky and hard to detect. That’s its nature. That’s what makes it hard to see.

A few verses later in the same chapter we have this:

“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (10).

To keep people from deceiving me, I must know the truth.

Love the truth, in fact.

And believe it, according to this piece from verse 13: “salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

And there’s another way to avoid deception: allow God’s spirit to make me holy (sanctify and cleanse me).

Posted: January 10

Someday, we get to rest.

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

Meanwhile, we deal with suffering, problems, temptation, persecution, conflict, and their ilk. Yuck!

Thankfully, we are not left alone to our own devices, struggling on in our own strength.

Nope, we don’t have to do it that way!

“Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:2).

“We pray always for you” (2 Thessalonians 1:11).

Rest waits.

But right now we can enjoy and live by grace, peace, and the prayers of others.

That also means I need to pray for others.

Posted: January 4