Will & Grace

Will and Grace.

No, not the "must see TV" sitcom. Not Will, Grace, Jack and Karen. But the Bible with Will, Grace, Paul and the Thessalonians. Thessalonians 5:12-28 to be exact.

We all want to know God's will for our life. But what we really need is God's grace. Yup, you got it: Will and Grace. In the closing verses of 1st Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wraps up his letter by tying together God's wonderful will and His amazing grace.

In three quick, machine gun verses, Paul pulls the trigger on three rapid fire commands. We're to rejoice, to pray and give thanks. RPG. A US soldier may have rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), but the soldier of the Lord has a full clip of RPGs as well.
-Rejoice
-Pray
-Give Thanks

Interestingly, we're COMMANDED to do each three...and that includes rejoice. His point? That joy, like prayer and thankfulness, is a choice. These three are not based on circumstance or situation. Jesus' saving grace is SO much bigger and SO much deeper than anything that life throws my way. And we can be confident that "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28)

Even more importantly, Paul states very bluntly that RPG is God's will for us in Jesus. In other words, what God wants us to do is rejoice in Him, pray to Him and give Him thanks. When we obey His commands to RPG, it deepens our relationship with Jesus. Author Philip Yancey said it best:

“I do not get to know God and then do His will. I get to know Him more deeply by doing His will.”

It would be easy to overlook the apostle's closing sentence to his letter. "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (1Thess. 5:28). What you might read as "sincerely yours" is actually key to the entire letter. You see, "grace" appears twice in 1st Thessalonians. Once in the first verse. And again in the last.

Grace. We say the word so often that it seems to have lost its power, its awe, its mystery. Remember, as sinners, we deserve eternal judgment. But somehow, someway, God has granted not only mercy...but GRACE!!! We've not only escaped the damnation of Hell, but we're invited to the greatest party of all time...the wedding supper of the Lamb! And it's all because of grace.

Rather than ramble on and on and on about grace (and, believe me, I could), let me recommend some reading material. First of all, read the book of Romans. This book has bum-rushed even the most hard-hearted legalist into a life of amazing grace. And while not divinely inspired, three other modern-day authors have strongly influenced my thoughts on grace. "What's So Amazing about Grace?" by Philip Yancey, "In the Grip of Grace" by Max Lucado and "The Grace Awakening" by Chuck Swindoll would be my "triple crown of grace." Check'em out.

But more importantly, experience God's grace. It's His will for you. If you do, you can't help but RPG...Rejoice, Pray and Give thanks.

In Christ,

Jay

From a sermon at Freedom River CC on June 15, 2008.