David Bahn – Reflections

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [ESV]

Paul speaks here of obtaining the glory of Jesus Christ. This is a remarkable thought. How could it possibly be that we would obtain Christ’s glory? For, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We certainly don’t deserve the praise, honor, or glory that Jesus does. He is eternally God. He is the author of our salvation. He is the One whose name is above every name. At his name every knee will bow in heaven and on earth. And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. I’m too embarrassed even to think of receiving Jesus’ glory.

Jesus told his disciples (Matthew 19:28) that they would sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel! How is this possible? On the one hand it’s clear that Jesus was encouraging his closest disciples in response to their legitimate query, “We’ve left everything to follow you. What will there be for us?” We might think of this as a promise applicable only to super-Christians – those who give up everything to be a disciple of Jesus. But even they had their serious flaws and failures. Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus. Paul said he was the chief of sinners. All have sinned; even super-Christians.

Years ago I attended a leadership conference with members of the church I served at the time, including our oldest son. As part of that event, the leader had the attendees stand up and pray for their pastor. It was a humbling experience to hear Matt pray, “Dear God, bless my dad…” I don’t recall any more than that, but that I do recall. It was not only humbling, it was an incredible blessing to me. Then, the leader had those in attendance applaud the pastors there. Stunning! For several minutes there was thunderous applause…for us pastors! That was humbling.

Max Lucado has written a book, The Applause of Heaven, and it ends with this beautiful thought:

You’ll be home soon, too. You may not have noticed it, but you are closer to home than ever before. Each moment is a step taken. Each breath is a page turned. Each day is a mile marked, a mountain climbed. You are closer to home than you’ve ever been. Before you know it, your appointed arrival time will come; you’ll descend the ramp and enter the City. You’ll see faces that are waiting for you. You’ll hear your name spoken by those who love you. And, maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will remove his pierced hands from his heavenly robe and . . . applaud.

The only way we can obtain the glory of Jesus is by his grace which we receive through faith in Christ alone. And here’s the stunning thing about that: He desires to give it to us all. We don’t have to be super Christians, only faithful Christians. He has called us to this through the gospel message so that we may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s an unimaginable gift. There’s no way we could ever earn it. We simply must receive it by faith.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [ESV]

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.” This statement is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, but he never really said it. The idea is that our good works, actions of kindness and love may communicate the gospel as well (or better than?) words. That’s simply not true. Yes, the Word became flesh. Jesus was a visible demonstration of God’s mercy and love. And when he was on the earth his very presence as God in the flesh communicated the Good News of great joy for all people. The Son had been born. He was walking among us, full of grace and truth. His very presence was the Good News of God.

But ours is not. For we are broken and flawed people. We never fully communicate the love of God; his grace and truth is never fully expressed in our best moments. We must speak the Word. We must speak of Jesus. He alone is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father apart from him. And while he lives in each of us, we sully and mar his perfect representation to others in more ways than we can count. Even though Paul urges people to follow his example as he follows Christ, he communicates that imperative in words. And in those words names Jesus Christ as the One he is following.

The Gospel message is valid no matter who proclaims it. The validity of the sacrament is not dependent on the character of the celebrant. This is important to us all. For there is no one righteous, not even one. That includes pastors. That includes me. If you’re basing the certainty of your salvation on my character, beware! I will let you down. I’ve done it a thousand times to the ones closest to me, and I’m sure I’ve failed many people in the churches I’ve served. Never on purpose. But failed nonetheless. We all live in grace. God’s word alone has the power to save. We do not.

This is not to say, however, that our actions and our character don’t matter. Even though the validity of the Gospel is not dependent on the one who proclaims it, a lifestyle at odds with the message of Jesus will definitely undercut people’s willingness to listen or to hear. And the most competent leader of any kind devoid of character can cause great harm. Jesus commands us to love God and to love our neighbor. These are the two great commandments of God. Not suggestions. Not mere ideals. This is a command to reflect God’s nature, character, and love for others.

But let not God’s name or fame be forgotten. Because we have been saved, forgiven, brought into the fellowship of the redeemed, we are God’s royal priesthood, his holy nation, a people of God who are to declare the glory of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

That’s why Paul here prays for the Thessalonians and us to be established in every good work and word.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [ESV]

Yesterday I wrote about Tevye’s song in Fiddler on the Roof, Tradition! Today I want to write about five traditions I especially appreciate. These five (an arbitrary number), are particularly meaningful to me. And for a bonus, I’ll explain the one tradition that I believe to be edifying, but have not embraced. So in reverse order of importance, here are the five:

Number 5: Standing during the Gospel reading in the worship service
This tradition dates back to as early as the 200’s. The Didascalia (a Christian legal treatise) states, “at the conclusion of all the Scriptures, the Gospels shall be read as being the seal of all Scriptures; and let the people listen to it standing upon their feet, because it is good tidings of the redemption of all men.” I also like the idea that we stand for the Gospel reading in a posture meant to represent the resurrection; we have risen with Christ and seek things from above. The posture of standing also signifies that we are ready to respond to God right away, always, and with joy. What a great tradition!

Number 4: Kneeling at the altar rail to receive Holy Communion
When I serve Holy Communion, I receive it from one of the other pastors or from an elder of the church. I don’t typically kneel at that time; it’s a matter of logistics. I am no more or less blessed either way. The worthiness for communion is simple faith in the words of Jesus, that his body and blood were given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Taking communion is not a tradition. It is a command of Jesus: “Do this…” he commands. As to how we receive it, there is no direct command. Nor is there a command that we recline at a table, or use a certain kind of wine. Kneeling is a tradition. It is a posture of humility, subjugation, and respect. It’s not disrespectful to stand or sit while taking the Lord’s Supper. In fact the first disciples were reclining at table with Jesus when he first instituted the meal. I simply find the tradition of kneeling at the altar rail to receive the Lord’s Supper to be edifying.

Number 3: Attending worship on Christmas Day
“Christmas Day worship is my favorite service of the year.” I have said this for years in my service as pastor. It’s the end of a long run of services. With midweek Advent worship services, and over the years five services on Christmas Eve (yes 5!), Christmas day worship marked the beginning of a down time for our family. It’s also a one-and-done service. We come to church. Sing praise to God for the gift of Jesus, hear the Gospel message of “Good News of great joy for all people,” offer our prayers and offerings to God and go home afterwards to Christmas Day dinner and an afternoon of joyful reflection (or travel on many Christmas days in the past).

Number 2: The “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” greeting on Easter Sunday morning
Don’t judge me about this being #2 as opposed to # 1. I did rank it higher than Christmas Day worship. Over the years Easter Sunday began with a SONrise service at which time the altar is dressed (after being stripped for Good Friday worship), banners proclaiming “Aalleluia!” are unfurled, and the refrain is spoken, “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” There just can’t be too many exclamation marks in this traditional greeting. This is supremely good news. Jesus lives! The victory is won! Christ has triumphed! He is risen! From the GotQuestions website: The words “He is risen!” remind us of the joyous news we celebrate at Easter, that Jesus’ death was not in vain, and that He has the power to overcome death. Saying “He is risen!” allows us to share this incredible truth with each other. The resurrection of Christ gives us hope for salvation and for our own resurrection and eternal life. Amen. Alleluia!

Number 1: Speaking (or singing) the Aaronic benediction at the end of the worship service
I delight in being able to speak these words to God’s gathered people at the end of the worship service. It is a privilege I have as a pastor to speak these words. I hold my hands high in the manner that God told Aaron to do in Numbers 6:23-27

“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

²⁴ The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

²⁷ “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

To mediate that blessing of God’s favor on people is one of my greatest joys. Some pastors utilize other benedictions (the word means good word or good speaking). And there is no direct New Testament command to use only this one. But this one is special to me for reasons I cannot explain… except that I do bless people and put God’s name on them: You are his!

Bonus: The Tradition I do not observe
Many Lutheran pastors begin their sermons with the apostolic greeting, “Grace, mercy, and peace be yours, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I never want to deny that to anyone, but I never really embraced that traditional start to a sermon. It is a salutary greeting to be sure. And while I want to offer God’s grace, mercy, and peace, I want to do that more specifically in the context of the message I am about to deliver.

What’s your favorite tradition? Does it honor Christ? Does it edify the believer? Does it serve the cause of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus? Does it express the reality of Christ’s reign and rule in your heart? I think those are good ways to uphold edifying traditions.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [ESV]

I love Tevye’s song in Fiddler on the Roof, Tradition! He’s convinced that tradition is what keeps the village going. Wikipedia summarizes the song this way:

“Tradition” is the opening number for the 1964 Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. In the song, the main character, Tevye, explains the roles of each social class (fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters) in the village of Anatevka, and how the traditional roles of people like the matchmaker, the beggar, and the rabbi contribute to the village. The song also mentions the constable, the priest, and the other non-Jews with whom they rarely interact… Overall, the song sets up the major theme of the villagers trying to continue their traditions and keep their society running as the world around them changes.

Years ago, however, I heard an excellent explanation of the difference between tradition and traditionalism. Tradition is a good thing. It holds society together. Traditionalism gets in the way of true and free life. Tradition is what Jesus observed. Traditionalism is the religion of the Pharisees which he condemned. So the saying goes:

Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition is the living faith of the dead.

Generalizations easily become overstatements. And that’s true of this one. But since Paul appeals to tradition here in this letter, it seems proper to look carefully at this word and concept. In Colossians 2:8, Paul says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Jesus condemns the traditions of men, saying, “You [the Pharisees] have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother’; and, Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do” (Mark 7:9-13).

Martin Luther railed against the traditions of the church in his day that got in the way of the truth of God’s word and obscured the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He believed that traditions can be helpful. But he also knew that they can also easily become more important than the very things they are supposed to uphold. The sale of indulgences, unquestionable Papal authority, relegating the laity of the church to inferior status are just a few examples of harmful traditions in Luther’s day.

Some good traditions remain today. Kneeling or standing for prayer, coming to the altar rail for communion, standing when the gospel is read in church are all excellent traditions. But if the standing or kneeling become more important than the act of prayer, the gifts of Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, or the gospel message itself we have a grave problem.

We are in a sermon series at St. John with a clever motto: Keeping it Real: It’s about the heart. Not about playing a part. This is Paul’s message here. The traditions he is pointing to are all about the heart. They are those truths, teachings, and practices that center our hearts in Jesus Christ. His love, mercy, grace, goodness, and truth are the focus of every good tradition.

True traditions are not just about making the village work. True traditions anchor us to Jesus. They fill our hearts and souls with life and joy.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [ESV]

I’ve always appreciated how God does not get distracted when he confronts Adam and Eve following their fall into sin. I know…God doesn’t get distracted no duh! What else is new? I shouldn’t be surprised at that. But I note how God confronts Adam who deflects (he supposes) to blaming God for giving him Eve. Then when God confronts Eve, she blames the serpent. So God curses the serpent. Maybe Adam and Eve are off the hook. Not so quick… God has not forgotten them. They each will hear from God. He will deal with them. They have not dodged the bullet.

In the case of the Thessalonian Christians, God has not forgotten them either. Neither has Paul. He’s dealt with the people who do hated the truth and had pleasure in unrighteousness (2:12). He has also warned them not to get distracted or deceived by the ungodly influences all around them. Now he expresses thanks to God for bringing them to faith. They were chosen to be an example for others of God’s grace and blessing. That’s what firstfruits means: there’s more to come.

In the same way that we have been warned by the preceding words, we can hear these words of thanks to God for calling us to faith. Paul expresses thanks to God that others will believe the gospel. That’s you and me, and others who will be brought into God’s kingdom.

Let’s remember how this happens. The deep and abiding love of God in Jesus for us, the Good News that he forgives us, and the blessing of his steadfast love captures our hearts. Luther speaks of being called by the gospel. It’s not through an encounter with the power, might, holiness, and righteousness of God; though that may be the prelude. God may set us up to realize our need for his grace through the message of the Law. But faith comes through the message of God’s tender mercy, eternal comfort, and good hope through grace.

To this we hold fast. It’s our turn to be reminded of this. It’s also our turn to make sure that future generations hear it as well. We may not see the fruits of our efforts, but every good work and word must give testimony to his grace and love’s work in us.

Join me in praying these Psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 60:11-12

Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
¹² With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴ For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵ You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷ For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹ For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰ The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹² So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 120:1-2

In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
² Deliver me, O Lord,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 [ESV]

Diane and I were once described as two kids in a wagon. Diane is picking up things and handing them to me. I take a quick look at the item, and summarily discard it. Not a very flattering picture of how a marriage relationship should look. But in many cases it is accurate. For my part, I sometimes too quickly discard things I find unnecessary or unimportant (like details, for example!). I also tend toward overlooking unpleasant things, or things I hope will just go away with time. I realize that’s not my best asset. But sometimes it serves me well.

All this to say, I’d rather not embrace the full reality of sin, evil, judgment, and hell. It’s not pleasant to think about. It’s not easy for me to write about “the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” Evil such as that foreign to me and I want to keep it that way. I have enough trouble dealing the the evil of my own flesh. 

Recently a comment was made about an issue of some controversy within our church body. Those who are embedded in that kerfuffle can get quite stirred, and one person spoke of some others essentially as tools of Satan. Another person immediately got up and expressed great distress at the idea that someone could be called Satanic. While it may or may not have been the proper place to have that discussion, there is another looming reality. Jesus called one of his closest disciples Satan (cf. Matthew 16:23)! Paul speaks of “nothing good” dwelling in his flesh (Romans 7:18).

Whenever we choose to sin, cave into temptation, get led astray by friend or foe, or fail to do the good we know we should do, we enthrone another god in the temple of the True God. Whenever anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ takes first place in our hearts, we replace the Lord of Life with a cheap, transitory, impotent, ineffectual, deceptive, and destructive imitation. I’d rather not acknowledge that I ever do that. But I do. We all do. Even if for a moment. That’s why we need a Savior.

And that Savior has come. His name is Jesus. He died for our sins. He rose for our justification. In him we have the promise of eternal salvation and life forevermore.

That’s why we can always talk about “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him” with hope and anticipation and joy. Yes! We must talk about that. 

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 [ESV]

Diane and I were once described as two kids in a wagon. Diane is picking up things and handing them to me. I take a quick look at the item, and summarily discard it. Not a very flattering picture of how a marriage relationship should look. But in many cases it is accurate. For my part, I sometimes too quickly discard things I find unnecessary or unimportant (like details, for example!). I also tend toward overlooking unpleasant things, or things I hope will just go away with time. I realize that’s not my best asset. But sometimes it serves me well.

All this to say, I’d rather not embrace the full reality of sin, evil, judgment, and hell. It’s not pleasant to think about. It’s not easy for me to write about “the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” Evil such as that foreign to me and I want to keep it that way. I have enough trouble dealing the the evil of my own flesh. 

Recently a comment was made about an issue of some controversy within our church body. Those who are embedded in that kerfuffle can get quite stirred, and one person spoke of some others essentially as tools of Satan. Another person immediately got up and expressed great distress at the idea that someone could be called Satanic. While it may or may not have been the proper place to have that discussion, there is another looming reality. Jesus called one of his closest disciples Satan (cf. Matthew 16:23)! Paul speaks of “nothing good” dwelling in his flesh (Romans 7:18).

Whenever we choose to sin, cave into temptation, get led astray by friend or foe, or fail to do the good we know we should do, we enthrone another god in the temple of the True God. Whenever anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ takes first place in our hearts, we replace the Lord of Life with a cheap, transitory, impotent, ineffectual, deceptive, and destructive imitation. I’d rather not acknowledge that I ever do that. But I do. We all do. Even if for a moment. That’s why we need a Savior.

And that Savior has come. His name is Jesus. He died for our sins. He rose for our justification. In him we have the promise of eternal salvation and life forevermore.

That’s why we can always talk about “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him” with hope and anticipation and joy. Yes! We must talk that. 

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

– 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 [ESV]

My grandson may have been born in 007 (2007). His name may be James. And I have watched a few 007 movies. I am well aware that James Bond likes his martinis “shaken not stirred.” I’m not sure of the significance of such a way to make a martini. But when it comes to God’s impact in our lives I am convinced that God wants us to be stirred but not shaken. God wants our hearts to be stirred by his message of truth and grace. He does not want our faith in him to be shaken.

Paul’s message here is all about how the faith of the Thessalonians had been shaken by untrue and confusing reports about Jesus’ return. Some had even been told that Jesus had already returned.

The Reformation Study Bible states,

Second Thessalonians was written mainly to supplement Paul’s earlier teaching by correcting a premature and unsettling announcement that the day of the Lord had already arrived (2:1–11). This misguided claim may have been due in part to wrong inferences drawn from Paul’s own teaching, coupled with the congregation’s painful experience of persecutions thought to be indicative of end-time disturbances.

Harsh persecution is enough to shake anyone’s faith. If the faithful are treated shamefully, and not rescued from such terrible treatment, one might conclude that God has abandoned them. This is what is meant by the phrase, “despairing of God’s grace.” In the fury of persecution and confusion of false teachers, it would be easy to be shaken. Such is Satan’s ploy.

So Paul writes these Christians to clarify their understanding – dealing with the confusion – and to shore up their faith – dealing with the doubt they had cast on them.

But I don’t think of faith as merely an absence of confusion, or a matter of supreme confidence in God’s promises, or correct doctrine. James reminds us that we may believe God is one, but so does the devil. And he trembles in fear (he is properly shaken!).

We are to fear, love, and trust in God above all things. There should be times we are stirred to awe, wonder, praise, and even fear. We are also properly stirred by the work of the Holy Spirit to act with kindness and love toward those who need God’s grace. And when God’s stirs our hearts to speak truth that’s a good thing too. Stirred to fear, love, and trust God above all things, and stirred to do good to our neighbor: these are good things. Shaken in our love for God or neighbor: not good.

Paul writes to clarify our knowledge of God and the world, encourage our love for one another, and remind us of God’s promises to embolden our faith. Few of us today are distracted by worries of Jesus’ Second Coming. More likely we are distressed by the abandonment from the faith of many. We are rightly distressed by the way the world is going. We may even feel like we’re under attack for our beliefs.

Do not be shaken by any of the devil’s schemes. Be stirred by God’s love and faithfulness, his grace and mercy. And look toward the time when every evil plot and scheme will be revealed for what it is, and Satan himself will be brought to nothing.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

– 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 [ESV]

In his book Nothing to be Frightened About, Julian Barnes, writes about his encounter with mortality at a young age:

“It is like being in an unfamiliar hotel room, where the alarm clock has been left on the previous occupant’s setting, and at some ungodly hour you are suddenly pitched from sleep into darkness, panic, and a vicious awareness that this is a rented world.”

Barnes realizes that he is powerless to change the settings on that ubiquitous and jarringly uninvited hotel room alarm clock. So are we.

But few people today are engaged in any meaningful way by a question of life after death. We used to be able to engage people with the Kennedy evangelism, “If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven?” But not today. Seems the world doesn’t care about this anymore. That’s your truth, they say. But sometimes there is that rude, and uninvited hotel alarm.

A spouse dies. A friend gets fired. The doctor calls asking you to go to the hospital … immediately. A bill comes due. You’re left without the necessary resources to make life work as it always had before. These are God’s wake-up calls. I’ve had a few over the years. Medical reports. Relational troubles. Vocational challenges. Spiritual struggles. In every case God wants our hearts; not just the right answers to theological questions; not just outward compliance.

We who love the truth, thank God for these reminders that we live in a rented world. For our hope is not properly tied to any earthly thing. We’re not there yet. Turmoil, trouble, and confusion is God’s way of inviting us to repent and believe the Good News of Jesus’ love, life, grace, and salvation. Let no one confuse you about that, nor deceive you into believing there is any answer other than God’s true promises in this rented world. A promise that is centered in Jesus, secured by his life, death, and resurrection, and will be fully enjoyed in the life of the world to come. Jesus will come again at the End of All time and receive us to live with him forever.