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"Entrusted Unto Glory"
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Wednesday AM Bible Study
April 21, 2004

These words contain Paul's closing "blessing" to his beloved brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. Paul was limited in what he could do for them; but he had no fear of entrusting those who belonged to Christ to the one who was able to preserve them safely for Him (see Acts 20:32). In fact, that's the safest thing he could do for them.

When God spoke to King David and made the covenant promise to him of a 'seed' after him with whom God would establish an everlasting kingdom (that is, Christ); all David could say in response was, "O LORD, the word which you have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said" (1 Chron. 17:23). Some promises are so great, all we can really do in worship is simply say, "O God, do as You have said!" We should certainly say the same thing with respect to these closing words from Paul; and what's more is that they contain the promise that God will indeed do it!

I. WHO IT IS TO WHOM WE ARE ENTRUSTED.

A. Paul entrusts his readers to the God of peace. "Peace" here isn't speaking of "peaceful surroundings". Rather, it is speaking of the removal of that which causes enmity between ourselves and God - that is, sin. Our God is the God who makes peace between Himself and us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (Eph. 2:11-18).

B. The God of peace "Himself" is the one who fulfills the work of entrustment. We can be sure that He who brought about this peace longs to see everything come about that this peace was intended to establish (Phil. 1:6).

II. IN WHAT SENSE WE ARE ENTRUSTED TO HIM.

A. Paul entrusts his readers unto complete sanctification by God. "Sanctification" comes from the same Greek word that means "holy"; and this sanctification is the process by which God works to make us increasingly holy in the way we live - making us to be more and more like the One who died for us. This sanctification is said to be "complete" - that is, in the sense of the wholeness of our person.

B. Paul entrusts his readers to a total preservation by God. Not only are they sanctified by God, but they are also preserved and kept in that sanctification.

1. It is a preservation in "blamelessness". It is not merely a spiritual preservation, but a very practical one. God saved us to remove from us all traces of the guilt of sin; and it's His intention to keep us in that state for His glory (Jude 24-25).

2. It is a preservation that involves the totality of their person. It involves not only our spiritual selves or the inner man (grammatically, spirit and soul are joined together as a unit), but also our physical self. We are destined to be raised in a glorious body like Jesus' own. Therefore, our whole self - spiritual and physical - will be preserved.

3. It is a preservation unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's at His appearing that this preservation will be fully realized (1 John 3:1-3).

III. WHY WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN SUCH AN ENTRUSTMENT.

A. The same God who calls us is the same one who does the work of sanctification and preservation. He has a vested interest in sanctifying and preserving those whom He calls (Rom. 8:28-30).

B. He is faithful in His work. He will not consider the work done until we are, in fact, in glory with His Son Jesus Christ eternally. If He who does this for us is so faithful, then we can be confident in that hope to which we've been entrusted!