How Do We Live Now?

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

How are we to live now that we know what’s coming? When you see what the world will be like under Satan’s control and the Antichrist’s dictatorship, it sobers your spirit. In light of these future events, Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians now tells us how believers should live, believing all that God’s Word says will be coming next.

Paul gets very practical and gives us three different ways we demonstrate that we believe in the coming of Christ.

Be established in the Word. “Don’t forget,” he says, “God loves you and gives you well-founded hope in His salvation. And remember His grace will keep your heart on course in every good work and word.” God’s blessing describes your salvation all the way from the past, the present, and into the future.

From the beginning, God chose you to be saved. You don’t surprise God when you trust Christ. The other side of the coin is also true. “Whosoever will” may come to God (Revelation 22:17, KJV). The “whosoever wills” are the chosen ones, and the “whosoever won’ts” are the non-elect. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). That is a legitimate offer of salvation with no complications attached. If you don’t come, the reason is not because you’re not elected. The reason you don’t come is that you’re not thirsty; that is, you don’t think you need a Savior. If you are thirsty, then come to Christ.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your own Savior, you are in Christ—that is positional sanctification. Sanctification becomes practical when your life changes to be more like Jesus’ life. This is growing in grace, and it happens as we study the Word of God and believe it and walk it out.

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 over again any time you need encouragement. They describe the full spectrum of salvation: We have been saved, we are being saved, we will be saved. It is all the work of God and the Word which enable the believer to stand and be stable.

Be established in our walk. The Word of God also helps us walk as “the called out ones” before a wicked world. If we really love His appearing, we will prove it by our relationship to the Word of God and by our walk through this life.

But we’re not doing this in our own strength, Paul reminds us. “The Lord is faithful, and He will set you on a firm foundation and will protect and guard you from the evil one.” Christian, hold tenaciously to this truth in 2 Thessalonians 3:3. The Lord is faithful to establish you in His Word. Let it have its influence in your life. The Word of God will keep you from evil.

Be established in our work. Now we get busy working for the Lord so the Word of God may have its way in our hearts and lives. No other doctrine in the Bible will make you work harder or more sensibly for Christ than the second coming of Christ. If you believe you’re going to see Him soon, you will work for Him. You’ll be putting a few seeds of the Word of God in the field of the world so they might bring forth a harvest.

Understanding what’s next in God’s program, rather than fanaticism or laziness, brings peace to the family of God. He who is peace wants us to enjoy His peace and His grace as He establishes us in the Word, in our walk, and in our work as we wait for His coming.

1. Sanctification is accomplished in the life of a believer by the Holy Spirit. How can you cooperate with His work in your life?

2. In your own words, what does walking worthy of your calling look like in your life?

3. Why do you think Paul links good theology with a strong work ethic?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 2 Thessalonians 2:7-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-7 and 2 Thessalonians 3:8-18.

For a deeper study of 2 Thessalonians, download the 2 Thessalonians Bible Companion for free!