Chu Thanh 4.10.11
1 Thessalonians 5:13-14
References: Romans 12:18, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Colossians 3:15
One thing that puts us in darkness and in unrest is when there are arguments within the family. The foundation of our peace is built on the same principle in the church. We are a family that has the same destination. Paul gives us advice on how to be in union and peace with one another.
Although we share the same blood with our family members, we are our own individuals. In God’s family, all of us are separate individuals with different abilities. There is unity in this diversity and it makes up the body of Jesus Christ. We can be different in every way yet we can stand together in harmony under one God. This is what draws the world’s attention to us.
When the church loses its peace, is when the people in the church allow their differences to get in the way of fellowship with one another. People looking for peace will try to find it in the church. However, when the church loses its peace, it will be seen as ineffective in the eyes of the world. No one wants to go to a church where the silence and awkwardness prevents us from feeling the love of God.
The peace that comes to us is the result of what Jesus did on the cross (Romans 5:1). The world, without Jesus, could never have peace. We can speculate all we want about how to create a peace amongst us but without the blood of Jesus, it is impossible. Jesus suffered so much from the cradle to the cross and it is a shame to not desire and run after the peace he has made available to us. We need to pursue it, chase after it. We need to seek it in active involvement.
V14
1) “Warn the idle”
How often do we notice that the person sitting next to us isn’t there anymore? When we see that a brother or sister has missed church for a couple weeks, we should help them and warn them. We need to be there for one another.
2) “Comfort the timid”
When a person is not doing well, we can’t just sit there and tell them it will be okay. We need to show them that everything will work out for good. We need to show them the section in the word of God that applies to the predicament they are in. These truths will comfort them. This is why we study the bible word by word and chapter by chapter. We do it in hope that when the time comes, we can bring comfort to one another with the word of god.
3) “Hold up the weak”
To hold up something in the Greek means to hold that object so close to yourself so that it won’t fall apart.
