New Year's Resolutions: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Turn with me to the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1.

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

Tomorrow marks the first day of a new year, which I am so thankful for.

! While on the one hand, we will only be another day into another journey around the sun,

on the other hand, there is something seemingly significant about passing from one year into another.

Doesn't it feel like we are turning a page in a book,

closing the chapter that we call 2017 and opening the chapter that we call 2018?

Because of the grace of God to us in Jesus Christ,

we always, each and every day, have the opportunity to start afresh.

But our minds are often drawn to make new commitments at the beginning of the year that we call resolutions.

We are surrounded by people right now making resolutions and suggestions for resolutions that can be made.

And so, this morning, my prayer for us is that we can look to God's Word together

and consider how we can make resolutions that please Him.

Some have asked if resolutions are even biblical.

Should we make promises to change?

I would argue, yes, we most certainly should.

We have for us in the Scripture a pattern of God's people making promises that are pleasing to God.

I want to give you just two examples, and then we will turn our attention to today's text.

The first is found in Daniel 1, verse 8,

Daniel 1:8

where Daniel resolves that he will not defile himself with the Babylonian king's food or wine.

The second example, Acts 19, verse 21,

Acts 19:21

where Paul resolves to make his way to Jerusalem to fulfill his Nazarite vow,

which was another resolve that he had made.

So, this is just two examples that are many, many others.

We ought to make commitments, right?

Promises for change.

So, let us resolve together today to change,

believing that change really is possible.

May we do so not just at the first of the year,

but may we do so at the first of the year.

Tomorrow is a new day,

and we stand on the precipice of being able to be changed.

And may we do so in a way that pleases our God.

So, our text for today is 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 11 and 12.

2 Thessalonians 1:11

Before I read it, allow me to remind you, beloved,

this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Begin reading at verse 11.

To this end, we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling,

and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him,

according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The outline for this morning's text, if you're taking notes, is as follows.

Number one, resolve to be holy.

Resolve to be holy.

Number two, resolve dependently.

Resolve dependently.

I have to always put a hard one for you to spell in there.

Get those wheels turning early.

Resolve dependently.

And number three, resolve for the glory of Christ.

At the age of 19 and across some time,

a young follower of Jesus Christ pinned 70 resolutions.

Promises aimed at God's glory and his, this young man's ultimate good.

The first resolution reads,

Resolve that I would do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory and my own good,

profit and pleasure in the whole of my duration,

without any consideration of the time,

whether now or never so many myriads of ages.

Hence, this is the 18th century.

Resolve to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.

Resolve to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with,

how many and how great so ever.

This young man's name was Jonathan Edwards.

He was an 18th century New England Puritan pastor.

In the preamble to his resolutions,

he wrote the following,

and I think it's there for you on the screen.

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help,

I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions

so far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ's sake.

So it's my intention this morning to weave Edwards' preamble through our text

to set for us an example of application for how we are to make resolutions.

So we're going to leave this up here for you.

I hope that you have your copy of God's Word open in front of you,

2 Thessalonians 1, 11, and 12.

And I'm going to do my best to weave the two together for you.

So first, resolve to be holy.

If you make resolutions that are not aimed at your holiness,

then you are setting your sights far too low.

If conformity to Jesus Christ is not the end goal of all that we do as Christians,

then we are falling miserably short of that which God has called us to.

Holiness is our high calling in Christ Jesus.

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1, verses 13-16,

1 Peter 1:13–16

Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded,

set your hope fully on the grace that we brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.

But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

Since it is written, and he cites Leviticus 11, 44,

God speaks,

You shall be holy, for I am holy.

It is not true, as Clay said well last week,

that God accepts us as we are.

Certainly, we come to faith in Christ as sinners,

wretched, enemies of God, cut off from Him in every respect.

But having placed our faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ,

we put on His righteousness.

So God accepts us clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

He accepts us based on the righteousness of Christ.

He accepts us because we stand before Him holy because of Christ.

And because of this, this status change for us,

we have the Spirit of Christ who begins to work holiness in us.

We don't stay as we were.

We change in status, accepted, because we are holy,

and we become more holy in ever-increasing fashion.

In our text, I want first to draw your attention to the prayer of Paul

for the Thessalonian believers.

He's writing this letter to a church.

And he says,

to this end, we always pray for you.

These believers are constantly in the prayers of Paul,

as well as Savannas and Timothy,

those who were accompanying him at this time.

We are always praying for you.

What are they praying?

That God would make you worthy of His calling

and may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith by His power.

They are praying for holiness.

These prayers are not aimless prayers.

Paul is not primarily concerned about the circumstances

of the Thessalonian believers,

that they would have jobs or find houses

or be in good health,

but rather,

he is firstly and primarily concerned

about their holiness.

That God would make them worthy of His calling.

Some translations say here,

count you worthy.

Now, this is all very interesting language,

is it not?

He's going to pray this thing.

We pray for you.

Two matters.

That God would make you worthy

or count you worthy of His calling.

And the rest of verse 11,

that you may fulfill every resolve

for every good and every work of faith.

These are the two things that he is praying.

So Paul hears saying

that God would make them worthy of His calling

or count them worthy of His calling

is to say to them,

we pray that you are in fact counted as worthy.

That you are in fact called by God in Christ.

None of us are saved of our own doing.

This was the gracious call of Christ on our behalf.

God reaches down to us

and He counts us worthy.

It's incredible reality,

this effectual call of God on our behalf.

And Paul is not so foolish to think

that those who are part of the Thessalonian church

who claim to be followers of Christ

are necessarily followers of Christ.

He is concerned as he prays for them

that they are in fact followers of Jesus Christ,

that God has counted them worthy.

And this counting,

this accrediting to them worthiness

is evidenced in the practice of faith,

which is why Paul also prays

that God on their behalf

may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith.

Some translations translate the word here in ESV,

translated resolve as desire,

so it could be read,

and may fulfill every desire

for good and every work of faith.

So those who are in Christ

desire to please God.

The faith that they began by

is the faith that they are being

continually perfected by.

So Paul is concerned primarily

in his praying for the Thessalonians' holiness.

This was a consistent concern of Paul's

for those who claimed to follow Jesus Christ.

Because the fervent pursuit of holiness

is a marker of those who are truly converted.

Beloved, how is it that we have assurance,

that we can have some confidence before God?

It's because we see God working in our lives,

and we see God working in the lives of others.

We look at somebody and we can say,

with the kind of confidence a human can have,

yes, Christ's.

You belong to Him.

I can see that you have a spirit,

that you're hating the things of the world,

and you're loving the things of God.

That you're fleeing from sin,

and you're loving holiness.

It is a great, damnable thing

in many of our churches today

that decisionism reigns.

That it will be said of you,

have a confidence because you made a decision.

There are many

who are living atrocious lives,

an absolute rejection of God,

but because somewhere along the line,

they made a decision,

and then maybe a re-decision, right?

They went to summer camp,

and they threw a pine cone into the fire.

That they think this is what has saved them,

because it's what they're being taught.

And the Scripture says nothing to this at all.

How do we know?

How are we meant to know?

It's because God is at work in us.

He is fulfilling the desires that we have,

which He puts in us for good

and for work of faith.

The fervent pursuit of holiness

is a marker of those

who are truly converted.

I want you to hold your place

in 2 Thessalonians,

and let me show you

how concerned Paul was

with the holiness of those

who profess to follow Christ.

By looking at the prayers

he mentions in 4 of his other epistles.

I want you to see this point.

I want to drive it so deep within you.

Those who belong to God

love God and love the ways of God.

There are people,

even in our denomination,

that call this lordship theology

and want to call it a heresy.

That we would say

that those who are saved

are converted,

follow Christ.

And this is how we know

that we're converted.

We need to have this set straight

in our minds

for our own assurance

and for the assurance or not

of others.

So let me show you some other places.

Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 13.

2 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

These are all Paul's epistles,

so you've got a little section

you can stay in.

I'm going to have you flip a bunch here

in a second.

2 Corinthians chapter 13,

2 Corinthians 13 · chapter mention

the first part of verse 7,

Paul writes,

but we pray to God

that you may not do wrong.

Here's a standard,

a holiness standard

that he is hoping

that people will,

I'm not saying this is

a perfect holiness,

right?

But we are growing in this.

We pray to God

that you may not do wrong.

And then down in verse 9

of chapter 13,

the second part,

your restoration

is what we pray for.

Having done wrong,

we pray that your restoration

will, in fact,

take place.

Turn to the book of Philippians,

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

Paul's concerned

in his praying

about the holiness

of the Corinthian believers,

and he's concerned

about the holiness

of the Philippian believers,

verses 9 and 10.

He writes,

and it is my prayer

that your love

may abound more and more

with knowledge

and all discernment

so that you may approve

what is excellent

and so be pure

and blameless

for the day of Christ.

Turn to the book of Colossians.

Paul is concerned

about the holiness

of the Colossian believers.

chapter 1,

beginning in verse 9

and following.

And so,

from the day we heard,

we have not ceased

to pray for you.

Here he is again,

always praying

for the Colossian believers,

asking that you may be filled

with the knowledge

of his will

in all spiritual wisdom

and understanding,

so as to walk

in a manner

worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing to him,

bearing fruit

in every good work

and increasing

in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened

with all power

according to his glorious might

for all endurance

and patience

with joy.

Again,

concerned about

the holiness

of the Colossian believers.

And finally,

1 Thessalonians,

1 Thessalonians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Verse 11 and following.

This is a pinned prayer.

So Paul is praying,

now may our God

and Father himself

and our Lord Jesus

direct our way to you

and may the Lord

make you increase

and abound

in love for one another

and for all

as we do for you

so that he may

establish your hearts

blameless in holiness

before our God

and Father

at the coming

of our Lord Jesus

with all his saints.

And then turn a few pages

to chapter 5,

verse 23

of 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians.

Now may the God

of peace himself

sanctify you,

perfect you completely

and may your whole

spirit and soul

and body

be kept blameless

at the coming

of our Lord

Jesus Christ.

So Paul is very

concerned about this

as he's writing

to the churches

and as he's praying

for the churches,

right?

That people would be

found holy

in Christ

and be pursuing

holiness,

right?

Being changed,

being perfected

in ever increasing

degree.

Never perfect this side

in earthly terms,

this side of glory,

but always growing

in holiness.

Now look at Jonathan Edwards

preamble.

This is the point

that I was going to say.

Look at the example

that he sets for us

in this way.

Being sensible

that I am unable

to do anything

without God's help,

I do humbly

entreat him

by his grace

to enable me

to keep these

resolutions

so far

as they are

agreeable

to his will.

Jonathan Edwards

was concerned

with these 70

results,

right,

which directed

much of his life.

In fact,

he read these

each and every week

to himself

to consider

whether or not

he was keeping up

his end

of these promises

that he had made.

He only wanted

to keep them

so far

as they were

agreeable

to the will

of God.

And so,

we should resolve

to be holy.

Now,

I want you to be

thinking about

at this point

some ways

in which

you need

to commit

your life

to holiness.

Some things

that you may need

to sit down,

possibly pin,

for the sake

of pursuing

holiness.

And to do that,

I just want to

read to you

some of

Edwards'

resolves.

These are not

Scripture.

To be clear,

I'm not holding up

Edwards' resolves

at the same level

as Scripture.

But I want you to see

how it is

he took

Scripture's teaching

and he pulled it out

for his own life

and made

commitments

to follow hard

after Christ.

If you'd like

a copy of these,

I made some of them

available for you

in the hallway

after the service.

These were,

I think this is

from Desiring God

and they were

organized in

categories.

So you could

think in categories,

character,

habit,

relationship,

service to others.

Just listen to

some of these

commitments that

Edwards made

and consider

commitments you

might make

yourself this

morning.

Resolved.

And I love

this one.

To live

with all

my might

while I do

live.

Resolved

never to lose

one moment

of time

but improve

it the most

profitable way

I possibly

can.

Resolved

never to do

anything

which I should

be afraid

to do

if it were

the last

hour

of my life.

We will

all stop

using social

media.

Resolved

to inquire

every night

before I

go to bed

whether I

have acted

in the best

way I

possibly could

with respect

to eating

and drinking.

Interestingly,

Edwards was

effectively

a vegetarian.

Resolved.

I'm not

making any

implications

about the

way you

should eat

at all

there.

At all.

Resolved

never to

suffer the

least motions

of anger

to irrational

beings.

Resolved

never to

speak evil

of any

except I

have some

particular

good

call for

it.

Resolved

when I

feel pain

to think

of the

pains

of martyrdom

and of

hell.

Resolved

if I

take

delight

in it

as a

gratification

of pride

or vanity

or any

such

account

immediately

to throw

it by.

Resolved

to maintain

the strictest

temperance

in eating

and drinking.

Resolved

to examine

carefully

and constantly

what that

one thing

in me

is

which

causes me

in the

least

to doubt

of the

love of

God

and to

direct

all my

forces

against it.

Resolved

to study

the

scriptures

so

steadily

constantly

and

frequently

as that

I may

find

and plainly

perceive

myself

to grow

in the

knowledge

of the

same.

Resolved

never to

count

that a

prayer

nor to

let that

pass

as a

prayer

nor that

as a

petition

of a

prayer

which

is so

made

that I

cannot

hope

that God

will

answer

it

nor that

as a

confession

which I

cannot

hope

God

will

accept

basically

resolved

not

to

pray

bad

prayers

resolved

to strive

to my

utmost

every

week

to be

brought

higher

in

religion

he means

devotion

to God

and to a

higher

exercise

of grace

than I

was

the week

before

resolved

whenever my

feelings

begin to

appear

in the

least

out of

order

when I

am

conscious

of the

least

uneasiness

within

or the

least

irregularity

without

I will

then subject

myself

to the

strictest

examination

resolved

never to

give over

nor at

the least

to slacken

my fight

with my

corruptions

however

unsuccessful

I may

be

and so

Jonathan Edwards

as a

young man

the age

of 19

sat

and

pinned

down

these

resolutions

and

Clay and

I were

speaking

this morning

about this

and he

pointed out

not expecting

that they

would be

published

and read

by so

many

he did

this

in the

quiet

devotion

of his

time with

the Lord

he committed

himself

to holiness

he pursued

it with

every

part

of his

being

and the

very last

sentence of

the preamble

which I

didn't

think served

us well

to live

on the

screen

with us

the last

part of

it says

to read

it every

week

right

so he

went back

through these

things

across the

expanse

of his

life

and considered

his successes

and his

failing

in his

resolves

to be

holy

secondly

resolve

dependently

you are

powerless

to change

yourself

in any

meaningful

way

but God

is all

powerful

and God

desires to

change you

into the

image

of his

son

this is why

Paul so

readily

prays for

the church

right

he knows

who to

ask

for this

thing to

take

place

he asks

God

the one

who can

meaningfully

change

people

he knows

that only

God brings

about

meaningful

change

so you

see

verse 11

our text

in 2

Thessalonians

to this

end

we always

pray for

you

that

our

God

may

make

you

and

that

God

may

fulfill

these

desires

for good

and works

of faith

in the

end

of

verse

12

according

to the

grace

of our

God

and the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

we are

utterly

entirely

dependent

upon

God

for

holiness

Paul

wrote

in

Philippians

Philippians 2:12

chapter

2

verse

12

and

13

therefore

my

beloved

as you

have

always

obeyed

so

now

not

only

as

in

my

presence

but

much

more

in

my

absence

work

out

your

own

salvation

with

fear

and

trembling

so

there's

a

working

to be

done

on

behalf

of

the

Christian

and

we're

to be

working

in a

way

that

gives

evidence

to the

fact

that

we

are

in

Christ

because

we

should

rightly

understand

what

it

means

for

us

if

we're

not

I

believe

that's

why

Paul

says

with

fear

and

trembling

that

I

would

find

myself

to

be

approved

because

of

the

way

I

live

!

Because

if

I'm

not

my

death

and

doom

separation

from

God

so

how

is it

that we

do

this

Paul

tells

us

in

verse

13

Philippians

2

4

it

is

God

who

works

in

you

both

to

will

and

to

work

for

his

good

pleasure

the

meaningful

change

takes

effort

on

our

part

and

it

takes

the

grace

of

God

if

we

resolve

to

be

holy

we

can

have

confidence

that

God

will

work

in

our

working

toward

that

great

end

in

fact

we

can

know

that

our

resolve

to

want

to

work

was

a

gift

of

God

itself

to

begin

with

meaningful

change

will

take

effort

on

our

part

but

ultimately

it

takes

the

grace

of

God

and

so

we

should

resolve

dependently

Edwards

in

his

preamble

wrote

this

being

sensible

being

of

sound

mind

is

what

Edwards

is

saying

this

is

the

greatest

mind

America

has

ever

produced

says

being

sensible

that I

am

unable

to do

anything

without

God's

help

I

do

humbly

!

and

treat

him

by

his

grace

to

enable

me

to

keep

these

resolutions

so

we

ought

to

resolve

to

be

holy

and

we

ought

to

resolve

to

be

holy

dependently

and

third

we

should

resolve

for

the

glory

of

Christ

why

did

Paul

want

to

see

the

Thessalonian

believers

grow

in

holiness

why

was

he

so

concerned

about

this

in

the

life

of

those

who

claim

to

be

followers

of

Christ

beginning

of

verse

12

I

didn't

get

it

out

in

the

announcements

12

tells

us

so

that

the

name

of

our

Lord

Jesus

may

be

glorified

in

you

so

that

who

Jesus

is

would

be

magnified

on

the

earth

right

that

we

would

be

ever

increasing

in

holiness

as

this

evidencing

of

God's

graciousness

toward

us

in

Christ

resolutions

aimed at

making you

a better

you

miss the

mark

when your

end goal

is your

glory

and not the

glory of

Christ

in your

intention

you have

made yourself

a God

and bowed

before a

paltry

and failing

throne

Samuel

Rutherford

this is

on your

bulletin

Puritan

pastor

said

build

your

nest

upon

no

tree

here

for

you

see

God

has

sold

the

forest

to

death

and

this

includes

our

physical

bodies

it's

really

hard

for me

not

to

think

about

the

amount

of

gym

memberships

that

are

going

to

be

sold

next

week

when

I

think

about

resolutions

!

It's

not

a

valuable

thing

but

I

would

argue

that

you

ought

to

be

fit

in

order

to

serve

God

that

you

would

be

healthy

so

that

you

can

serve

the

Lord

with

all

your

might

there's

only

so

much

definition

necessary

to

pull

that

off

many

people

will

spend

countless

hours

looking

just

so

so

and

our

bodies

our

flesh

will

turn

to

dust

that

is

part

of

this

forest

that's

been

sold

to

death

build

your

nest

upon

no

tree

here

for

you

see

God

has

sold

the

forest

to

death

our

resolutions

should

be

aimed

at

the

glory

of

Christ

Paul

wrote

in

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 10:31

chapter

10

verse

31

so

whether

you

eat

or

drink

or

whatever

you

do

do

all

to

the

glory

of

God

and

in

Colossians

Colossians 3:17

chapter

3

verse

17

Paul

writes

and

whatever

you

do

in

word

or

deed

do

everything

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

Jesus

that

is

to

say

in

consistency

with

who

he

is

in

order

to

make

him

known

giving

thanks

to

God

the

father

through

him

it

is

the

high

calling

and

the

greatest

joy

of

the

Christian

to

know

God

and

to

make

him

known

to

others

Peter

wrote

in

1

1 Peter 2:9

Peter

chapter

2

verses

9

and

following

you

are a

chosen

race

a

royal

priesthood

a

holy

nation

a

people

for

his

own

possession

he's

talking

about

the

church

here

right

those

of

us

professed

to

know

Christ

who

were

found

in

him

were

a

chosen

race

a

royal

priesthood

a

holy

nation

a

people

for

his

possession

what does

he intend

to do

with

this

people

who

were

set

apart

for

him

that

you

may

proclaim

the

excellencies

of

him

who

called

you

out

of

darkness

into

his

marvelous

light

once

you

were

not

a

people

but

now

you

are

God's

people

once

you

had

not

received

mercy

but

now

you

have

received

mercy!

and

Peter

goes

on

to

write

we

often

stop

there

when

we

look

at

this

text

but

he

goes

on

to

say

beloved

I

urge

you

as

sojourners

and

exiles

we belong

to a

different

kingdom

not

the

kingdom

of

this

world

this

forest

sold

to

death

but

another

world

where

sojourners

and

exiles

Peter

says

to

abstain

from

the

passions

of

the

flesh

which

wage

war

against

your

soul

keep

your

conduct

among

the

gentiles

honorable

Peter's

writing

to a

Jewish

population

so

he's

talking

about

those

outside

the

faith

right

keep

your

conduct

among

the

gentiles

honorable

so

that

when

they

speak

against

you

as

evildoers

they

may

see

your

good

deeds

and

glorify

God

on

the

day

of

visitation

it

is

the

high

calling

and

the

greatest

joy

the

Christian

to

know

God

and

to

make

him

known

look

again

at

Edwards

preamble

being

sensible

that

I

am

unable

to

do

anything

without

God's

help

I

do

humbly

entreat

him

by

his

grace

to

enable

me

to

keep

these

resolutions

so

far

as

they

are

agreeable

to

his

will

for

Christ's

sake

to

the

glory

of

Christ

so

resolve

to be

holy

resolve

dependently

and

resolve

for the

glory

of

Christ

in

conclusion

I

would

like

to

ask

you

seven

questions

they'll

be

short

for

the

sake

of

application

and

I'm

going

to

ask

you

a

question

I'm

going

to

follow

up

with

a

bunch

of

questions

so

don't

count

them

please

I'll

number

them

for

you

how

about

that

seven

questions

number