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2 Thessalonians 1:11
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11 Wherefore [eis] [hos] also [kai] we pray [proseuchomai] always [pantote] for [peri] you, [humon] that [hina] our [hemon] God [theos] would count [axioo] you [humas] worthy [axioo] of this calling, [klesis] and [kai] fulfil [pleroo] all [pas] the good pleasure [eudokia] of his goodness, [agathosune] and [kai] the work [ergon] of faith [pistis] with [en] power: [dunamis] KJV-Interlinear
11 To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; NASB
‘To this end,’ refers to your preparation as a complete and total individual within the scope of your life, such that when you come face to face with the Lord, and with all of humanity for that matter, that you will be ready, and completely prepared for that future event.
In our Church Age, it has been estimated that nearly eighty-billion people have been born into this world. Some estimates of the world population back when Jesus was born, put that population at around three-hundred million people.
At the year 1000 A.D. the population estimate was around four-hundred million. Not much of an increase in total, however with an average lifespan in the low twenties of years, the entire population would have turned over several times during that first millennia A.D. And if you factor in an infant mortality rate of between fifty and seventy percent, then huge numbers of people would have been born into life, even if they did not live very long.
The next millennia saw the population dramatically increase in the latter part, reaching one-billion around 1802, two-billion in 1927, three-billion in 1961, four-billion in 1974, five-billion in 1987, six-billion in 1999, and we are now over seven-billion in 2009, and the population is increasing at an ever growing rate.
But, when you factor in infant mortality and wars, then the total population of people who have been born alive into this world, just within our own dispensation, is staggering.
Since we know from our study of David’s loss of his first baby, that infants or the helpless that have not reached an age of accountability, that die, go to heaven automatically, then it could be that easily two-thirds of all folks born in our dispensation will be standing before the Lord, in that future day. That is a lot of folks standing in one assembly. And our dispensation is not over yet.
Add to their numbers, all of the angels in heaven and the number will certainly be beyond comprehension.
Now, so what, of all of these numbers.
Well, your objective is to be prepared in life such you will be complete and ready and honorable and worthy of standing before this assembly.
Would it be better to stand before such group, embarrassed, unprepared, a total failure in life?
Or would it be better to stand before such an assembly, honored, complete, prepared, worthy of the highest honorable mention from Christ Himself?
And we have that here.
Pauls prayer, which should be yours and certainly is one of my prayers, that you and each and every believer will get their heads together, will study with a genuine desire to advance in their spiritual life, will learn with legitimate objectivity and not with emotional enticements or distractions, and advance in each persons own personal spiritual life to spiritual maturity.
With the objective, and here is the kicker, that your every desire (ponder this one for a minute), so that your every desire, which goes beyond your ability to imagine, will be fulfilled, in truth, in goodness, and as a result of faith.
What is faith? It is the ultimate result of your spiritual advance to maturity.
A mature person is not an immature person. A mature person is responsible, objective, poised, kind, thoughtful, tolerant, and much more. A mature person thinks because he possesses the resources from his learning, with which to think. And that learning is a result of your daily study of the scriptures.
It is not in singing songs, not in shouting and jumping up and down, not in riding emotional rollercoaster's, although those things can be fun, but learning is paramount to ones growth. And learning requires the intake of information, in a classroom or academic or study style environment. It requires the taking of notes, of review, of memorization, of thought, about what it is you are learning. And then using it in your daily life.
This develops faith, and over the course of time, your growth will maximize your faith such that when the difficult times in life, enter into your life, then power, or the power of your faith will help you ride through those hard times.
Power here is ‘dunamis,’ which means power certainly, but this is a power that represents a force adequate enough to hold a thing in its place.
God uses power to hold the universe in its place. God uses power to hold your salvation in its place. This same power is available to you, through doctrine, to hold, to secure your faith.
This power of God, which we have access to through our spiritual growth, through doctrine, is sufficient enough to make our individual lives complete, and will prepare us for the next phenomenal event (Biblical style), in history.
How could you possibly ignore this opportunity for your life?
2 Tim. 2:15
15 Study, to show thyself approved [mature] unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [discerning] the word of truth.
