THE COMFORT OF FAITH

THE COMFORT OF FAITH
By: Brother Albert Gran

1 Thessalonians 3
King James Version (KJV)
3 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Trying times through difficulties and hardships in the ministry sometimes caused life distress affecting each believer’s godliness such many came to the point of giving up their faith. The Apostle Paul in Athens had this trying experience of severe affliction for the gospel’s sake. Along with him were those faithful followers who bore the mark of Christ’s sufferings. This heartbreaking experience made them say, “when we could no longer forbear”. It’s not presumably predicted how Christ not helped him supernaturally as they themselves labor for the sake of the gospel and serve the Almighty God with great power as traditionally believed can possibly intervene Paul to provide him comfort in the situation of his sufferings, afflictions, and distresses.

Nowadays, believers only look forward to the means where they thought they were comforted by God supernaturally through interventional care and motivation suffice to wipe once tears through miraculous clichés per se. Other’s claimed God touched their infirmities tenderly and resort to healing testimonies involving lay hands manner as a gesture which most Christians were accustomed as supposedly demonstrating power from God. The question lies today if indeed this traditional way supports the wisdom God had revealed to us in light of this mystery truth in this dispensation of grace.

A DIFFERENT COMFORT

Mostly, people dearly embrace the outward comfort generally classified only seen through physical or material manifestation. Majority believes it as the basis how God enact his mighty working today instead of His working for our inner man which identifies our fullness in Christ through the abundance of His grace and love.

What makes it a different comfort? May it encourage all believers to not play old games based on what I pointed in the above mentioned supposition of believers how God used HIS WORD- CAUSING FAITH through labor and effort of some faithful ministers who labored much in the faith and the gospel with veracity and truthfulness according to the gospel of the revelation of the mystery.

What Timothy showed significant example to produce grandeur amidst life’s assail as I believed God used right now to comfort us is the “GOSPEL”. The gospel of the grace of God delivered by Paul causing a wholesome faith which we lived and abide today is a kind of doctrinal class we earned through rightly dividing principle. Instead of abiding to salvation gospel in mixed up presentation of which majority hold on their faith, this is which made us realized that the gospel of our salvation in the fate of life eternal fits in God’s plan today caused so much COMFORT. This is the way GOD COMFORTED US TODAY.

2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, to ESTABLISH you, and to COMFORT you concerning your FAITH:

THE ISSUE CONCERNING FAITH NOT WORKS

Timothy resembles perfect example as someone who faithfully followed the right pattern whom God had appointed to bear the sufferings of Christ to all those who believed in him for life everlasting. The essentiality of using the GOSPEL OF CHRIST had these stated purpose which are: TO ESTABLISH AND TO COMFORT, it’s not about obtaining lots of worldly possessions but CONCERNING FAITH.

Believers’ aim in this recent dispensation of grace must direct and look forward to embrace what God seems to be the primary concern in the area of our life, FAITH. Establishment and comfort of “faith” plays God’s major concern to not be tossed to and fro and be carried by every wind of doctrine. It’s the faith which can give us establishment because faith is your substance how you perceived what is the real essence of life with God and Christ in your heart and mind.

What Paul considered a remarkable comfort in his life is not being released from imprisonment but THE COMFORT BROUGHT BY THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. The exercise God made us all available in our lives today when he comforted us caused through the gospel of Christ. Believers must need someone who followed the patterning principle of “ the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also” like that of Timothy who labored much in WORD AND IN DOCTRINE while Paul and the rest were in afflictions behind bars and persecutions. Believers today who kept away from standing the truth of the gospel, to not grasp how we were called to be enriched in the words of Christ by the gospel due to the area of concern in consonance to the flesh and its evil works orchestrated by the rudiments of the world, fall prey in the MOST DISCOMFORTED LIFE due to ignorance of truth.

HOW SHALL YOU DESCRIBE YOUR AFFLICTION?

Today’s affliction most believers classified they were seems inflicted is when mostly they are in bad circumstances and situation as a result of wrong decisions, consequences or any negative bodily effect, heartaches, emotional trauma, evil people and their bad choices, and most especially sickness and diseases.

However, all these phenomenon were but just common to man. These are not what Paul suffered and afflicted FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE. What Paul made suffered and get afflicted when he saw many grace believers no longer stand in the gospel and hadn’t pay much labor in word and doctrine to establish believers to be sound in the faith attaining wisdom brought by the image of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ. To mean preaching Jesus Christ in accordance to the revelation of the mystery is something what laborers of Christ must continue to establish to all faithful men who declared the truth of the gospel with Paul as our pattern from Christ.

3 That no man should be MOVED BY THESE AFFLICTIONS: for yourselves know that WE ARE APPOINTED THEREUNTO.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

What Paul caused his afflictions were effects of preaching the gospel and laboring in the word of Christ for establishment and strengthening believer’s life to not remain milk drinkers but meat eaters of the word.

What Paul made emphasized when you truly understood the truth of the gospel is to consider afflictions when in your life you are imprisoned, beaten, rejected, falsely accused, as evildoer yet faithful in the service all for the SAKE OF FIRMLY STANDING IN THE GROUND OF FAITH. Contrast to what most believers supposed is that their afflictions were classified when they are in facing economic problem, destitute of food, shelter, education, etc. which were just results of laziness, wrong decisions. Marriage problems occurred due to wrong choices of partners of which in topless view also void of love and ground of godly principle to life of being God’s saint.

GOD’S COMFORT

God’s comfort today is not praying a lot so God will make you escape based upon His special care and condition to get rid from your natural physical trouble. Notice this carefully: “for yourselves know that WE ARE APPOINTED THEREUNTO.” What we greatly notice here is that those who believed in Christ WILL AND MUST SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE. Believers are appointed thereunto (afflictions for Christ) not by the will of man but by GOD’S WILL. So why should you pray to God he will change his declared appointment to get afflicted for Christ? Is it not an action done out of ignorance? What you can do is to PRAY ABOUT how you could endure when trying time strikes yourself and rest on the COMFORT OF GOD’S PROMISED AS MENTIONED IN HIS WORD.

CHANGE YOUR THINKING AND GO FOR TRUE COMFORT OF GOD

4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that WE SHOULD SUFFER TRIBULATION; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Instead of always praying to God he will do special miracle for you, Paul was not lacked to enhance this wisdom to you my brethren. Paul reprimanded us to SUFFER TRIBULATION. Suffer in tribulation connotes endurance. To endure is not something you should do nothing. Endurance corresponds action to resolve inflicting circumstances in every believer’s life. It’s all but God’s word provided us all instruction that the man of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished into all good works.

Grace and Peace!