Our Spiritual Immune System – Part 1

[soso]

Our Spiritual Immune System – Part 1

Friday, October 25, 2019

"We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ,

to strengthen and encourage you in your faith..." (1 Thessalonians 3:2 NIV)

The enemy knows that the best way to breach your spiritual immune system is by attacking your faith. 

Once your faith is undermined, you become an easy target /for a variety of spiritual maladies.

* To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts. 약화시키다

 The apostle Paul was concerned about the spiritual condition of the young church at Thessalonica,

a city () he was forced to flee because of persecution.  Like a spiritual doctor,

Paul inquired about the health of the church () he planted and then prescribed a biblical remedy

for what ailed them…

Separated from his precious spiritual children, Paul sent Timothy to learn about their faith. 

This was his way of checking the pulse of their spiritual life.  Paul wasn’t interested in attendance figures

or church finances or facilities.  He wanted to know about their level of trust in the Lord. 

Why did the apostle focus /on this one aspect of their spiritual life?

Paul knew that faith is paramount in the daily life of the Christian. 

After all, we are saved by grace through faith. 

* After all  - in spite of considerations or expectations to the contrary : nevertheless.

We are admonished /to live by faith and not by sight.  We are told that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Jesus taught that we receive from God according to our faith, and he marveled when he saw great faith. 

The Bible not only declares that by faith we are justified, but that the righteous will live by faith. 

Christians must daily engage in the good fight of faith

but are to remember that through faith they are shielded by God’s power.

To be continued…

-Pastor Cymbala (excerpted from Breakthrough Prayer)

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3.