...live your faith...don't just talk about it...

“6 Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8 and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9 This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

14 Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you. 17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18.

Dear friends, this passage represents the end of the two letters of Paul to the Thessalonians.

Paul’s warnings to us are sobering: “…keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us” (v.6). Just because your friends or acquaintances identify themselves as Christians does not mean they are faithful followers of Christ. Paul is concerned about two behaviors here: believers or are idlers, meaning that they sit back and keep a distance from Christ and from His church. They choose to be spectators rather than participators in the family of God. Paul says, “Keep away from these kinds of so-called Christians.”

And the other type of so-called Christians to keep away from are those so-called Christians who “do not live according to the tradition they received from us” (v.6). Keep away from friends and acquaintances who use a “Christian Mouse” — copying and deleting what they don’t agree with in the Scriptures! They make up their own traditions and follow Christ when it is easy and convenient. Pauls warns us to keep away from them, lest they become influences of us in life.

Paul, then, is very specific about “those who do not obey what we say in this letter” (v.14), reminding us that when we step aside from people who do not obey the Word of God, they will feel ashamed. We can’t be “convenient Christians” only, Christians who only follow Christ when it is convenient — or easy — to do so. When we are faced with temptations, we have to be strong enough to step away. 

The, Paul ends with a very beautiful prayer: “16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.”

He prays that we are filled with the peace of Christ, the peace the world does not know. It’s the peace that comes to us when we are faithful to Christ.

Take time today in your prayer and take stock of your friendships. Does hanging out with your friends mean that you step away from following Christ? Or are your friendships opportunities to demonstrate your love of Jesus Christ?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.