Closing a letter today should be as full of grace as Paul’s
letters to the churches. I am so overwhelmed by this benediction that my mind
and my emotions are doing battle over what I will write. Look at the words of
Paul: a prayer, a promise, and a plea. Powerful words that should strike at the
very core of our beings.
First, the prayer – that the God of peace would sanctify and
preserve us. And He is, you know! The God of peace. The Hebrew word for this
concept is shalom. The Greek word that Paul uses is eirene. Both hold within their
meanings the idea of harmony and wholeness. It is all about our well-being, and
that is Who God is. And Paul is requesting from our God of Wholeness that He
sanctify us completely. To make us holy. To cleans us from unrighteousness. To
forgive us and to grow us into the Christlikeness that we are called to. The
request for sanctification is an ongoing process that will not end until we go
home to be with Him. And in sanctifying us, we are going to be preserved
blameless when He returns.
We have been told in Scripture that our adversary, the
devil, is an “accuser of the brethren.” He loves to point a finger at us and
accuse us/remind us of our sin and our shame. He will “remind us” that we are
worthless and useless. He will do everything he can to convince us that we are
guilty. But know this: Jesus has declared us blameless. We have been washed
clean and made whole by the God of Wholeness.
And then there is the promise. Our God of Wholeness is
faithful. Do you know what that means? He will always keep His promises. He
will complete the work He has started in us. He will sanctify us completely. No
question about it. No doubts.
Finally, the plea. Pray for us. Listen, folks, we all stand in
need of prayer, but those who lead us in kingdom service are primary targets of
the accuser, and because of that, they need our prayers. We need your prayers.
So I join with Paul in saying, “Pray for us!”
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