Well, the first prayer meeting of the new year. I hope if you've pledged yourself to maybe change your diet a little bit or exercise routine or something of that sort, that this will be a good routine for you this year. You'll be able to come and share this time with us as we meet for this hour on Wednesday evenings. I've been considering a series of eight statements that Paul wrote at the end of 1 Thessalonians 5, and I will invite your attention once again to that chapter. In these brief exhortations, the apostle instructs believers and encourages believers about daily living, living that will guarantee our greatest possible spiritual success. And just to briefly remind us of what's there, beginning in verse 16, Paul wrote, rejoice evermore, as rejoice always. In verse 17, pray without ceasing. Certainly pray in every emergency and at every opportunity. Verse 18, in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Certainly his will for us to be thankful and for us to see things in the light of his good providence and goodwill for us. That's a hallmark of believers. Verse 19, quench not the spirit, allow the spirit to speak and move and use his word to do his work in our lives. Verse 20, despise not prophesying's, These are preaching the word of God, forth tellings of God's doctrines and his truths. Verse 21, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. This of course applies to all of life, but especially our spiritual life as we put things to the test of what's in God's word. And then we cling to that which is good and do not let it go. And then verse 22, abstain from all appearance of evil. That could also be translated, abstain from every form of evil. And both of those translations are very legitimate and certainly can be backed up by a number of verses each. So I put the general heading of my responses to God on that series of very brief exhortations in 1 Thessalonians 5. But verses 23 and 4 have to do with God's responses to me. And for the next few minutes, I'd like to take a look at least at the first part of these two verses, verse 23 in particular, to consider what God's response to me is. I think there's a lot to think about here, and we'll do that over maybe two or three messages. But here are the verses. and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Verse 23 includes several ideas that have been fertile ground for theological discussion or debate For example, what about the idea of perfectionism, that a person can come to a point where he will never sin again for the rest of his days, meaning that he has more than one day to live on this earth also? And how about the debate as to whether man is a two-part being or a three-part being? And you have here a verse that is really not a proof text, but it is interesting in that discussion, spirit, soul, and body. That's taken up a good portion of theological debate over the centuries. And the coming of Jesus Christ has also been a hot topic for students of Bible prophecy, a wonderful truth. And of course, most of that is about not the fact that he'll come, but when he'll come. And how do you define those comings? Most of you will be glad to know that I'm not participating in a debate about such things from the pulpit. I simply like to declare the correct answer and then move on. Let others think what they will. Well, friends, there's much here to think about, obviously. More importantly, there's much here to rejoice in. And I don't think we should miss that for sure. Paul's words in verse 23 are a prayer for those who are attentive to the previous seven verses. And he wants God's intervening grace and mercy there. It's only the one who, by God's good grace, seeks to sincerely fulfill those previous admonitions that Paul has just finished listing that will have the spiritual victory that's described in these two verses. And God does indeed respond to us. Well, let's look at the first words of verse 23. They give us the phrase, the very God of peace. That is also translated in some translations of the Bible, the God of peace himself, calling attention, of course, to the person of God. And the expression God of peace emphasizes at least this, that God is the only source of true peace, what could be genuinely described as peace. And as much as and as often as some world leaders speak of peace in a region, or maybe even peace throughout the world, for that matter, and as sincere and as talented as they may be as negotiators, real peace cannot come from sinful man. There can be a temporary cessation of hostilities, but as we know, I think all who are in this room will know, that peace is not possible until man himself is changed, not merely his circumstances in this world. Well, I emphasize sinful man cannot bring this peace because in reality there is one man who alone has the power and the will to bring peace to this world. His title is the Prince of Peace and we hear that often at this time of year, last month especially. We just celebrated his coming into the world as a member of the human race. And the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus will be the bringer of peace. He has the means to do so. He has the will to do so. And that will take place one day when he returns. He will speak peace to the heathen, we're told. And of his kingdom and peace, there will be no end, we read in that great passage in Isaiah. But until he brings that reality into this world, sinful man is left to his own devisings. And there will be no real and lasting peace apart from the God of peace. So God himself is the source of peace, he alone. Man will find it nowhere else but in him. But that expression, the God of peace, also means that he will personally give the peace that his people need. This peace is a present reality for his people. It's not merely a future hope. It is something the Bible speaks of often. We're used, perhaps, to reading Paul's greeting, grace and peace, when he wrote his epistles. This was a common Christian greeting and should continue to be. Paul used this expression, the God of peace, four times in his epistles. And perhaps the one in Philippians 4.9 is a good parallel with the Thessalonian passage that we're looking at. In that Philippians 4.9 reference, he said, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do. and the God of peace shall be with you. So he is the one, aside from one verse in the book of Hebrews, and some of you will perhaps also hold that Paul wrote that book, but the God of peace is a phrase that does occur those five times in the New Testament. Now we should be aware that the term peace has more than one meaning. Of course, it is used to mean the opposite of war. In this case, spiritual war. Before a person is born again, he is in a state of rebellion against God. He is at war with him morally and spiritually. But through Christ, God has made reconciliation possible. I'm summarizing a lot of New Testament teaching, of course. in saying these general truths, which most of us certainly know. And through Christ, this reconciliation is made possible. Romans 5.1 declares, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're justified by faith. He does the justifying and we have peace with God as a result. He becomes the God of peace to us as we come to him repenting of sin and believing the gospel. We can praise God every day we live and every hour of the day for the work of redemption that makes it possible. for vile sinners like us to be at peace with God, who is angry with sin and sinners. In Colossians 1, Paul wrote that it pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself, And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. It is through Jesus' blood death at Calvary that God has reconciled sinners to himself. But it is also through that very death that he will also present us holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Reconciliation, the way the Bible speaks of it, means that the war is over. But as important as that is, the second part means that former enemies have become faithful servants. We have been completely restored to God's favor and fellowship by the same work of Christ. And this is why we can bless God every day. This is where the other biblical emphasis of the term peace applies. More than cessation of war, which is good. And if we've repented of sin and believe the gospel, our warfare with God has ended. But this other part is very important as well. It refers to the state of being complete, fully developed, healthy, balanced, functioning as the maker intended. It's a word that has to do with well-being, health and wholesomeness. And so when grace and peace are In the greetings that Paul gave, there are those who say, well, grace is particularly a Greek word, peace is particularly a Hebrew idea. And that shalom, which is behind that term, gives this fuller meaning. Well, according to verse 23, it's this God of peace who will sanctify us completely. He will bring us into joyful fellowship with Him. He will fully develop our abilities to serve and to enjoy Him. And He will complete the wonderful work He began in us when He saved us. So when we think of the peace that God brings to His people, we should think of it in two ways. The peace that justification brings justification from our sin, and the peace that is ours through sanctification. By the first, that is, justification, the God of peace canceled out, once and for all, sin's penalty that was against us and upon us. And we were forever after freed from the law's condemnation. That truth comes forth from this pulpit many times in a month. And we want that to certainly continue. God is a savior of sinners. And he has done all that he needs to, to do that saving. And the sinner simply needs to repent of sin and come to Christ and put his faith in him. But that's justification. But by the second sense of peace, that is sanctification, the God of peace continually curbs sin's power over us. And we are made able by the Holy Spirit to fulfill all the admonitions that preceded verse 23. And so on two counts, we have peace with God and he is to us the God of peace. Our warfare with him has ended and he has drawn us to himself and reconciled us and removed that condemnation that sin was holding over us. But also he makes us all that we should be for him. And by his grace and power, he enables us to fulfill all those exhortations that we read and that are upon us through his word. As we consider those truths, let's rejoice in the fact that he is the God of peace to us and live it. Let's pray. Gracious Father, thank you for the revelation of these things in your word. We cannot even dream up such things. You have shown us things that are from God alone. And we thank you for the grace and mercy that you've shown to us and for that continuing power that is ours through the Holy Spirit to please you at all. And we pray that you'll enable us to be pleasing to you as we walk in your pathway as we obey your word, as we fellowship with you, keep ourselves in your love, and seek to do your will. For Jesus' sake, amen.