Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang
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Lent Devotion

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"At the Foot of the Cross" is an annual Lenten devotion written by clergy and lay leaders in the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia. This devotion has been faithfully produced since 1992 and this year's theme is on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Join us as we journey together towards the foot of the cross.

 
 

26 March - Hold Fast to the Apostolic Gospel

 

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

 

Called to Stand Firm: Paul concludes this section of his letter with a call to ‘stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter’ (v.15). This exhortation comes in the context of the threat of false teaching dealt with earlier in chapter 2:1a-2, ‘we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.’ Evidently, false teachers claiming to speak for Paul have spread false teaching about the last days and the return of Christ. Having cleared up these matters, Paul urges them to hold fast to the truth that he taught them.

The danger of moving away from apostolic teaching to embrace aberrant false teachings is as real today as it was for the Thessalonian Church. Whether it be Prosperity Teaching, falsely promising health and wealth if we have enough faith, or Liberal Teaching denying biblical sexuality by condoning homosexuality and same-sex marriage, or Liberation Theology redefining the gospel in terms of social justice instead of salvation from sin, false teachings abound in the church. Paul’s exhortation to stand firm in apostolic teaching is one we need to hear.

How do we stand firm? Unlike the Thessalonian Church, which also had access to Paul’s spoken word (v.15), we have access to apostolic teaching only through the writings of Paul and the other apostles in the New Testament. There is a great need then for all Christians to study the Bible and have a clear grasp of its truth. In many circles, the serious study of theology and Scripture has been displaced by an emphasis on spiritual experiences or pragmatic programmes designed to bring church growth. Biblical literacy is low, and in many places, worsening. But a superficial understanding of the Scriptures puts the church in profound danger of being led astray. To stand firm and hold fast to the Scriptures, we must know them thoroughly

Transformed by the Truth: Ultimately, Paul grounds his confidence that the church will stand firm in God himself. He prays in verses 16-17, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” It is God, through the grace and love of the gospel, who will so comfort our hearts that they bring forth every good work and word. Here we see why a clear grasp of the gospel is so crucial. Because it is only the true gospel that God brings real hope to our hearts and lasting transformation to our lives.

So, let us hold fast to the gospel, that God may do his transforming work in our hearts and lives

PONDER

Do you have a deep grasp of God’s word? How might you dig deeper this year?

PROMISE

God promises to comfort our hearts and transform our lives through the gospel.

PRAYER

Pray that God will enable you to stand firm in the truth.

Article by the Reverend Tim Nicholls, Curate at St George’s Church, Penang. Tim is a committee member of the Diocesan Children’s Ministry. He is married to Siew Mun and they have three children.

HTBB