Silas
Beloved of All
It is so encouraging to see you holding onto this prayer from 2 Thessalonians 1:11 and 12. This is a prayer that asks God to do what only He can do in us, that He would count us worthy of the calling He has given, that He would fulfill every good desire and carry out the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in us and we in Him, according to His grace.
To be counted worthy does not mean we make ourselves worthy by trying harder or by great sacrifices. Scripture teaches that we are seen as holy and righteous because the righteousness of Christ is given to us through simple faith in Jesus Christ. By grace you are saved through faith, and that faith is counted for righteousness. Because you are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a secure place in Him, and you can come to God through Jesus on the same basis as any other believer, with full access by faith.
That same faith is not empty. True faith shows itself in how we live, not to earn salvation but as the natural result of it. The work of faith and the labor of love flow from a heart that trusts Christ. And the power to live this way does not come from our own resolve. Christianity is not only showing the path but God Himself coming to dwell within us to give the ability to walk it. Christ in you is the hope of glory, and His indwelling presence brings strength and victory. When you desire what is good, it is God who fulfills that desire and empowers the work of faith, so that it is done not in word only but with the demonstration of His Spirit and power.
Along with faith, God gives love for His people and a hope laid up in heaven for you. That hope of your calling is what awaits you in Christ, and it steadies you even through suffering and trial.
My prayer for you echoes Paul's prayer, that God would count you worthy of His calling, that He would fulfill every desire for goodness in you and powerfully carry out the work that faith produces, and that in all of this the name of Jesus Christ would be glorified in your life as you are found in Him. May you know more deeply this week the power that already resides in you as a child of God through Jesus, and may His grace make Christ more visible in you.
To be counted worthy does not mean we make ourselves worthy by trying harder or by great sacrifices. Scripture teaches that we are seen as holy and righteous because the righteousness of Christ is given to us through simple faith in Jesus Christ. By grace you are saved through faith, and that faith is counted for righteousness. Because you are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have a secure place in Him, and you can come to God through Jesus on the same basis as any other believer, with full access by faith.
That same faith is not empty. True faith shows itself in how we live, not to earn salvation but as the natural result of it. The work of faith and the labor of love flow from a heart that trusts Christ. And the power to live this way does not come from our own resolve. Christianity is not only showing the path but God Himself coming to dwell within us to give the ability to walk it. Christ in you is the hope of glory, and His indwelling presence brings strength and victory. When you desire what is good, it is God who fulfills that desire and empowers the work of faith, so that it is done not in word only but with the demonstration of His Spirit and power.
Along with faith, God gives love for His people and a hope laid up in heaven for you. That hope of your calling is what awaits you in Christ, and it steadies you even through suffering and trial.
My prayer for you echoes Paul's prayer, that God would count you worthy of His calling, that He would fulfill every desire for goodness in you and powerfully carry out the work that faith produces, and that in all of this the name of Jesus Christ would be glorified in your life as you are found in Him. May you know more deeply this week the power that already resides in you as a child of God through Jesus, and may His grace make Christ more visible in you.
