In our last visit we considered the importance of our walk being worthy in God’s sight based on 2 Thessalonians 1:11. Today let’s consider what Paul says in the same verse about our work.
Listen to how Paul put it: “By his (that is God’s) power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” Our work should be purpose driven and faith based. Notice the pronoun “yours” related to good purpose and “your” related to faith prompted actions.
In the King James translation it implies that our work is to be the outcome of faith that God’s good pleasure will be fulfilled by His power. In the New Living Bible it reads “that God, by His power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds.” In The Message it reads, “pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.”
I like the way the New International Version puts it. God wants us to determine some good purposes. Then we need to act on those purposes by faith. This faith is not to be placed in our ability to fulfill those good purposes. Rather it is to be placed in God to exercise His power in fulfilling those purposes.
Let’s consider first, how to determine what would qualify as a good purpose. Then how does one, prompted by faith, act on those good purposes. In our acting on them, how can we make sure that we are always depending on God to fulfill those good purposes by His power. This is important to understand if we want our work to count for God and eternity.
