2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Two blessings only are here prayed for, but they are of transcendent moment. I. THAT THE HEARTS OF THE THESSALONIANS MIGHT BE BROUGHT INTO THE LOVE OF GOD. To be in love with God as the most excellent and suitable Being — the best of all beings, is not only most reasonable and necessary in order to happiness, but is happiness itself. It is the chief part of the beatitude of heaven where this love will be made perfect. But none can ever attain to this unless the Lord, by His grace and Spirit, direct the heart aright; for the love of the best creature is apt to go astray after other things. Great damage is sustained by misplacing the affections upon Wrong objects; but if He who is infinitely above and before all things, control and fix the love of the heart on Himself, the rest of the affections will thereby be rectified. II. THAT A PATIENT WAITING FOR CHRIST MIGHT BE JOINED WITH THIS LOVE OF GOD. There is no true love of God without faith in Christ. To wait for Christ, supposeth faith in Him — that He came to our world once in flesh, and will come again in glory. This second coming must be expected, and careful preparation must be made for it. There must be a patient waiting, enduring with courage and constancy all that may be met with in the interval. We not only have great need of patience, but of great need of Divine grace to exercise it — "the patience of Christ," as some interpret the words, that is — patience for Christ's sake and after Christ's example. (R. Fergusson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.WEB: May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ. |
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