Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
1 THESS 5:1-28 TEXT: v21 HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD 1/1
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
This first exhortation in the NT (1/8) to hold fast comes cushioned among other brief exhortations
Since there is an obvious danger in reducing Scripture to a list
of do's and don'ts, the Bible itself does not engage in it and neither
should we
True, there are many brief exhortations, but they usually come to us
wrapped in narratives, readily supplied with reasons and examples (both
good and bad) and with promises and warnings as appropriate
The Bible student is given the wherewithal to explain what he is doing
and plenty of reasons are supplied so that he knows not only what to
do, but why he does it and what he may expect from his actions
Yet brief exhortations have their advantages and they do appear
The 10 Commandments is the obvious list that comes to mind
The list we have here/passage is another good example
[i] They are brief and to the point, readily supplied when needs be from elsewhere for supporting reasons etc.,
[ii] They are easy to remember
Less than 90 words convey 14 exhortations from vs14-22, even less if we
remove the opening words (v14) and the reaffirming words of v18 ("This
is the will of God concerning you…")
The disadvantages include in producing such lists of do's/don'ts lie in
[i] The legalistic spirit that can fasten itself to the obeying of them
Even Christians can forget that when they have done all that has been
commanded of them, they are still unprofitable servants - that they are
not any more accepted/God when they obey these things - because
they are accepted solely in the Beloved Son/God andin His perfect
obedience to the law/God even unto the death/Cross
So by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
[ii] Another disadvantage lies in the separating of these exhortations one from another i.e. lifting them out of context
At best, this can weaken the overall exhortation and, at worst, leads to a wrong interpretation being put upon it
We will seek to avoid these disadvantages in this message and including the context, there are 3 main points to consider:
1) BE CAREFUL OF AN OVER CRITICAL SPIRIT:
A/ Many kinds of Christians in the blood washed church/Christ
Not in the sense that there are (as supposed) Protestant Christians/RC Christians etc., as if taking the name Christian is enough to save sinners
We are warned: Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith…
In this sense: Only one kind/Christian: John 3:3-5
But there are many kinds of Born Again Christians
Unfortunately some of them are very naïve in spiritual things
I believe they are saved (judgement/charity) but they haven't had - or haven't taken to - good, necessary, discerning teaching
They swallow all/most of what they are told and just as the people
followed Absalom in their simplicity so some Christians follow/swallow
the latest fashions/movements in a deviant form/Christianity
B/ Ought to be thankful that our church has a good solid stand against
such things and believes in having a solid doctrinal standard
Ought to be thankful that we believe in warring with/warning against
such movements - the whole Bible (OT/NT) is filled with prophets and
apostles exercising both a positive/negative ministry in preaching truth
C/ Yet, Remember: Bible calls us to be cautious rather than suspicious
Don't be noted first/foremost for your heresy sniffing tendencies, viewing absolutely everything with the greatest cynicism
Neither needful/helpful…even in our day and age
Danger! Become over critical and curse what God has not cursed
D/ Context: Not to despise prophesying (v20)
World/religious charlatans think of prophesying as merely the ability
to foretell the future - crystal ball gazing etc., but this is not so
In this passage, according/Calvin: "By
the term prophecy, however, I do not understand the gift of foretelling
the future, but as in 1 Corinthians 14:3, the science of interpreting
Scripture, so that a prophet is an interpreter of the will of God. For
Paul, in the passage which I have quoted, assigns to prophets teaching
for edification, exhortation, and consolation, and enumerates, as it
were, these departments. Let, therefore, prophecy in this passage be
understood as meaning—interpretation made suitable to present
use. Paul prohibits us from despising it, if we would not choose of our
own accord to wander in darkness." Do not despise the faithful preaching/application of God's word
E/ We may not despise such preaching, if it originates within our own
circle/people (FPC)…but have we become over critical/others
outside?
We almost elevate the postman to the same level as the message
If someone follows not us or cannot quite pronounce our Shibboleth's,
etc…then we may tend to reject all that they have to say
When we start thinking like that…not long before we start
talking about it (and worse still…preachers write about it or go
into print)
I'm all for having a go at apostates etc., and even lifting a voice
when evangelical brethren who should know better sit like dumb dogs,
but there it must be done God's way and with great care/discernment
Even when it calls for the most extreme action among professing Christians (and it doesn't always) but when it does: 2:3:14-16
When it comes to preaching…truth is truth no matter who says it
Do not despise truth because it falls from unappreciated lips
2) WHILE WE MUST AVOID A HYPER CRITICAL SPIRIT, YET DO WE SHOULD NOT ABANDON THE NEED TO TEST ALL THINGS:
A/ Having moderated one extreme we are likely to fall into…Paul
wisely tackles another extreme - how needful this exhortation
This is probably the call/hour to the church/Jesus Christ at large
Professing church at large is not a healthy state
Not unfair/uncharitable to say that many pulpits proclaim a false
message with false content, false applications and false endorsements
In many churches, there is no pulpit at all and false methods are being employed to promote these false messages etc.,
B/ Being cautious, rather than suspicious…we are to prove all things
Doesn't mean that we try them out and see if we like them
But we examine their claims and judge their fruits by the word/God
[i] We do not test them by the words/fallible men - even good men
[ii] We do not test them by any form/expediency i.e. convenience
[iii] We do not test them by the spirit of pragmatism - because it produces numbers in a short time at very little cost
[iv] We do not test them by the idea that we get appreciate nods from all kinds/quarters - again even from good men
Such things never (in themselves) make a thing right/acceptable
Good men may back something - it may be convenient and produce large
numbers easily etc., and not be necessarily wrong, but there is only
test - one way to prove the worth of something:
What saith the Scriptures?
This was the test the Lord Jesus Himself applied
Think/Satan tempting Him/wilderness
Satan put some very appealing propositions to Christ
The "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) proposed that Christ should fall down and worship him and receive the glory/all the world
Sounds good! Save a lot of hassle with missionary work/expense etc.,
A simple one off act could bring so much in its wake
The Lord Jesus quickly tested it and refuted the idea of it's remotest possibility with one, solid Bible verse
C/ As a church body/congregation/families/individuals…many
temptations will come our way - many proposals, even from good men who
(unlike the devil) have no malignant purposes at all…but on
testing these things, trying the spirits (1 John 4:1), we must reject
them because they do measure up to the teaching/God's word
Word translated prove carries the thought of testing metals - it can be
traced back to the moneychangers and the use of false coins
We tend to think nowadays of dud notes - perhaps brilliant copies,
produced on the right paper with everything in place, but worthless
paper when carefully examined and fit only to be binned
Again: You can reject these things in a spirit of gentleness/meekness
I know Elijah slew the Prophets/Baal…but don't always be a gunslinger
3) WHEN YOU HAVE TESTED ALL THINGS - HOLD FAST THAT WHICH GOOD AND REJECT EVEN THAT WHICH APPEARS TO BE EVIL:
Coming now to our text :-) (in light of our series) - Point says it all
A/ Having tested things/Bible- does it glorify God? Does it elevate
Christ? Can we seek the help of the Holy Spirit in engaging in this?
Does it promote the gospel or directly lead to it? Does it edify the
people/God? Or (other/hand) is it carnal? Does it merely satisfy the
flesh/ Does it detract from the glory/gospel and open the door to all
kinds of weird/not so wonderful things - then hold fast to the good
B/ Just don't pass it as fit for Christian consumption - but have it ever at hand and keep a tight grip upon it
Reject everything (v22) that has even the appearance of evil
There are things that need not even necessarily be evil in themselves,
but which may give room for reasonable suspicion - then avoid
Needing necessarily go off on Jihad against such things (Don't get
waylaid on silly little things) but do abstain from them for safety sake
But hold on tightly to all that is good
[i] Hold on to the Good Book (Psalm 119:39) Thy judgements are good
Read and study it and prize it above all things
This Book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this Book (Bunyan)
Do not surrender up any doctrine even those which you might struggle
with or which carnal men love to hate and which bring much trouble and
scorn upon your head because you affirm them
Notice how the disciples held fast that which was good: John 6:60-68
[ii] Maintain all those good habits which our Christian profession has
brought to us - spiritual things like prayer etc., and those evidences
of a godly/simple lifestyle which mark out a belief: the world to come
Don't let any changing circumstances rob you of these things
Prosperity can do it as well as adversity - hold fast the good
C/ If we hold on to that which is good - then God (Good God) will see
that we do not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10) but remember that
privileges despised soon become privileges lost, but no good thing will
the Lord withold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:10)
D/ Ask God for the needed help to do it
Your fingers: too weak to maintain any kind/grip for any length/time
The world and the devil are pulling hard, trying to prise all that is
good from you. By the sought help/God…don't let them succeed!
THE END