2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. They needed grace to enable them to discharge all these duties. I. THE LORD JESUS IS THE TRUE DIRECTOR OF THE HEART. "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patience of Christ." 1. The heart needs direction. It is the fountain of life and feeling and action. But it is often wayward in its impulses. 2. The heart that is self-led is misled. We cannot direct our own hearts, neither can apostles do it for us; the Lord only can do it. He directs us by his Spirit, not only into all truth, but into all right feeling and all acceptable obedience. He only can change us into his own likeness. II. THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF THE CHRISTIAN HEART. "Into the love of God, and the patience of Christ." 1. The love of God is the spring of all evangelical obedience, and the motive force of all spiritual power. The Thessalonians had love already, but the apostle prays for fuller measures of it, that they may be prepared for yet more exact and thorough and unquestioning obedience. 2. The patience of Christ, which so characterized him, is to be copied in the lives of his followers exposed to similar persecutions. His sufferings are their sufferings; and they need his patience to enable them to endure thrum, as well as to sustain that "patient continuance in well doing" in the midst of evil which will keep them free from restlessness and disorderly walking. - T.C. 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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