Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: What does it mean to be preserved? Not sheltered from the world, but insulated in it? Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll brings his 12-part study on Contagious Christianity to a close by highlighting Paul's remarkable farewell. It's a benediction in which Paul asks God to seal us completely from the contamination of this world, spirit, soul, and body, until Jesus returns. And it all rests on one word that Paul used to open his letter: grace. Chuck titled this message, "What a Way to Say Good-bye!" and we're beginning in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

Chuck Swindoll: Now, he's saying here, may the God himself set you apart entirely, free from contamination, confusion, and wickedness. All that poison removed. Second, may he preserve you completely. Eyeball the word preserve for a moment, okay? Preserve. It means to watch over, to guard, to keep.

One old lexicographer named Thayer wrote, "This term expresses watchful care. It indicates safe custody and often implies assault from without." Assault of what? Contamination. Think of the word preserves. I remember as a little boy helping my folks can. They let me help them one time. We canned tubs of peaches.

My mom got a run on peaches at the farmers market, and she came home with bushels of those things. We were boiling them up, and we had Kerr jars, and we had to seal them tight. I got tired and had a bad attitude. My dad told me, "You're going to finish if it's the last thing you do." I was convinced it would be the last thing I would do.

I just got to where I kind of screwed them up nice and quickly, and you could tell in a few months which jars I had preserved and which jars my folks had preserved. There were little fuzzy things inside mine. Inside theirs, it was clear. You know why? Because poison had come in and I hadn't sealed it tightly.

May the God of peace seal you tightly so that no poison gets in because poison always wants to get in. That's what Thayer is saying. It implies assault. May he do that regarding every part of your body. May you be completely preserved.

I've said for years that the need in our life is not to be isolated, but to be insulated. We don't all need to move behind a tall, thick wall away from the world. We need to be very much involved in our world, rubbing shoulders with the crooked, perverse generation, which is a part of our times. That's why salt and light have such an effect, and that's the only place where it has an effect.

But as Jesus prayed, "Father, I ask you not to take them out of the world, but to keep them from it," meaning guard them through it. Preserve them. Now, some of you are just hanging on what I'm going to say about spirit and soul and body. Am I a trichotomist or a dichotomist? Who cares?

When you get before the Lord in the final day, he's not going to say, "Are you a trichotomist?" All you've got to do is say, "I'm preserved," and you come right on in. That's all it takes. I don't know. I leave a lot of that stuff for those people that are into that. I think if I were to take five or ten minutes on that, you wouldn't be any better off than if I didn't. So let's just leave it. It's your whole person. May your spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete.

And now he brings us to that great day in the future without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So suddenly he jumps from this time to that magnificent moment in glory and we stand before our Lord, and we are blameless. Is that good news? Blameless. How many people do you stand before blameless? Not many.

The root term means to find fault, to rebuke, condemn, find guilty. When you put a little prefix, the letter 'a' in front of that Greek term, it negates all of that. In other words, to find no fault, to have no rebuke, no condemnation, no guilt. No guilt. It just seems amazing. No guilt.

You know why it's amazing? Because you don't know of another soul that'll free you from guilt. Other people put guilt on you. If you don't have some, they'll manufacture it and lay it on you, and they'll keep you under it. But when you stand before your Savior, child of God, and he examines you, he sees you in Christ, free of guilt, without blame.

Keep your finger here and go over to Jude chapter... well, if it's got more than one chapter, you're in the wrong spot, so locate verse 24 of Jude. Jude 24. It's another one of these prayers with his eyes open. Another one of these benedictions. This is a great statement, speaking again of the Lord God.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, that's preservation, and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen. Look at that closing of verse 24. To him who is able to make you stand in the presence of his glory, blameless with great joy.

Child of God, do not fear death. Do not fear stepping into the Lord's presence. You will be blameless. Say, "Well, I don't feel blameless." You've forgotten already 1 Thessalonians 5:24. Look at it again. Faithful is he who calls you, and he also will bring it to pass. You don't have to do it. All you have to do is be in the Savior, and God does it.

I fly a little bit. Some of you fly more. You know what I'm talking about. You and I don't go sit down in the airplane, and when they warm the engines up, we start flapping our arms like a buzzard back there keeping this thing in the air. "I've got to get this thing off the runway!" They have places where they put people like that.

You sit down, you buckle up, and you check it to them. That thing's going to take off. There's an amazing law that you just rely on, and it does it for you. You don't fly. You sit in something that flies for you. That's what this stuff is all about.

In Jesus Christ, I am complete. I have all that I will ever need: forgiveness, hope, relief, cleanliness, freedom from blame, absence of guilt, and I am just waiting for him to take me. Isn't it great to have a heart like that? He gets all the credit because my old heart would condemn me, and it would deserve hell.

Let me share this story with you. It makes it so clear. Dr. Christian Barnard tells of one of his early heart transplant patients asking to see the removed organ. Obligingly, the doctor brought from the laboratory the large bottle where the old heart had been placed.

As the man looked at the big muscle which once pumped life through his body, the famed surgeon suddenly realized this was the first time in human existence that a person had ever seen his own heart. It was indeed an historic moment. But for the patient, the sensation must have been even more moving, for the old heart was worn out.

Had it not been replaced, life would soon have been extinct. After a long pause, the grateful man looked up and said, "I'm glad I don't have that old heart anymore." I've thought about that a lot. I'm glad I don't have that old heart I used to have.

I'm glad I'm not riveted to the poison of my world. I'm glad there's freedom, there's life beyond it. I'm glad that he is faithful when I am not. I'm glad that he will bring it to pass because I cannot. I'm glad he's got it all put together, signed, sealed, and just about delivered.

Now, so much for what God does. Look at the brethren as you get back to this passage. First of all, I want you to remember that this section, 25, 26, and 27, will introduce to you three things that characterize loyal friends. First of all, I want you to remember that they pray for one another. If you have one who says he is truly your friend, that person prays for you. You should give thanks for that person.

I've said for years, Christians should always carry a list, and it should be a list of names. The names should be people for whom they pray. A man called me this last Wednesday, and he said, "I just want you to know that the year is just underway and I'm promising every day this year to pray for you." Wow. Do you have someone you could name that you would pray for every day?

I have a friend that gave me a good idea, and I do it. He said, "You know when I go through my list? When I shower. Every morning, I just make it a part of my morning. I get in the shower, start scrubbing down, start praying for those people that are on my list." Connecting it with the shower. Of course, you've got to shower every day. That's preferred.

When you shower, you pray, and just make it connected to something you do every day, and it'll come naturally to you. You won't have to make it a big deal. It'll just be a part of the process. He says, "You pray for us." In case you wonder if everybody needs prayer, certainly one man I would think that wouldn't need much would be Paul.

He was young, had energy, well-educated, he had the miracle gifts, he was an apostle, no man was more well-respected, more mature, had a greater mind for truth, but he says, "Pray for us. Pray for us." Isn't the person who's ever lived that couldn't say the same thing?

Another little thought, when a person keeps coming to your mind, that's the Spirit's way of saying, "Pray for that person." Ever said to a friend of yours, "I can't get her" or "I can't get him off my mind"? That's God saying they need your prayers. That's part of that undercurrent of God's Spirit as he's nudging you, saying, "Keep that person in prayer." Loyal friends pray for one another.

Verse 26: "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss." He would have to say holy, wouldn't he? Any number of things have been said about this verse, as you can imagine. Some have made a fetish out of it. Some have turned it into a liturgy. Some have connected it with the communion table, the Lord's table. Clearly, it's a reference to being demonstrative in our affirmation. True friends are affectionate with one another.

Leon Morris wrote these words, very helpful. I quote, "In the ancient world, one kissed the hand, breast, knee, or foot of a superior and the cheek of a friend. Herodotus mentions kissing the lips as a custom of the Persians. Possibly from them it came to the Jews. Not a great deal is known of kissing in the early church, but it is usually held that men kissed men and women kissed women, and that the kiss was on the cheek.

There does not seem to be any connection with liturgical practices. But the kiss would naturally be exchanged on the Lord's Day when they came together for worship. In time, it became the custom for the kiss to be exchanged between men and women. Clement of Alexandria objected to resounding kisses in church which made suspicious and evil report among the heathen. Never fails. Abuses of this kind led to its restriction, and there are several regulations dealing with it in the early church councils."

W. E. Vine adds this counsel: "There was to be an absence of formality and hypocrisy, a freedom from prejudice arising from social distinctions, from discrimination against the poor, from partiality towards the well-to-do. In the churches, masters and servants would thus salute one another with a kiss without any attitude of condescension or disrespect. The kiss took place most often between persons of the same sex."

Well, as you can see from just those couple of quotes, there's a lot of feeling about this. A lot of things have been written about it. Let me urge you to be discreet. The answer is not that you look at the stranger sitting next to you and plant one on him. That's not discreet. That's not the plan.

There are times that the most wonderful way you can't keep your hands off a person, you really are affectionate toward and a friend with, and it's appropriate that there be an embrace or even a kiss on the cheek. Don't kiss them on the mouth. That's tacky. I had a lady in a former church that used to kiss me on the mouth, and I used to wonder which exit can I get out of fastest and get away from that.

So greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. It's a show of affection. Some people don't want to be kissed, so don't force them to kiss you. They just aren't kissing types. When you are with Christians and you are doing the things that are affectionate, use a little sense. That's what I'm suggesting. Loyal friends care enough to pray and they demonstrate their affection.

There are some people I can hardly be with without an embrace, and there are other people that a handshake is sufficient. But it's appropriate and when it is, have at it. Verse 27, now he levels them with an oath. Ah, this is strong. And we're on the subject of loyal friends. They pray for one another, they show affection to one another.

Look at 27. "I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren." He doesn't have any kind of half-hearted feeling about it. He's got his finger pointing, punching into their chest. "You guys read this when you get together." Loyal friends listen to the same body of truth.

If you have a person that you say is a real friend but that person diminishes your love for and interest in and obedience to the Scripture, he's not a loyal friend. He's not a good friend to hang around tightly with. Good friends keep putting us back in the book. "What is it the Scripture says? What is it that letter said that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians? Where was that? Or I really hear what you're wrestling with, and man, I care about that. Seems to me over in Timothy... or I read in the Psalms the other day." They listen to the same book. You have friends like that? Give God thanks for them.

Friends are to get us back into the text, back into the page of the Scripture. That's part of being good brothers and sisters. We listen to the same truth. And kids, when your mom and dad... and they didn't ask me to tell you this. When your mom and dad say, "What is it the Scripture says?" they're giving you the finest counsel you'll ever receive, okay?

When they are saying to you, "Let's find out what God says about this," then you go on a search with them. You're going to discover some wisdom. They're your loyal friends. Rare are such friends. Rare.

Then he closes by that great word, "Grace be with you." Isn't that a wonderful way to conclude? What a way to say goodbye. He doesn't say, "May you go in fear and trembling," or "May you rest in peace," or "May the force be with you," or "May the wind always be at your back." It's not any of that.

It's grace, grace be with you. He started like that, you remember? Chapter 1, verse 1, "Grace to you and peace." Chapter 5, verse 28, "Grace be with you." You say, "I've heard of grace all my life." We've heard it so much we don't hear it anymore.

I like the book that was written, *Grace is Not a Blue-Eyed Blonde*. Grace is a truth that needs to be uncovered and again discovered. It's been lost. It's been forgotten, this great truth. Because of that, I've done some real study in it. The root term is c-h-a-r, char. We get the word charisma, charismatic.

Charizomai meant to show favor. Charisma meant gift. Charis means grace. The root term indicates things which produce well-being. All that it represents would include favor, beauty, thanksgiving, delight, kindness, benefit. It even includes charm and joy.

It is always that which is undeserved. This is where it gets good. It is always without measure. It is never earned, and it can never be repaid. Theologically, it's favor that is lovingly, lavishly, endlessly bestowed on people who deserve the opposite because Christ took our judgment at the cross. It is unmerited favor.

When he says, "Go in grace," it meant something. Go and live in the light of this truth. You will not hear it outside these walls, but you will hear it in this book. You will not get it from men and women, you will get it from God. He provides it in abundance. What a way to say goodbye.

Final thought for you. Aren't you glad you have another book to call a friend? It's called Thessalonians. It's a little five-chapter letter that some critics say, "Another part of that mysterious book some people want to follow." Can you imagine where you'd be without this book? I'll tell you where you'd be: lost. Lost.

This book's a map. This book is hope. This book is an anchor. This book will help you fly when everyone else is riveted to earth. This book will keep you stable when everyone else is giving up the ship. This book will keep you clean whatever everyone else around you is contaminated. This book will make you laugh and give you joy when all around you is sadness and depression and discouragement. Aren't you glad you have another friend? Grace be with you. Let's bow together.

Ever been a time in your life when you just gave up the fight, stopped trying to do it all your way? Maybe this is the first time you've ever sat still long enough to hear about the grace of God. Well, I've just opened a tiny little part of the light. There are volumes that could be said about it. You're going to have to say goodbye someday.

I've stood by too many caskets to know that anything else is the truth. You're going to someday say goodbye to this earth and hello to God. You ready to do that? You can get ready. You can be preserved, set apart, and blameless by taking Christ. Grace says you don't have to work hard to do it. Christ took the payment for your sin. All you've got to do is believe he died for you. It's called taking a gift. Would you do that today? If you've never trusted the Savior, this is your time. This is your moment.

And so our Father, as we come to the end of this magnificent letter to the Thessalonians, it is as though you have written to us a love letter. You have reproved us, you've exhorted us, you have encouraged us, and you have often reminded us of truth to live by, as well as grace to demonstrate.

Remind us our Father that accepting others is basic to the whole subject of grace. Allow us to do that. Show us how to do that. And to keep from dictating to others what they should do and how they should live their lives. Give us a contagion in our faith so that our walk draws others like a magnet to your Son Jesus. As we adapt our life to your will, be honored, be magnified, be glorified Father. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord. Amen.

Bill Meyer: From Paul's tender farewell to the Thessalonians, we discover that a truly good goodbye isn't just about the right words. It's about leaving people more in love with God than when you found them. This is Insight for Living. Today's message from Chuck Swindoll is the final sermon in his 12-part journey through Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians called Contagious Christianity.

This is my final opportunity to describe the Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook for this series. Now's the time to reach out and request this spiral-bound resource for 1 Thessalonians because tomorrow Chuck will step right into the next book, 2 Thessalonians. The Searching the Scriptures Bible study is an engaging workbook that allows you to jot down your own thoughts and reflections.

Think of it as your personal journal for working through Paul's letter in the same way Chuck prepares to preach his sermons. To purchase the Bible study workbook for Contagious Christianity, call us at 800-772-8888 or go directly to insight.org/offer.

And this is also the final day that I'll mention Chuck's classic book called *Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy*. It's founded on Paul's letter, not to the Thessalonians, though, but to the Philippians. Here's why that's significant. Did you realize that Philippians is the most joy-filled letter in the New Testament and it was written by a man in chains?

No windows, no freedom. Paul was in prison, and he had no idea how his story would end. Yet he wrote to the Philippians about joy, not as a lofty goal, but as a present-day reality. Chuck's book *Laugh Again* will change the way you think about joy and about the God who makes it available in places you'd least expect.

It's our gift to you when you support Insight for Living with a donation today. Give us a call at 800-772-8888. You can also request the book and give your contribution by going to insight.org/donate. Or you can write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034, or go online to insight.org/donate. I'm Bill Meyer. Chuck Swindoll turns the page and begins our study in Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians tomorrow on Insight for Living.

Guest (Male): The preceding message, "What a Way to Say Good-bye!", was copyrighted in 1985, 1993, 2003, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.