2Th 3:4-5 “And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
We see people every day who have put their confidence in mankind and are continually disappointed. Even the people in our lives who have the very best of intentions will sometimes fail us just as we do them. Simply put, it is not in our carnal nature to be trustworthy (Gen 6:5).
While we know that we are fallible, we also know that God is able to make us stand (Rom 14:4). Our confidence concerning one another is in the Lord and His work of love and grace in our hearts. The confidence we have in Christ is not just a matter of having reference to each other in the church.
We have confidence in the Lord touching you. The Greek word epee´ which is translated as touching means “superimposition as a relation of distribution that is, over, upon, etc. (see Strong’s).” Paul was not just confident in the Lord taking notice of us: he was expressing confidence that the Lord of glory would cover us. We have here a relational bond that Paul is confident Jesus is performing on those that love and follow Him.
Although our carnality may not be trustworthy, our Lord Jesus is always faithful. As long as He is touching us, we keep His commandments for the love that we have from Him and for Him. In spite of our failings, He makes us able to do today, tomorrow, and the rest of our lives the things which His word commands us. This is Christ’s command: “That ye love one another, as I have loved you (Joh 15:12).”
This single command to love as He has loved us embodies all the “commands” of the gospel; unconditional love, forgiveness, obedience, faithfulness, repentance, etcetera. In addition to having confidence in His touch on and in us, He will direct our hearts. By His intimate relationship with each of us, we are guided into the love of God. Through His direction, we learn that He has made us accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:6).
We are not, by nature, patient creatures. We do not like to wait for things, and we do not do it cheerfully. Just as surely as the Lord guides us into the love of God, He guides us into the patient waiting (cheerful endurance – see Strong’s) for Him in our lives. Even when things are not going well, we have a cheerful expectation that He will come and bring comfort. When we need guidance, we have a cheerful expectation that He will direct us through the Holy Ghost.
May we always have confidence in the Master’s touch to guide us to love, obedience, patience, and joy in Him!
