The Big Schemer

 

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

The big Schemer, the one Jesus calls the father of lies, if he were graded for his deceptive abilities it would be an A+.  This I believe is one of his accomplishments, when we read the Scriptures the Schemer tells you, “you are sure not a Paul, look he is special, he was an apostle of Christ.  And look at you at best your _________ “and by the time he is finished with you, you’re going back and reading John 3:16, needing to be reassured that God could love someone like you.  For years I’ve taken the approach that you cannot con me, but he can and it seems as if we are easy targets.

If the big Schemer can place our thinking on the title and not the man, we will not identify with what is being said.  If you examine this verse you will see that Paul was more like you and I than we can ever imagine. This may come as a surprise, but you and Paul have something in common, you both have the Spirit of the living God, and you both have flesh.  It was Paul who said, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be make known to God” (Philippians 4:5b-6) Paul is walking in the Spirit, and at this state is in total understanding that his flesh wants to be anxious.  It may be helpful to read Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit, are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”  Your flesh did not get redeemed when you invited Christ into your heart, it is still the same flesh that you showed up on planet earth with, and it is still doing what flesh does, trying to get its needs met outside of the authority of God.  Paul the apostle is a guy you can identify with.

When my wife tells me she will be home at a certain time and I look at the clock and she is an hour later then she said, I feel a concern, but if she does not answer her cell phone, the concern goes to my being anxious, I begin to worry, fear begins to fill my mind.  What just happened to me, I let the flesh kick into high gear, I did not remember that God is at hand, I did not pray and thank Him for His mighty hand of protection, I like Paul am a Spiritual man, yet at that moment I was totally defeated.  You may not understand that example, but what about a child that has moved to another area, or a dear friend and they keep coming into your mind.  You call the house and no answer and then you call the cell and once more nothing, if that goes on for days you’re just not normal if you are not a little concerned.

As you read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5, we see that Paul is having a melt-down, he tells us he could not bear to know how this church was handling the affliction, he may be talking of his, or their afflictions, but he assures them that they had already discussed the subject of suffering.  Verse five is I need to know, and now I understand, yes Paul, I get it the big Schemer has done a number on you, as he so often does on me.  Verse five, “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter (big Schemer) had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

It is the battle with our flesh, the old man is dead, and that is what God states.  It’s a war, but not of two spirits, that would be a house divided and Jesus said that house could not stand.  You and I must be like Paul; we must put no confidence in our flesh.  Run to the Father and thank Him for watching over your soul!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice