This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to Daily Drive Time Devotions. We are in day four of
our look at 2 Thessalonians chapter three, verses 13 to 15 today. Earlier this
week, we skipped past what to many is the most confusing and challenging part of
this passage.

You might remember a couple of days ago, we read that Paul said, don't have
anything to do with. Avoid, don't be a part of the life of someone who is idle.
There's something in the scriptures about how we're to treat those who choose to
be idle that is very challenging to many of us.

Let me read for you verses 13 to 15 because Paul gets more specific here. And as
for you brothers, he says, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not
obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him.

Do not associate with him in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard
him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. So here, and this is challenging for
many of us, Paul says, there's certain people I want you to keep away from, not
to associate with.

For many of us, that just makes some radar go off in us. It doesn't sound kind.
It doesn't sound loving to not associate with some people.

In fact, I've even heard some people say, Jesus would never act like this. Paul
is telling us to act in ways that Jesus would never act. Well, the Holy Spirit
inspired Paul here.

So obviously that's not correct 'cause the Holy Spirit wouldn't speak against
himself. And they forgot when they say that Jesus told his disciples, if they
went into a town and someone wouldn't accept them, they should just shake the
dust off their feet and leave that town. Don't associate with those people.

You see, it might help even as we begin to take a look at the questions
surrounding these verses to identify what it means to not associate with
someone. It doesn't mean you can't ever talk to them or you can't continue to
invite them to change. Otherwise, he'd cut the person off and they'd never feel
or sense what could happen in their lives.

But it does mean that at a certain point, they're no longer a part of the
fellowship of the church, the fellowship of the small group. And it does mean
that a deep spiritual friendship, kinship with that person has been made
impossible. Now, why?

Why would Paul say this? Well, two reasons, for your sake and for their sake.
Why should I not associate with certain people?

First, for your sake. Now, Paul is talking here about somebody who has been
warned, maybe repeatedly, about changes that need to happen in their lives. We
know that he's warned people about work at least twice in two different letters,
and still they refuse to change, even though they know it's the command of
Jesus.

Even though they've seen an example of how to change, they refuse to do it. And
Paul says, for your sake, there comes a point when you can't associate with that
person. Why?

Because we're all influenced by those who are around us. If you think you're
above that kind of influence, God says, you are not. I'm influenced by the
people around me, you're influenced by the people around you.

And when it comes to people of faith, if I see somebody who says they have faith
living in a certain way and seeming to, let me put it this way, get away with
certain things, and I'm living in a way and I'm not getting away with those
things, it's very easy to become spiritually jealous and to be drawn toward
doing the wrong thing. Now, I know, we all think, oh, that would never happen to
me. That's our pride speaking.

Because we're all easily influenced by others. That's why we need the right
models around us. So why should I not associate with certain people?

For your sake. Same thing we tell our teenagers, don't hang around with that
group. If you hang around with that group, they're going to take you in the wrong
direction.

But then we get to be adults and we think somehow we're immune. We are not
immune. So for your sake, if somebody's been warned repeatedly, they're still
heading the wrong direction, then you say, all right, I'm willing to talk, I'm
willing to help out, but we can't have the kind of friendship we used to have
because your life is heading in the wrong direction and you know it.

Why should I not associate for your sake, but also for their sake? In fact,
that's what he points to most significantly here. He says, for their sake so
that they might feel ashamed.

Now this comes to the idea of them not being a part of the fellowship of the
church. They're not welcome to the small group anymore. They're not welcome to
the church anymore, the fellowship of that church.

The places where the most deep fellowship in prayer happens and they should feel
a certain sense of shame in that of I'm doing the wrong thing. I need to change.
We read this and this causes radar to go off in many of us also that they may
feel ashamed.

I thought it was wrong to shame people. You're not shaming them. You're simply
allowing them to feel the natural shame that should go along with their actions.

If you treat someone like everything is fine when it's not, you've become a part
of the problem. You're a part of their problem. You're not allowing them to feel
the natural shame they should feel because of what they're doing that's wrong.

When someone's doing the wrong thing and they're hurting themselves, they're
hurting others, the most loving thing is not to keep chasing after them to try
to get them to do the right thing. It's like a two-year-old who gets attention
every time they cry. If you keep chasing after someone, every time they do the
wrong thing, they'll keep doing the wrong thing just to get attention, just to
keep getting chased and you've become part of the problem.

I know some of us think, well, if I don't stay friends, if I don't stay a close
friend with this person, how in the world are they going to change? Well, I've
got to say something that might shock you. That's your pride speaking.

They can change in a million ways. And the greatest power of change is going to
be the Holy Spirit and not you. And the truth is, this is a hard truth to hear,
it's hard to say.

The truth is that sometimes by staying in a close and accepting relationship
with that person, you are keeping them from changing. Your prideful attitude
that I'm their only chance, I'm the only one who cares when no one else cares is
the very thing that is keeping them from changing. The acceptance and/or the
attention that they're feeling from you is causing them to feel that it's okay
not to change.

I don't say this lightly because I know it's not easy to hear. I hate doing
this. I'm a peacemaker.

I want everyone to feel good about themselves and about each other. But
sometimes, sometimes you just cannot do that because you're hurting not only
them, but you're hurting yourself and you're hurting others. Now, when the Bible
says here, there's a time to not associate with others, what does that mean?

Just when I disagree with someone? Just when I don't like them? Just when they
irritate me?

No. This is clearly about when someone is disobedient to God's word. They know
what to do, they've been warned repeatedly, but they are clearly deciding to be
disobedient to God's word.

They know it, you know it, and they're deciding it. The Bible tells us here some
very clear instruction about how to do this. If I'm in a relationship like this
where I need to change a friendship so somebody can feel the effects of what
they're doing, the instruction about the relational side of this is very clear.

Three things. First, don't give up on them. Second, don't evade a confrontation
with them.

And third, don't carry it too far. Just in these few verses. He begins by saying
don't tire of doing what is right.

Don't get tired of doing the right thing. Don't give up on people. It's
interesting to me that before saying don't associate with people, he says don't
give up on people.

So this isn't a matter of giving up on someone. This is a matter of acting in a
way where you pray for them and you love them, hoping that the best will happen
in their lives and you look for that to happen. So you're not just sort of
shuttling people off.

You don't give up on them. And secondly, you don't evade a confrontation. He
says you want to note this person.

You don't just hope the problem will go away and so you don't do anything about
it. You take note of it. You do something about it.

But third, he says relationally don't carry it too far. In verse 15 he says
don't treat them like an enemy. Warn them like a brother.

Don't make them feel like an enemy. Don't make them feel like he's not even a
Christian. He's a brother confused.

She's a sister confused. He needs help. She needs help.

And so help them to feel that way even as you talk with them. I know if you're
facing this, it's difficult, challenging. And I know that you, as I do when I'm
facing something like this, you need God's wisdom.

And so I'd like to pray together for it right now. Would you pray with me and
just say Lord, give me wisdom. Say to Jesus, Jesus, I would never want to hurt
someone else's faith by standing in the way of your solution to their problem,
acting like I could be the solution and really you're the solution.

So in as much as you need to get me out of the way, I am willing. And Jesus, I
would never want to hurt my faith by pridefully acting as if I couldn't be
influenced into doing the wrong thing. I admit that given the right
circumstances, I could choose to do the wrong thing.

So give me wisdom. Give me wisdom, Jesus, in my relationships. Give me courage.

Give me the courage to never give up on anyone. Give me the strength to never
give in to personal pride. Give me the ability to treat people as brothers and
sisters in Christ who know you.

And God, if someone needs to challenge me, there's a command of yours that I'm
not following. Help me to be willing to listen. I pray this in Jesus' name,
amen.

Tomorrow, we're going to end our study of first and second Thessalonians as we look
at verses 16 to 18 of this third chapter.