Focus: Everlasting Consolation

Text: 2Thes.2:16,17

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us EVERLASTING CONSOLATION and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every word and work."

What a prayer from the heart and lips of Paul! It is a prayer that has everything good in it for us. In this prayer Paul reveals the fact of God's love for us, and the fact that God has given us everlasting consolation as a proof of that love.

We serve the everlasting GOD, the everlasting FATHER, the everlasting SPIRIT, and the everlasting KING. Moses says, "The ETERNAL GOD is thy refuge, and underneath are the EVERLASTING ARMS: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them" (Dt.33:27). The psalmist declares, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from EVERLASTING, and to EVERLASTING. Amen, and Amen… Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from EVERLASTING to EVERLASTING, thou art God… Thy throne is established of old: thou art from EVERLASTING" (Ps.41:13; 90:2; 93:2).

As I search through the Scriptures I find that this everlasting God has given us a bunch of everything things:

*Everlasting covenant

*Everlasting statute

*Everlasting gospel

*Everlasting mercy

*Everlasting kindness

*Everlasting love

*Everlasting light

*Everlasting strength or power

*Everlasting sign

*Everlasting redemption

*Everlasting salvation

*Everlasting life

*Everlasting joy

*Everlasting way (or, ways)

*Everlasting righteousness

*Everlasting priesthood

*Everlasting inheritance

*Everlasting name

*Everlasting foundation

*Everlasting doors

*Everlasting house

*Everlasting possession

*Eternal purpose

*Everlasting remembrance

*Everlasting kingdom

*Everlasting dominion

*Everlasting excellency

*Everlasting glory

*Eternal weight of glory

Everything about God has the mark of eternity on it. All God's blessings are eternally inexhaustible. Eternity speaks of durability or that which is timeless.

From our text, Paul tells us that God has given us everlasting consolation. The word 'everlasting' here speaks of the ageless. It means that the consolation of God is for us in every age or time. Divine consolation is timeless and priceless. The Christian believer has God's consolation or comfort in every age. Divine consolation is not limited to any particular age or dispensation.

Job speaks of "the consolations of God." Paul calls God, "the God of…consolation." God not only consoles us, but He is indeed the source of consolation. The Spirit of God is our indwelling consoler or comforter. Paul tells us that there is consolation in Christ (Phil.2:1). In Him we find the exact consolation that our heart seeks. There are dimensions of divine consolation. It's multifaceted. Every believer in Christ gets exactly the consolation he desires from God. God knows the needs of the heart, and He is favorably disposed to meeting those needs.

Jeremiah mentions the cup of consolation. God is holding out a cup of consolation for everyone. Like good coffee, it smells so good. It is tasty. The author of Hebrews mentions "strong consolation" for those who have run into Christ as their place of refuge.

Simeon was one of those in Israel who waited for the consolation of Israel, and that consolation arrived in Christ. Indeed He is the embodiment of divine consolation. He is consolation personified. You are consoled the moment you encounter Christ. Embrace Christ, and you are consoled. Jesus Christ is God's promise fulfilled in our lives. He brings into our lives all the consolations of God. No consolation outside of Christ is fulfilling, and none is of eternal significance. Jesus Christ says, "But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation" (Lk.6:24). The consolation wealth gives is very fragile. It fails to truly satisfy.

The church council in Jerusalem came together and wrote an epistle to the Gentile churches, and Luke tells us what happened when it was read to the believers in Antioch, "Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation" (Act.15:31). The consolation of Christ makes the heart to rejoice. Good comfort is burden-relieving. By it spiritual adrenaline is pumped into our system. We are gingered, inspired, encouraged, energized, motivated and galvanized. By it we gyrate and glow. It takes care of stress, dispels fear, instills confidence and imparts courage. Just a letter, and a whole church is fired up! Just a word, and a soul is lit up. That is awesome!

You can be a consolation to someone today. In fact, God wants you to. You are called to the ministry of consolation as well as reconciliation.

Luke reports about Barnabas, "And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus" (Act.4:36). Like Joses, you can become a son of consolation to the church of Jesus Christ. You can acquire a new name for yourself. Through your dedication and commitment to the advancement of Christ's mission on earth you can earn for yourself a nickname. Be another Barnabas in the body of Christ today! Let Christ use you! 

Paul says of Philemon, "For we have great joy and CONSOLATION IN THY LOVE, because the bowels of the saints are REFRESHED by thee, brother" (Philm.1:7). O, Lord, help me! Lord, refresh others through me! Let consolation flow out of my love to others! Help me to move bowels! Let someone's intestines feel the touch of my love! Someone is waiting for my consolation. I yield myself to being another Barnabas to the people of my generation.

O Lord, let your people experience your everlasting consolation in all its dimensions and diversity! Let the everlasting blessings flow forth to us and through us. Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter