2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 ESV

I. Miraculous

II. Worthy of the Call

III. Through Prayer

IV. Resolutions to Victory

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

8. Resolved, To act, in all aspects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings.

10. Resolved, When I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavoring to find out fit objects of liberality and charity.

14. Resolved, Never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger toward irrational beings.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

22. Resolved, To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, To examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

27. Resolved, Never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of it

29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, To strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule;

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6, A faithful man who can find?‟ may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, To do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects.

37. Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, — what sin I have committed, — and wherein I have denied myself; — also at the end of every week, month and year.

38. Resolved, Never to speak anything that is ridiculous… on the Lord's day.

40. Resolved, To inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions

48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul,

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.

55. Resolved, To endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.

56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, When I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.

67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and, what I might have got by them.