Guy Duininck: Faith Deficiencies - An Important Spiritual Insight
"Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith..." — I Thessalonians 3:10
Paul strongly desired to travel to the church in Thessalonica in order to teach and help the body of Christ there because he saw and understood that they had deficiencies in their spiritual life. The English word "lacking" in the verse above comes from the Greek "hysterēma" - which means, "lacking, missing, deficient, poverty."
It is very possible - and is very often true - that believers and even whole local churches and groups of churches can have significant deficiencies in certain areas of their spiritual lives. Some believers and churches might be strong in love, but weak in faith. They might know a lot about the end times, but not know how to raise their children. They might love the manifestation of the Spirit, but not be diligent in possessing their own vessels in sanctification and honor. They might love to work, but not be committed to prayer; or they might love to pray, but be lazy in their work.
It is very, very interesting how, after writing what he wrote generally in I Thessalonians 3:10 about the Thessalonians believers having deficiencies in areas of their spiritual lives, Paul went on to write some specific things that illustrated beautifully what he written more generally in I Thessalonians 3:10. Notice this:
— In I Thessalonians 4:1-8, Paul wrote 8 full verses exhorting the Thessalonians about their need - and perhaps deficiency - in "Vessel Possession."
— In I Thessalonians 4:9, Paul wrote, "Now concerning brotherly love, I don't need to write to you...God has taught you how to love."
— In I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul wrote 6 verses of teaching about what happens to believers who have died and where they are. He said he wrote that so that they would not be ignorant.
— In I Thessalonians 5:1-2, Paul wrote, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know..." Paul did not need to write and teach them about the coming of the Lord because they already knew and understood things in that area of spiritual truth.
Do you see what Paul was revealing in his writing? He revealed that the Thessalonians had areas of knowledge and spiritual life that they were so developed in that he didn't even need to write to them about it. He also revealed, however, that they had areas of knowledge and spiritual life where they were deficient; so he wrote to them about those things. It is very typical that believers, groups of believers, and local churches often have areas of strength and area of weakness, areas of knowledge and areas of ignorance, areas of maturity and development and areas where they are immature and undeveloped.
This is why it is SO important to realize that we ALL need the FULL COUNSEL of God. We need ALL Truth. We have to be careful not to be Narrow in our Spiritual Life and Narrow in our Focus of Study and Learning and Development, but BROAD in our Study and Leaning of Truth and BROAD in our Spiritual Development so that we know ALL we need to Know and can live Effectively and be Fruitful in ALL the important areas of Spiritual Life.
Paul understood this Absolutely Essential aspect of Spiritual Understanding. That is why he said to the Ephesian Elders just before he left them and left the region of Ephesus,
"I have not Shunned to Declare unto you ALL the counsel of God....I have not held back Anything that is Profitable to you..." Acts 20:27, 20
