of implementing  the five graces that he first introduced us to.

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In biblical reckoning numbers are symbolic. We know that the number nine is the number that symbolizes spiritual completeness, that is why there are 27 New Testament books, nine three times.

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There are nine spiritual fruits listed in Galatians 5:22-23. In Matthew 5:3-11, nine spiritual blessings are uttered by Jesus. And in 1 Corinthians 12: nine spiritual gifts are listed as well.

 

Whether it is talking about fruit, blessings, or gifts, by enumerating nine of them in each case, it is conveying the idea of spiritual completion in each case.

 

The number five is the number that represents the grace of God. The fifth letter in the Hebrew alphabet represents breath, it is pronounced he, or hey, in either case breath has to come out of our mouths in a short blast in order to enunciate the fifth letter.

 

Since the universe (one-verse, or one-breath) was created by the breath that came out of God’s mouth, the fifth Hebrew letter also represents the Word of God, and in it is where all His graces are found.

 

In Psalm 119, eight verses are given to describe the meaning of each one of the twenty two letters in the Hebrew alphabet, 22 X 8 = 176, so that there are 176 verses in Psalm 119. Look at what the eight verses that correspond to the fifth letter say about the meaning of the fifth letter.

 

Psalm 119:33-40

 

"1) Teach me, O lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.

2) Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

3) Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.

4) Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.

5) Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.

6) Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You.

7) Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good.

8) Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness.”

 

Even though there are eight verses, the spiritual nature of God’s Word is revealed to us in a nine-fold form: statutes, law, commandments, testimonies, way, word, judgments, precepts, righteousness.

 

It is no coincidence either that our opening verse of Scripture is found in chapter 5 and verse 14, since five and nine add to the number 14.

 

Also, the nine necessities that Paul reveals starting in verse 15, end in verse 22, which symbolizes the completion of the Hebrew alphabet.

 

Just like the book of Revelation has 22 chapters and completes the entirety of the Bible which is the Word of God.

 

All of that to say that the Holy Spirit wants us to pay very close attention to what we have been taught by the five graces, for they can bring about spiritual completeness, that is, deliverance to our souls.

 

Exhort, warn, comfort, uphold, patient. These are the five graces.

 

Exhort has to do with personal growth.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.”

 

Our deliverance is a process that goes from glory to glory. We do not conquer to rest when we fight spiritual battles, we briefly rest after we conquer in order to battle and conquer some more.

 

If we are contented with our present spiritual level we will never reach the maturity of the faith. And notice how Paul adds an urgency to the exhort part, God will not give us spiritual maturity unless we zealously desire it.

 

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”

 

Paul completes the chapter where the nine spiritual gifts are listed, with the commandment to earnestly desire, not just the gifts, but the best gifts.

 

Warn has to do with personal knowledge of high the cost is, and how great the loss is if we fail to mature in Christ, for there is a lot at stake.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to posses his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion or lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.”

 

Without knowledge there can be no personal deliverance, no sanctification, no walking in self-control.

 

Proverbs 11:9 “...But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.”

 

Comfort has to do with the hope of the resurrection which is the antidote for the sorrow that leads to discouragement.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”

 

The process of sanctification contains many ups and downs, but nothing is worse than the lost of a love one that walked side by side with us, and that shared in our triumphs a well as our defeats. So to keep us from getting discouraged Paul charges us with these words about the hope of the resurrection.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

 

Uphold has to do with not giving up our spiritual visions, dreams, and desires, regardless of how much opposition and resistance we face.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:4 “For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.”

 

If we are not being persecuted by the world, it is because we are not upholding the spiritual principles that have been handed down to us by God’s holy apostles and prophets.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness.”

 

We cannot be established by God until we uphold the principles of holiness to which we were called by God to uphold.

 

1 Thessalonians 3:13 “So that He may establish (uphold) your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

 

Be Patient has to do with a mature understanding of the spiritual process.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.”

 

Faith hope and love always go together. We believe the Gospel through the love that is manifested toward us in it, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, then we patiently hope that the work that Jesus began in us, He will bring to completion as long as we do not give up.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.”

 

These five graces are the foundation which will bring in us the nine spiritual qualities that can make us whole.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 

 

"1) See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone,

2) But always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

3) Rejoice always,

4) Pray without ceasing,

5) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

6) Do not quench the Spirit.

7) Do not despise prophecies.

8) Test all things; hold fast what is good.

9) Abstain from every form of evil.”

 

In this lesson, the five graces represent the root of the tree, if the root of the tree is well nurtured, these nine branches will form a tree which will not fail to produce spiritual fruit to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

And here are the results of this fourteen-fold process:

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

The words completely, and your whole spirit, soul, and body, are all represented in the numbers five and nine.

 

If you want to know what all these things mean to you my friend, here is the simple answer, God has your number!

 

God is the big number One, we are the simple zero, by ourselves we are nothing, and we have nothing. But when we by faith align ourselves to Him in the proper order, immediately we become His precious treasured possessions.

 

The only way that a worthless zero can ever become a ten is by surrendering everything to Jesus Christ, and by making these simple steps a way of life, and God Himself will take care of the rest.