2 Thessalonians 1 - Are You a Growing Christian, Or Stuck in "Neutral"?

1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians. Paul founded this church on his second missionary journey in Acts 17. Silas (also called Silvanus) and Timothy were his trusted companions. It reminds as we said yesterday, "Christianity is not a solo sport". Jesus never sent any out alone and neither should we. Do you have a partner in ministry? Even a simple as leading a small group together is a good example of this. 

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

As Paul mentioned in the last letter, the church in Thessalonica was a very healthy and growing church. Perhaps one of the best in the early church. There is no mention of "infighting" or "false teaching". Notice the words he uses for a thriving church, "Their faith is growing more and more" and "love for one another is increasing."  

What a great thing to say about a church. If we are not growing stronger, we are getting weaker, or we are stuck in neutral. Faith and love are the two ingredients to spiritual growth. Loving God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

Spurgeon explained how to get a strong and growing faith: “By that means you are to grow. This is so with faith. Do all you can, and then do a little more; and when you can do that, then do a little more than you can. Always have something in hand that is greater then your present capacity. Grow up to it, and when you have grown up to it, grow more.”

5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

It is not as if the church had it easy, or there was no external pressure on them. You can bet that as they grew there was opposition, especially from the evil one. As they stay faithful and persevere, Paul says they will be counted worthy of the kingdom. What does that mean? 

The idea behind counted worthy is not “seen as worthy” but “reckoned as worthy” as in a judicial decree. Paul’s prayer was that the worthiness of Jesus may be accounted to the Thessalonian Christians.

Although those who are persecuting them may seem to be getting away with it in this life, there will be a day of reckoning for them. It will be the day Jesus returns in great and promised glory. Not only will they be judged for their treatment of God's people, but also because they don't know God and have rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ. The scary thing about all of this is that it is a punishment of "everlasting destruction". This is not a fate I would want to meet. 

Some people have a problem with God being a punishing God. Many people grew up in fear of God and feared being thrown into hell. 90% of the bible talks about God's great love for ALL people. He loved the world so much He sent His only Son to die for the sins of the WHOLE world. But since God is a just God,  He cannot let sin go unpunished. He can't just give a "wink and a nod" to disobedience. If God did not judge sin, He could not be merciful. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. But for those who refuse to receive this free gift by faith, they are still in their sins. "God does not desire for any perish but for all to come to eternal life." 2 Peter 3:9

It is not wrong for God to take vengeance; we understand this when we understand what the word means in the ancient Greek language. “The word rendered ‘vengeance’ has no associations of vindictiveness. It is a compound based on the same root as the word rendered ‘righteous’ in vv. 5, 6, and it has the idea of a firm administration of unwavering justice.” (Morris) The idea is the application of full justice on the offender; nothing more and nothing less.

On the flipside Jesus will return in great and promised glory, and He will be glorified among his people. Note that Jesus' literal presence will be marveled at with the believers who are on the earth when he returns. This final and eternal judgment is made based up one thing, and one thing alone. It is based on how each person responds to the person of Jesus, and his offer of eternal life. It's that's simple. 

"This shows the difference between one destined for judgment and one destined for glory. The difference is belief in the message Paul preached (our testimony), the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ." - Guzik

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this 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.[

Paul's final challenge to them most importantly includes what God is doing in and through him. Notice the phrases, "God will make you worthy", "by his power",  and "he may bring to fruition you every desire." They all speak to the fact that God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Paul spends a lot of time in chapter 1 praising the church for its spiritual growth and its perseverance in the face of opposition. He ends by telling them who it is who is the reason for their power, love, and self control. 

As you read this first chapter of 1 Thessalonians how can you exhibit "faith" and "love" more and more? What would that look like in your life? Where do you need to trust in God more? Who do you need to love more?

As you obey God His power will bring to fruition every desire you have for goodness, as Christ is glorified in and through your life.