2 Thessalonians 1 - "The Only Way You Can Coast is Downhill!"

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Thessalonians 1  

Today, we start Paul's second letter to the church at Thessalonica. It has many of the similar themes in his first letter to them. 

Clink on this link for an excellent summary of the context for this letter. It is short. 

Background on Paul's 2nd Letter to Thessalonica

One of the important aspects of this letter was it was written around 51 A.D., only 18 years after Jesus' resurrection. How long after an event happened is one of the most important factors in determining whether a historical book can be trusted. The fact that this letter is written so soon after Jesus died and was resurrected gives the bibe great credibility. It also rules out the notion that this is a fanciful tale or the stuff of legend. It is written too soon after the event for legend to develop.  

Because it was so close to the events, if it was just made up, it could have quickly been dismissed as fraudelent. This is yet another reason we can trust the bible has given us an accurate representation of the most important events in human history, especially the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. 

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.

Paul gives his usual greeting, which we still use today in church. Notice his missionary partners Silas and Timothy included in his greeting. It is the Church of the Thessalonians, just like we say my church in Fallbrook is part of the Church of Fallbrook. 

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 always, Paul stresses the importance of thanksgiving. We can never be too thankful. Paul's thanksgiving centered around the growth in the spiritual maturity in the church, which was expressed in their love for one another. Faith and love are always connected. Note the words "growing more and more" and "increasing". 

As someone said, "The only way you can coast is downhill." In almost every aspect of life if one is not growing they are usually stagnating or declining. Though we are never perfect, we are called to grow in Christ through the power the Holy Spirit. 

Would you say you are growing in spiritual maturity and becoming more like Christ? How would you know? Would your family and friends agree? 

This is not about being prideful, because we know it is only God who helps us to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. For our part we need to abide in Christ, because apart from him we can do nothing. (See John 15:1-5)

One of the ways their faith is growing is through persecution. Though none of us want or would invite persecution, it always leads to perseverance, which leads to character and spiritual growth. 

In this case, Paul used their faithfulness as a way to encourage the other churches in the area.

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. 

Paul reminded them that in the end justice would be given to those who were persecuted. 

Lee Strobel says in his book, "The Case for Faith", "Justice delayed is not justice denied." This justice will be meted out when Jesus returns with his powerful angels. For those who have spurned a relationship with God through Jesus, they will be separated from God forever. 

To the contrary, the Thessalonians will behold the glory of the Lord that was promised from the beginning. Though Jesus came with all of the fraility of a human being, he will come back in GREAT and PROMISED glory. While those who have rejected him will face the consequences of their unbelief, those who believe will marvel at his presence and power. This is the promise for those who stay faithful until the end. 

Though many of us in the United States have probably never been severely persecuted, one never knows what the next 20, 30, or 50 years will look like, especially for our grandchildren. 

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.

It is interesting that he uses the phrase, "That our God may make you worthy of his calling". 

"God gives Christians a high calling, mentioned in the previous sentence. The calling is to see Him glorified in us at His coming. Paul rightly prays that the Thessalonians may be counted worthy of this calling, and he shows ways to fulfill this calling." 

"We live worthy of His call when we are glorified in Him, when He alone is our source of glory and exaltation, and who we are in Jesus is more important than who we are in anything else." - Guzik

Although God makes us worthy of our call through the worthiness of Christ, our response to our calling is our life goal as a believer. Thank God that He has made us worthy, we get the blessing of living out that calling for his glory!

Question for Reflection?

Are you living out a life worthy of your calling? 

Remember Paul says in verse 11, "By his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith."

As we respond to live a life worthy of our calling we know it is God's power that enables us to do so! How EXCITING!