2
THESSALONIANS
READ: 2
Thessalonians 1, plus the introduction if your Bible has one.
This
letter to the Thessalonians has a completely different tone than the first one
did. Two significant things stand out. In the first letter, the believers
seemed young in their faith. They were doing well but getting hung up on
habitual sin that threatened to tear them down. In this letter, however, they
are suffering persecution. They no longer have the option to be fickle about
their faith.
The
second significant thing we see in this letter is that the Thessalonians have
been confused with some false teaching about the end times. This affects them
in serious ways as we will see in a few days.
In
chapter one Paul deals with their suffering. He is straightforward with how he
speaks about suffering. He tells them their suffering is the very thing that
proves they are worthy of the kingdom of God. This kind of teaching seems
backward in our culture. Many popular preacher and authors talk about how God
only wants us to be promoted and prosper. They talk about health and wealth and
favour as if only this kind of blessing is from God. However, the blessing Paul
talks about in this chapter is the blessing of suffering, and the blessing of
God’s justice. It would almost seem, according to verse 11, that suffering is
part of the process God uses to help make us worthy to be His own. It purifies
us, causes us to rely on God alone, and strips us of everything but the eternal
hope of heaven and being in the presence of a glorious God. This is a good
thing!
The
eyes of the Thessalonian believers were set on eternity. This is why they could
endure, and this is why Paul chooses to encourage them with reminders of God’s
justice and His heavenly glory. If they had instead measured their relationship
with God based on financial income, lack of physical pain, material goods, high
honor, or promotion, they would have failed miserably. But God had provided the
teaching of Paul early in their conversion to Christianity to teach them and
warn them that persecution was coming and to fix their eyes on eternity. This
is why Paul is so pleased with them and why he encourages them the way he does.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Ask the Lord
to expose your belief about suffering. Think about some of these questions and
ask Him to speak to you about what’s in your heart regarding them:
a. When others
are suffering, or have been mistreated because of their faith, do I judge them
in my heart?
b. When I am
suffering in any way, do I complain or thank God for the opportunity to glorify
Him in my suffering?
c. Have I come
to expect that if the Lord really loves me He would give me what I want?
d. Do I equate a
good relationship with God with prosperity, health and honor?
e. Jesus, what
do you want to say to me about suffering?
2. How often do
you think about heaven or spending eternity with Jesus? Ask the Lord to speak
to you about your eternal perspective. Ask Him to grow your longing for heaven
and to keep your heart and mind focused on what will last for eternity instead
of just a few decades.
3. Take a few
moments to pray for people you know are suffering today, whether due to life
circumstances or for the sake of Christ. Ask God to give them a vision of
heaven and His glory to help them endure to the end.
