In contrast to the fate of the wicked, the future of the Thessalonian believers is safe since they are loved by God the son, chosen by God the Father and set apart to glory by God the Spirit. These truths are worthy of giving thanks for, standing firm in and holding fast too.

Not all unbelievers have committed the sin of apostasy. Apostasy only describes unbelievers who once said they were believers. There are warnings throughout the Bible against this sin of falling away. In our passage this week Paul says that before Jesus returns there will come a time of great apostasy. A great falling away from Christ and his church. This passage warns us, but it is also a great encouragement for those with genuine faith (like the Thessalonians) that this is not us, and we can look forward to Jesus' return with great hope.

So who is the antichrist? What is he like? What does he do? Are there many antichrist's or just one? In this passage Paul doesn't want God's people to be out of their minds or alarmed when it comes to the end times. He helps us to know what will happen before the end, and that the end will result in the resounding victory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most Christians will confess they are not satisfied with their prayer life. In our passage this week Paul tells the Thessalonians what he prays for them and why he prays these things. It provokes penetrating questions of us. What is it that we pray for? Do we ever pray these things? And why do we pray for them? For whose glory? For whose good?

Ironically one of the ways our culture judges Christianity and finds it wanting is the bibles teaching that the who God exists will one day judge us.Increasingly, were told that we shouldnt believe in a God of judgement, and that if Gods people suffer in this world thats evidence that there isnt a good God who judges rightly. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5-10 says the opposite. We might be tempted to reject the very idea of judgement, but in this passage Paul seems to think that understanding Gods righteous judgement just might be one of things Gods uses to comfort you and get you home.

There are many things in our lives to give thanks for. But how often do we take the time to give thanks to God for the Church? This week we see that it is right to give thanks for the work of grace in the people of God. And its right to boast about peoples firm faith in hard times since it encourages people to remain steadfast.

How does waiting for Jesus shape our lives today? The Church in Thessalonica were facing problems of persecution, false claims and idleness. In Pauls opening greeting, he grounds them in 'who they are' - a people united to God, and in 'what they need' - grace and peace from Christ to help them stand firm as they await Christs return.

What is the greatest gift that is offered in the gospel? After establishing the covenant at the base of the mountain, Moses and the other representatives of Israel go up the mountain to the ultimate blessing of the covenant. There they are invited to see, behold and feast with God in his holy presence.

The time has come for the covenant between God and Israel to be formally established. Every element of this ceremony is full of purpose and meaning. Israel commits to do all that the Lord has commanded - but will they? Their subsequent failure dramatically displays all of our failure to keep God's law. So what do we do with our sin? The answer: run from self-righteousness to the righteousness of Christ.