Paul says they were waiting “forHis Son from heaven.” The word “wait” does not mean that they were sittingaround doing nothing. Biblical waiting is an attitude of expectation. It meansliving every day with the realization that Jesus Christ could return. Remember,these Thessalonian believers were young Christians. Paul had only been withthem for a short time. Yet one of the truths he had already taught them was thereturn of Jesus Christ. That tells us something about how important thisdoctrine is. In fact, the return of Christ is mentioned in every chapter of 1Thessalonians. At the end of chapter 1, we are waiting for His Son from heaven.At the end of chapter 2, Paul speaks of being in the presence of our Lord JesusChrist “at His coming.” At the end of chapter 3, he speaks of “thecoming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” Chapter 4 containsthat wonderful passage where Paul tells us: “For the Lord Himself shalldescend from heaven with a shout…” And in chapter 5, Paul speaks againabout “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So the return of Jesus isnot a minor subject in this letter. It is woven throughout it.

But notice Who we are waitingfor. Paul does not say we are waiting primarily for an event. He says we arewaiting for “His Son from heaven.” We are waiting for a Person. We arewaiting for Jesus. The One Who loved us. The One Who died for us. The One Whorose again. The One Who promised, “I will come again.” Paul then remindsus that God “raised Him from the dead.” Our hope in Christ's return isconnected to the resurrection.

Jesus is not in a gravesomewhere. He is alive! The same Jesus Who died on the cross and rose from thegrave ascended into heaven, and one day He is coming again.

In Acts chapter 1, as thedisciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven, two angels said: “This sameJesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner asye have seen Him go into heaven.” My friend, Jesus is coming again. Wedon't know the day. We don't know the hour. But we know Who is coming, and thatshould affect the way we live today. If we really believe Jesus could return,it should encourage us to live holy lives. It should cause us to forgivequickly. It should motivate us to share the Gospel. It should remind us not tobecome too attached to the things of this world. And it should give us hopewhen life becomes difficult.

Then Paul closes the chapterwith these wonderful words: “Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrathto come.” There is judgment coming upon sin, but for those who have trustedJesus Christ, there is wonderful assurance. Jesus has delivered us. Oursalvation rests not in what we have done for Him, but in what He has done forus. He took our judgment upon Himself on the cross. He paid the price for oursins, and because we have trusted Him, we can face the future not with fear,but with hope.

I love how this entire firstchapter fits together. These believers had a work of faith, labor of love, andpatience of hope in verse 3. They received the Word in verse 6. They becameexamples in verse 7. They sounded out the Word in verse 8. They turned to Godfrom idols to serve the living and true God in verse 9. And now, in verse 10,they were waiting for Jesus to return. What a testimony! And what a pattern forus today. Receiving the Word. Living the Word. Sharing the Word. Serving theLord. And waiting for Jesus. My friend, perhaps today would be a good day toask ourselves: Am I living as though Jesus could come today? Because oneday—perhaps sooner than we think—our waiting will be over. Jesus is comingagain!

“For they themselvesshowed of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned toGod from idols to serve the living and true God.” In verse 9, Paul tellsus what people were saying about them. They were talking about the tremendouschange that had taken place in the lives of these Thessalonian believers.

Paul describes theirconversion with three simple words: “turned to God.” I think it isimportant to notice the order. Paul does not say they first cleaned up theirlives, got rid of all their idols, and then came to God. He says they “turnedto God from idols.” They turned to God, and when they did, they were ableto turn from their idols. My friend, that is what genuine salvation does. Christianityis not simply trying to make ourselves better. It is not merely giving up a fewbad habits or attempting to live a more moral life. Salvation begins when, byfaith, we turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we truly turn to Him, somethingbegins to change within us.

Remember that Thessalonica wasa pagan city. Idolatry was everywhere. These people had grown up worshipingfalse gods and participating in pagan religious practices. Their idols were notmerely decorations sitting on a shelf. Idolatry was woven into their culture,their families, their social lives, and even their businesses. So when thesepeople turned to Jesus Christ, it cost them something. They were leaving behinda way of life they had known for years. Yet they discovered something fargreater than the idols they left behind.

Paul says they turned “toserve the living and true God.” I love those words: “the living and trueGod.” Their idols were dead. Their idols could not hear them. Their idolscould not answer their prayers. Their idols could not forgive their sins. Theiridols could not give them eternal life.

But now the believers atThessalonica had met the living God! And they had discovered the true God. Wemight look at this verse today and say, “Well, I don't have any idols. I don'tbow down before a statue or worship an image.” But an idol can be anything thattakes the place in our lives that belongs to God. An idol can be money. It canbe possessions. It can be pleasure. It can be a career. It can be anotherperson. It can even be our own plans, ambitions, or desires. Anything thatbecomes more important to us than God has the potential to become an idol. Thequestion is not simply, “Do I have a statue that I worship?” The betterquestion might be, “What has first place in my life?”

Notice also that theseThessalonians did not simply turn from something; they turned to Someone. Sometimeswe think the Christian life is mostly about what we give up. But Christianityis really about Who we receive. We turn from the emptiness of this world to thefullness of Jesus Christ. We turn from darkness to light. We turn from bondageto freedom. We turn from death to life. And then Paul says that they turned toGod “to serve” Him. Their conversion produced a new purpose for living. Before,they had served their idols. Now they served the living and true God. That word“serve” carries the idea of serving as a bondservant—belongingcompletely to another. That is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. Wehave been saved by grace, and because we belong to Jesus Christ, we now desireto live for Him. We don't serve Him in order to be saved. We serve Him becausewe have been saved.

That takes us back to verse 3and their “work of faith, and labor of love.” Their service was evidence thatsomething real had happened in their hearts. And my friend, that should causeeach of us to examine our own lives today. What have we turned from? What havewe turned to? And whom are we serving? The Thessalonians had a testimony thateveryone could see. They had turned to God from idols to serve the living andtrue God. May that be our testimony too.

Think about what happened inThessalonica. Paul had not been there very long. According to Acts 17, tremendousopposition arose against him and his companions. Paul eventually had to leavethe city. You might have thought that once Paul left, the Gospel witness wouldbecome silent. But it didn’t! Paul left Thessalonica, but the Word of Godstayed there. And those new believers began sounding it out everywhere theywent. Paul says it sounded out “not only in Macedonia and Achaia.” As wesaid yesterday, Macedonia was the northern region of Greece where Thessalonicawas located. Achaia was the southern region where cities such as Athens andCorinth were located. But Paul goes even further. He says, “but also inevery place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad.” Their testimony hadtraveled far beyond their own city. People were talking about what God had donein Thessalonica!

That reminds us that a genuinework of God cannot easily be hidden. When Jesus Christ truly changes a life,somebody is going to notice. And when a church is filled with believers whoselives have been transformed by the Gospel, its influence should extend farbeyond the walls of its building. My friend, the church was never intended tobe simply a place where we come together once or twice a week to hear the Wordof God. We gather to hear the Word, but then we scatter to sound out the Word. Wetake it into our homes. We take it into our neighborhoods. We take it into ourworkplaces. We take it into our communities. And wherever God gives us anopportunity, we share the wonderful message that Jesus Christ saves.

Notice something else. Pauldoes not simply say that their words were spreading. He says, “your faith toGod-ward is spread abroad.” Their message was supported by their lives. Peoplewere not only hearing what these Christians said; they were seeing what theseChristians believed by the way they lived. That is one of the greatestchallenges for us today. Our lives should give credibility to our message. Ifwe tell people that Jesus changes lives, there should be evidence that Jesushas changed our life. If we tell people that Jesus gives peace, they should seeHis peace in us. If we tell people that Jesus teaches us to love, they shouldexperience His love through us. If we tell people that Jesus gives hope, theyshould see hope in the way we face the difficulties of life. Remember what Paulsaid back in verse 3: their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hopewere visible. Now their testimony was sounding out everywhere.

And then Paul makes an amazingstatement at the end of verse 8: “So that we need not to speak anything.” Paulwas basically saying, “When we arrive somewhere and begin telling people aboutwhat happened in Thessalonica, they already know!” Can you imagine having thatkind of testimony? Paul didn't need to advertise the church at Thessalonica.Their transformed lives were advertising the power of the Gospel. That causesme to ask myself a question today: What kind of sound is coming from my life? Allof us are sounding out something. Our attitudes sound out something. Our wordssound out something. Our reactions to difficulties sound out something. The waywe treat people sounds out something. Our priorities sound out something. Thequestion is: Are we sounding out the Word of the Lord?

Over the years, I have oftenreminded people that you don't have to be a preacher or missionary to be awitness for Jesus Christ. You simply need to be willing to tell someone whatJesus has done for you. And today we have opportunities that the Thessalonianscould never have imagined. Through a telephone, a text message, an email, asocial media post, a conversation with a neighbor, or a simple word ofencouragement, the Word of the Lord can sound out from our lives to people nearand far.

“So that you were examples to all that believe in Macedoniaand Achaia.” Yesterday we saw in verse 6 that the Thessalonian believershad become followers of Paul and of the Lord. They had received the Word in themidst of much affliction, but they received it “with joy of the Holy Spirit.”Now Paul tells us what happened next. They went from being followers tobecoming examples. I love that progression.

First, we follow the rightexample. Then, as we grow in Christ, we become the right example for someoneelse. Paul says, “So that you were examples to all that believe.” Theword translated examples has the idea of a pattern, a model, or animpression that can be reproduced.

Then in verse 6, they receivedthe Word despite affliction and persecution. And now in verse 7, otherbelievers were looking at them and saying, in effect, “That's what followingJesus looks like.” What an amazing testimony! Notice also how far theirinfluence had spread. Paul says they were examples “to all that believe inMacedonia and Achaia.” Macedonia was the northern region of Greece whereThessalonica and Philippi were located. Achaia was the southern region wherecities such as Athens and Corinth were located. So their testimony had spreadfar beyond their own city. They probably never dreamed that people hundreds ofmiles away would hear about their faithfulness to Christ. And there is a lessonhere for us.

You never know how far theinfluence of a faithful Christian life will reach. Sometimes we think thatunless we have a large ministry, preach to thousands of people, or accomplishsomething that receives public recognition, our life doesn't make muchdifference. But that's not how God measures influence. A faithful mother orfather can influence generations of a family. A faithful Sunday school teachercan influence a child who someday influences thousands. A faithful pastor maynever have a large church, but the people he disciples may carry the Gospelaround the world. A faithful Christian neighbor may quietly demonstrate thelove of Christ to someone who desperately needs hope. We may never know on thisside of eternity how far our influence has reached.

There is another importanttruth here. The Thessalonians didn't set out to become famous. They simply setout to be faithful. Their influence was the result of their faithfulness, notthe goal of their faithfulness. That is important in our day when so muchemphasis is placed on being noticed, gaining followers, and building anaudience. The Christian life isn't about people noticing us. Jesus said inMatthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see yourgood works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The purpose of ourinfluence is not that people would say, “What a wonderful person.” It is thatthey would say, “What a wonderful Savior!” Paul could tell the Thessalonians,“You followed us, and now others are following your example.” That isdiscipleship. Someone helped us follow Jesus, and now we should be helpingsomeone else follow Jesus.

So today, maybe we should askourselves a simple question: If someone followed my example, where would myexample lead them? Would they learn to pray? Would they learn to love God'sWord? Would they learn to forgive? Would they learn to serve? Would they learnto trust God during difficult circumstances? Most importantly, would our livespoint them to Jesus Christ? My friend, you may never stand behind a pulpit. Youmay never teach a Bible class. Your name may never be widely known. But you canlive such a faithful Christian life that someone else sees Jesus in you andwants to follow Him. First we become followers, and then, by God's grace, webecome examples.

Rememberwhat Paul had just said at the end of verse 5: “You know what manner of menwe were among you for your sake.” Their message and their manner of lifeagreed. That is important because Christianity is not simply learning a set ofdoctrines. Certainly, doctrine is essential. We must know what we believe. ButChristianity is ultimately about following a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesusrepeatedly said to His disciples, “Follow Me.”

Butthen Paul reminds us of the circumstances in which these Thessalonians receivedthe Gospel. He says they had “received the word in much affliction.” Rememberwhat happened in Acts 17. Paul came to Thessalonica and preached Christ. Somebelieved, along with a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number ofprominent women. But almost immediately opposition arose. A mob was gathered.The city was thrown into an uproar. Jason's house was attacked because Paul andSilas had apparently been staying there. Eventually Paul and Silas had to leaveThessalonica during the night. These new believers had barely begun theirChristian lives before persecution came. Think about that. They did not hear aGospel that promised them that if they trusted Christ, all their problems woulddisappear. Actually, their faith in Christ created some new problems! FollowingJesus cost them something. And yet they stayed faithful.

Thatis one of the strongest evidences that something genuine had happened in theirhearts. Jesus spoke about the seed that falls on stony ground in the parable ofthe sower. Some receive the Word with joy, but when tribulation or persecutionarises because of the Word, they fall away. But that did not happen inThessalonica. Affliction came, but they continued following Christ. And then wecome to what I believe is one of the most beautiful phrases in this verse: “Withjoy of the Spirit.” Notice those two things together: Much affliction—andmuch joy. Humanly speaking, those things do not seem to belong in the samesentence. We usually think, “When the affliction is gone, then I can have joy.”“When this problem is solved, then I'll rejoice.” “When my circumstancesimprove, then I'll be happy.” But these believers teach us something veryimportant:

Christianjoy does not depend upon favorable circumstances. They had affliction on theoutside, but they had joy on the inside. Why? Because their joy came from theHoly Spirit.

Thisreminds us of something we learned together in Philippians. Paul wrote thatletter from prison, and yet over and over again he talked about rejoicing. Theworld gives us happiness when circumstances are good. But Jesus gives us joyeven when circumstances are difficult. There is a tremendous difference. Happinessis often determined by what is happening around us. But spiritual joy comesfrom knowing Who is living within us.

Jesussaid in John 16:33, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of goodcheer; I have overcome the world.” He did not promise a life withouttribulation. He promised His presence and His victory in the midst of it. Maybetoday you are going through some affliction. Maybe there is a burden in yourfamily. Maybe there is a physical difficulty. Maybe you have experienceddisappointment, loneliness, financial pressure, or uncertainty about tomorrow. Thisverse does not tell us to pretend those things do not hurt. Affliction is real.But it reminds us that our affliction does not have to steal our joy. Why? Becauseour joy is not rooted in our circumstances. Our joy is rooted in Christ.

Now,the Gospel certainly must come to us in words. Romans 10:17 tells us, “Sothen faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Someone musttell us the wonderful story that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into thisworld, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, wasburied, and rose again on the third day. The Gospel has a message, and thatmessage must be proclaimed.

 The word“power” reminds us that the Gospel is not merely information to be considered;it is the power of God that transforms those who believe. Paul said in Romans1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power ofGod unto salvation to every one that believes.”

Thinkabout that. The Gospel can take a sinner and make him a saint. It can takesomeone who is spiritually dead and give him spiritual life. It can break thechains of sin, give hope to the hopeless, peace to the troubled heart, andcompletely change the direction of a person’s life. I have seen that power overand over again through the years. Programs can help people. Education caninform people. Good advice can encourage people. But only the Gospel of JesusChrist can give a person a new heart and make him a new creation. SecondCorinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Butnotice where this power comes from. Paul says the Gospel came “in the HolyGhost.” Paul understood that he could preach the truth, but only the HolySpirit could take that truth and apply it to the human heart. Jesus said inJohn 16 that the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, andjudgment. That should be a great encouragement to those of us who want to shareChrist with others. Sometimes we become concerned that we do not know exactlywhat to say. We worry that we will not have the right words or be able toanswer every question. But remember, we are not the ones who save people. Goddoes. Our responsibility is to faithfully share the Gospel. The Holy Spirittakes the Word of God and works in the heart. That is why prayer is soimportant when we witness. We should pray, “Lord, give me the words to say, andHoly Spirit, take those words and use them to touch this person’s heart.”

ThenPaul adds another phrase. The Gospel came “in much assurance.” There is a tremendous differencebetween speaking about something we merely know intellectually and speakingabout something that has become a reality in our own lives. Paul could preachChrist with assurance because Paul knew Christ personally. And theThessalonians could see that conviction in him.

Noticethe final part of the verse: “As you know what manner of men we were amongyou for your sake.” Paul is reminding them, “You not only heard ourmessage—you watched our lives.” That is so important. The Gospel should notonly be heard from our lips; it should be seen in our lives. People arewatching us. Our family watches us. Our neighbors watch us. The people we workwith watch us. The people we go to church with watch us. They want to knowwhether the Gospel we talk about on Sunday makes a difference in the way welive on Monday. Paul could say, “You know what manner of men we were amongyou.” What a testimony!

Hewas not saying that he and Silas were perfect. But their conduct was consistentwith the message they proclaimed.

AndI believe this verse gives us a wonderful pattern for effective Christianwitness. We need the Word of God— “not in word only.” We need the powerof God— “but also in power.” We need the Spirit of God— “and in theHoly Ghost.” We need the assurance of God— “and in much assurance.” Andwe need a life that demonstrates the reality of the Gospel— “what manner ofmen we were among you.” My friend, the world does not simply need morereligious talk. The world needs to see the Gospel demonstrated by lives thathave been transformed by Jesus Christ.

Thinkabout that today. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are loved byGod! The Bible does not teach us that God loves us because we are good enough,religious enough, or deserving enough. God loves us because of Who He is. John3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begottenSon.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God commended His love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God did not wait until wecleaned ourselves up before He loved us. He loved us while we were sinners, andHe demonstrated that love at the cross.

ButPaul goes even further. He says, “Knowing, beloved brethren, your electionof God.” Now, the word “election” sometimes becomes the subject oftheological debates. Good and sincere Bible-believing Christians have disagreedover exactly how God’s sovereignty and human responsibility work together. ButI think sometimes we can become so occupied with the questions surroundingelection that we miss the wonderful encouragement Paul intended these believersto receive from it. The word simply carries the idea of being chosen to loveand serve God and others. Paul was reminding these Thessalonian believers thattheir salvation was not an accident. God had a purpose for them. God had calledthem to Himself through the Gospel.

Andnotice something very important. Paul said, “Knowing… your election of God.”How could Paul know? He could not look into the secret counsels of God ineternity. He could not see their names written in the Book of Life. But hecould see what had happened in their lives. And that becomes especially clearwhen we read the next verse. Verse 5 says: “For our gospel came not unto youin word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”Paul knew something genuine had happened because he had seen the evidence. Rememberwhat we learned yesterday. Their faith was working. Their love was laboring.Their hope was enduring. In other words, their changed lives gave evidence ofthe reality of their salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore bytheir fruits you shall know them.”

Weare not saved by our works, but when we are truly saved, there should be a workof God taking place in our lives. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it very clear: “Forby grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is thegift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But we sometimesstop there. Verse 10 continues: “For we are His workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works.” We are not saved by good works, but we aresaved unto good works. That is exactly what Paul was seeing in Thessalonica. Thinkabout what had happened there. Paul had only been with these people for arelatively short period of time. He preached the Gospel to them. They receivedthe Word. They turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Then almostimmediately, persecution came. Yet they remained faithful. Paul could look atthem and say, in effect, “I know God has done something in your lives because Ican see the evidence of His grace.”

AndI believe there is a very practical application for us today. What evidence isthere in my life that God is at work in me? Not, “Have I joined a church?” Not,“Have I been baptized?” Not even merely, “Did I pray a prayer sometime in thepast?” Those things may have their proper place, but the question is: Has JesusChrist changed my life? Is there a work of faith? Is there a labor of love? Isthere a patience of hope? Is there a growing desire for the Word of God? Isthere a desire to please the Lord? Is there a love for God’s people? When Isin, does the Holy Spirit convict me and draw me back to fellowship with theLord? Do I desire to share Christ with the lost? These are evidences of thework of God within us.

“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and laborof love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God andour Father.” Years ago, I read two books by Dr. Gene Getz, The Measure of aMan and The Measure of a Church. I remember being impressed with the thoughtthat spiritual growth can be measured by looking at these three great qualitiesthat Paul mentions here: Faith. Love. Hope.

Interestingly,when Paul writes his second letter to these same believers, he again mentionsthese qualities. In 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4, he tells them that their faith wasgrowing exceedingly, their love toward one another was increasing, and hecommends their patience and faith in their persecutions and tribulations. Inother words, these qualities could be observed and measured. So perhaps weshould ask ourselves today: How is my faith? How is my love? How is my hope?

First,Paul remembers their “work of faith.” Notice he does not say that we aresaved by works. The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is by grace throughfaith, not of works. But genuine faith produces works. James reminds us thatfaith without works is dead. When we truly believe God, it affects the way welive. Noah believed God, so he built an ark. Abraham believed God, so he lefthis homeland. Peter believed Jesus, so he stepped out of the boat. Real faithmoves us to action. The question is not simply, “Do I say that I have faith?” Thequestion is, “What is my faith producing in my life?”

ThenPaul mentions their “labor of love.” The word “labor” speaks ofstrenuous effort—working to the point of weariness. There is a differencebetween simply saying, “I love you,” and loving someone enough to sacrifice forthem. Real love costs something. Jesus demonstrated that kind of love for us. John3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”Love gives. Love serves. Love sacrifices. Love keeps going even whenserving becomes inconvenient. Some of you know exactly what that means. Youhave cared for someone when you were tired. You have given when it was asacrifice. You have prayed for someone year after year. You have continuedloving someone even when that love was not returned. That is a labor of love.

ThenPaul mentions their “patience of hope.” The word “patience” here carriesthe idea of steadfast endurance. Biblical hope isn't wishful thinking. Our hopeis a confident expectation based upon the promises of God. And notice wherethat hope is centered: “Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Thessalonianbelievers were experiencing tremendous persecution. Yet they kept going becausethey believed Jesus Christ was coming again. In fact, the return of Christbecomes one of the great themes of this entire letter. Their circumstances weredifficult, but their hope was greater than their circumstances. And that isstill true for us today. When life becomes difficult, hope says: God is stillon His throne. God is still faithful. God is still keeping His promises. AndJesus is coming again. That kind of hope gives us the strength to endure.

Sohere is a simple spiritual examination for us today. Does my faith work? Doesmy love labor? Does my hope endure? Faith that never affects how we live needsto be examined. Love that never sacrifices is only words. Hope that disappearswhenever difficulties come is not the strong biblical hope Paul is describing. AndI love how Paul finishes the verse: “In the sight of God and our Father.” Ultimately,we are not trying to impress people. God sees our faith. God sees our labor. Godsees our perseverance. Others may never know about some of the things you dofor the Lord, but God sees them.

Maybetoday we should ask the Lord to increase these three great qualities in ourlives: A faith that works. A love that labors. And a hope that patientlyendures.

“We give thanks toGod always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” What abeautiful verse! In just a few words, Paul teaches us something aboutthankfulness, people, and prayer.

First,notice that Paul says, “We give thanks to God.” Paul had many reasons tobe concerned about the believers in Thessalonica. Remember, this was a veryyoung church. Paul had only been with them for a short time before persecutionforced him to leave the city. You can read about this in Acts 17. Paul hadpreached in the synagogue, people had believed, and almost immediatelyopposition arose. A mob was formed, Jason’s house was attacked, and Paul andSilas had to leave Thessalonica by night. Paul must have wondered, “How arethese new believers doing? Are they standing firm? Has the persecutiondiscouraged them? Are they remaining faithful to Christ?” Then Timothy returnedwith the wonderful news that they were continuing in the faith.

SoPaul says, “We give thanks to God.” Notice that Paul didn't simply say,“We are proud of you.” He thanked God for them. Paul understood that whateverspiritual growth he saw in their lives was ultimately the work of God. That isa good reminder for us. When we see God working in our children, grandchildren,friends, church family, or someone we have influenced for Christ, we shouldencourage them—but we should also remember to thank God for what He is doing intheir lives.

ThenPaul says: “We give thanks to God always for you all.” I love those twowords: “you all.” (Especially since I’m from the south.) Paul wasn't simplythankful for the prominent members of the church. He wasn't thankful only forthe people who were easy to get along with. He thanked God for all of them. Everyperson mattered.

Sometimeswe become so accustomed to the people God has placed around us that we forgetwhat a gift they are. Maybe today we should stop and think about some of thepeople God has placed in our lives. Your husband or wife. Your children andgrandchildren. A faithful friend. Someone who prayed for you. Someone whoencouraged you when you were discouraged. Someone who helped you along yourspiritual journey.

Haveyou thanked God for them lately?

ButPaul doesn't stop with thanksgiving. He continues: “Making mention of you inour prayers.” Paul's gratitude became prayer. He didn't merely think aboutthese people. He prayed for them. And notice the expression, “making mentionof you.” I believe there is something important about mentioning peoplebefore God by name.

ThroughoutPaul's letters, we discover that he had a remarkable prayer life. He traveledconstantly. He preached. He planted churches. He suffered persecution. Yetsomehow Paul continued carrying people in his heart before God. That challengesme. It is easy to tell someone, “I'll be praying for you.” But the realquestion is: Do we actually pray for them?

Whensomeone comes to your mind today, perhaps instead of simply thinking aboutthem, turn that thought into a prayer. “Lord, bless them.” “Lord, encouragethem.” “Lord, give them wisdom.” “Lord, meet their need.” “Lord, draw themcloser to You.” It doesn't have to be a long prayer.

 Paul says, “We give thanks to God always.” Prayerand thanksgiving were not occasional activities for Paul. They were a way oflife. That reminds us of something Paul will tell these same believers later inthis letter: “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this isthe will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).Interestingly, Paul practiced in chapter 1 what he preached in chapter 5. Hewas continually praying. He was continually giving thanks. Maybe that is ourchallenge for today. Think of someone. Thank God for them. Then mention theirname in prayer. And perhaps even take another step. Send them a message, make aphone call, or tell them: “I thanked God for you today.”

Younever know how much that simple word might encourage someone who desperatelyneeds it.

Notice that he does not introduce himself here as “Paul, anapostle of Jesus Christ,” as he does in several of his other letters. Why? Probablybecause he did not need to defend his apostolic authority with these believers.They knew him. They loved him. Paul had personally brought the Gospel to them.

Thenhe mentions two men who had served alongside him: “Paul, and Silvanus, andTimotheus.” Silvanus is the longer form of the name Silas. Silas hadtraveled with Paul on this second missionary journey. He had been there inPhilippi when Paul was beaten and thrown into prison. He was there at midnightwhen they prayed and sang praises to God. And now he had helped Paul establishthis church in Thessalonica. Timotheus, of course, is Timothy. Paul had metthis young man at Lystra and invited him to join the missionary team. Timothywould eventually become one of Paul's most trusted fellow workers. What awonderful picture of ministry. God'swork has always been about one generation passing the truth to anothergeneration.

Butthen Paul says something especially important: “Unto the church of theThessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Theword “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which basically means acalled-out assembly. These people lived in Thessalonica, but spiritually theywere in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about that. Geographically,they were in Thessalonica. Spiritually, they were in Christ. Thessalonica was apagan city filled with idolatry and immorality. These new Christians weresurrounded by a culture that did not share their faith or their values. Theywere already experiencing opposition and persecution because they followedJesus. But their environment did not determine their identity. They were in Godthe Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Andthe same is true for us today. We live in a world that increasingly seems to bemoving farther away from God. We are surrounded by temptation. We hearphilosophies that contradict the Word of God. We see values changing around us.But the believer's identity is not determined by the world in which he lives. Weare in Christ. Paul uses that little expression again and again throughout hiswritings. Second Corinthians 5:17 says,

“Thereforeif any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” Romans 8:1 says, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Oursecurity is not found in our circumstances. Our security is found in ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. You might say that these Thessalonian believershad two addresses. Their earthly address was Thessalonica. Their spiritualaddress was in Christ. And every believer has those same two addresses. We livesomewhere on this earth. We have a street address, a city, a state, and acountry. But if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, our most importantaddress is this: We are in Christ.

ThenPaul gives them two wonderful words: “Grace be unto you, and peace.” Wejust finished our study of Philippians by noticing how often Paul begins andends his letters with grace. And here it is again. Grace. Then peace. Noticethe order. Grace comes before peace. We cannot experience the peace of Goduntil we have first experienced the grace of God. Grace is God giving us whatwe could never earn and could never deserve. Salvation is by grace. Forgivenessis by grace. Our relationship with God is by grace. Our strength for each dayis by grace. And when we experience God's grace, we can also experience God'speace. Grace and peace. Their circumstances might change.Their friends might turn against them. Persecution might increase. But theirposition in Christ was secure.

Andperhaps that is the great truth we should carry with us today. Our peace doesnot come from living in a peaceful world. Our peace comes from knowing that weare securely in Christ.