2 Thessalonians 1

October 13, 2017

Paul prayed for the believers in Thessalonica. In all the things he prayed for them, he prayed that Jesus would get the glory for it. Three questions/observations concerning this glory:

1) What is glory?
Some synonyms are: Honor, credit, renown, praise, worship, beauty, splendor. What is this glory? It is about who gets the honor and who gets the praise.

2) How might Christ’s name be glorified “in you?”
It begins with your self-acknowledgement that all you are and all you have comes from Him. You glorify Christ in your heart. Then, it radiates outward into your words and deeds, so that the name of Christ is glorified in all you say and do.

3) How are you to be glorified “in Him?”
Is this true? Will we share in Christ’s glory? Yes, but not because of our own accomplishment, but “according to the grace” of God, accomplished in Christ. By faith we have become God’s children and “joint heirs” with Christ, so that all that is His, is now also ours, including His glory. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory” (Rom. 8:17). So, this glory is part of our inheritance in Christ!

If we live for our own glory, we will not share in Christ’s. But if we live for His glory, according to His grace, then we will share in Christ’s glory forevermore!

October 13, 2016

The destiny of those who reject a relationship with God and disobey the gospel was here given through the apostle Paul. He gave six words to describe Hell:
1) “Suffer” – it is a place of pain and suffering.
2) “Punishment” – it is a place of God’s fiery justice
3) “Eternal” – it is an everlasting condition
4) “Destruction” – not annihilation, but continual ruination
5) “Presence” – banished from God’s presence and blessing
6) “Glory” – banished from God’s beauty and sustaining power
Paul gave this horrific description of future suffering for those who were persecuting the believers in Thessalonica. He did this so believers wouldn’t focus on vengeance against their persecutors, but would instead focus on Christ. Seeing those who persecute our faith through the eyes of our Savior, we are able to pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

October 13, 2014

Paul prayed for the persecuted believers in Thessalonica that the God who called them would also “enable” them to live for Him. When we answer God’s call our faith begins to “prompt” us to act. This prompting comes from our new nature in Christ which gives us the will to do good. Yet, this new will power always moves us to attempt things so beyond our ability that we must totally rely on God’s power to accomplish them. The time between the prompting and the accomplishing of God’s call is a time of testing. It is a time when we finally die to self-effort and live to total dependence on God’s enabling power. As the missionary pioneer, William Carey said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”

October 13, 2012

Like a tree, the Thessalonian believers were growing, flourishing, … THRIVING! Perhaps it was the persecution that the Thessalonians endured that moved them to grow. In a time and place when being a believer could get you killed, they did more than survive, they thrived. What was their secret? Don’t you want to do more than just get by? To move out of maintenance mode? It’s time to thrive!