12/9/09

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 (New International Version)

2 Thessalonians 1

1Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5All 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. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and 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. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on 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.

11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We 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.[b]



SUMMARY:

Thessalonica was a city of Pagan relations and cultural influences that challenged Christians faith. We must look for ways to encourage and build up other believers. The keys to surviiving persecution and trials are perseverance and faith. God is using our trials for our good and his glory. Knowing that God is fair will give us patience in our suffering because we know that he hasn't forgotten us. In God's perfect timing, he will relieve our suffering. Believers could and should learn perseverance and faith from their suffering. We will experience suffering because we are trying to be God's people in a perverse world. Look upward and forward instead of inward. By products can be strong character, and opportunities to comfort those who are struggling. Your troubles may be an indication taht you are taking a stand for Christ. One day everyone will stand before God and wrongs will be righted, judgement will be pronounced, and evil will be terminated. God calls us to be Christlike. this is a gradual and lifelong process that will be completed when we see Christ face to face. We must want to do what is right and good. We aren't perfect yet, but we are moving in that direction as God works in us.