In the book of 1 Thessalonians, Paul expressed his great joy for the ways in which he could see the faith of the church in Thessalonica growing. He had been concerned that his inability to remain with them, due to persecution, was going to have a negative impact on their spiritual growth. When word of their continual progress in faith reached his ears, Paul was overjoyed and he wrote his first letter to them to encourage the church and give them additional instruction.
Unfortunately, sometime after receiving that letter from Paul, the church started behaving strangely. It appears that some in the Thessalonian church were misinterpreting the teaching they had received about the future return of Christ. It may also have been the case that false teachers were corrupting good doctrine and producing confusion among them. Either way, some of the people apparently began quitting their jobs, abdicating their responsibilities, and failing to redeem the time they had been blessed with because they didn't expect to be there much longer.
Paul was in the city of Corinth when he took the time to write 2 Thessalonians. It was written just a short time after his first letter to them had been sent. In his second letter to the church, Paul went into great detail about the return of Jesus as well as other events that will take place during that time in history. He also made a point to encourage the church to understand how to apply the teaching of Scripture to their lives more accurately, while reminding them of the ultimate victory Christ secures on our behalf.
Some of the issues this church was dealing with came down to their level of spiritual maturity. How spiritually mature do you believe yourself to be? Is that a question you've ever really asked yourself? In the opening verses of 2 Thessalonians 1, I see three simple questions we can ask ourselves in order to test our level of spiritual maturity.
I. Is your faith growing?
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ”
There are people in my life that I am extremely thankful for. They're the type of people who serve as examples to me, remind me that they value me, and in general tend to show kindness to my family. It's clear that the Thessalonian Christians were people that Paul was genuinely thankful for, possibly for some of the same reasons, but also because of what he could see the Lord accomplishing in their lives.
One of the most obvious pieces of evidence that the Lord was at work within them was the fact that their faith was growing. I like the way Paul describes that growth. He doesn't say their faith was gradually improving, which would also be a compliment. He says their faith was growing "abundantly." In every way, with great evidence, their faith was making progress.
Where is your faith at right now? Is it growing? Has it stagnated? Are you even questioning whether it was there to begin with?
Recently, I received news of someone who used to volunteer in our church who has apparently decided to adopt worldly values as her primary worldview. All external evidence seems to indicate that she has drifted backward in faith. I heard a similar report from another friend of mine regarding her husband. She told me that He's no longer walking with the Lord. Both reports were sad to hear.
Christ's desire for us once He saves us is that we won't return back to a worldly mindset or the life of sin we were once tied to. He has set us free from those chains, and He is presently empowering us to walk in the freedom He secured for us when He atoned for our sin on the cross.
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
So practically speaking, is there an approach to life that we can take that might help us to grow abundantly in faith so we won't revert back to a depressive state of worldliness? Let me suggest a few things that I can testify are helping me.
1. Hold whatever you choose to believe up to the light of Scripture.
2. Filter your mental, emotional, and spiritual diet so you're only inviting things to influence you that convey the truth of the gospel.
3. Do not neglect to assemble together with other believers who will invest in you, encourage you, and hold you accountable.
4. Confess your sin to the Lord and to at least one other person.
5. Pray without ceasing.
II. Is your love for others increasing?
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ”
I was involved in a group discussion on prayer recently, and the participants were invited to answer the question, "What prompts you to pray?" They suggested various things, but one of the participants said, "People." When I asked him to elaborate, he said that because he finds people challenging to deal with, and since they often break his heart, he frequently feels prompted to pray after interacting with others.
Isn't it interesting to consider that in this life, other people tend to be one of our greatest sources of joy while also being one of our greatest sources of pain? In a very real way, it's risky to interact with others. I'm sure we've all been tempted at times to avoid others because we're fearful of the pain they might cause us, but when we avoid them for too long, we start to realize that there can be even more pain in prolonged isolation.
The Christian life isn't a solitary life. Our union with Christ also unites us as one body with other Christians. Christ has shown His body great love, and reveals in His word that one of the most powerful ways people will come to know we're His followers is if we genuinely love one another.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
Paul sincerely complimented the church at Thessalonica for their increasing love for one another. This must have been something they were making obvious in a variety of ways, and I'm sure it was having a spiritual impact on the unbelievers in their city as well. This demonstration of love between believers is the tool the Lord frequently uses to open unbelieving eyes to begin seeing the unconditional nature of His love for us.
The love Paul was praising the Thessalonians for showing wasn't just a warm affection between friends. It was the joyful and sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of others. Believers were meeting each others needs, protecting one another from persecution, and welcoming one another into their lives.
Love sounds wonderful right up to the point when you're asked to put it into practice. Love sounds ideal right up to the point when it's tested. How would you describe your love for your brothers and sisters in Christ right now? Is there a way the Lord encourages you to show love that you're currently resisting? What's holding it back from increasing more and more?
III. Is your steadfastness continuing?
“Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.”
Since becoming a Christian, and particularly since becoming a pastor, I always wondered if and when I would see the church experiencing genuine and overt forms of persecution in our country. There have certainly been some examples of that, but nothing on the scale of what I have been seeing in many foreign nations. But in recent days, I have been watching the selective treatment and overt threats churches have been receiving in certain cities and corners of our country, and it isn't pretty. I have read about a church building being burned down, believers being threatened with arrest for hosting small gatherings, and pastors being arrested or detained. And if I'm honest, I think this is only a taste of what's to come. I doubt this will be the only time I see this, or worse, on American soil during my lifetime. I hope I'm wrong.
The Thessalonian church that Paul addressed this letter to experienced this kind of threatening behavior from the first day it was founded. There were people in their wealthy city who wanted them removed, arrested, or executed. Their persecutors probably would have been content with any of the above options.
But a very interesting thing happens to the church when it's persecuted. It grows nice and big, and becomes particularly strong. Believers start to weigh what really matters to them in this life, and false brothers are quickly weeded out of the fellowship when the going gets tough. There are beautiful historical examples of this happening all throughout the world, and there are present day examples of this phenomenon that we can learn from as well. Persecution is terrible, but the Lord delights in taking what men mean for evil and bringing good out of it.
It should be noted that the Thessalonian Christians were so steadfast in the midst of their persecution that Paul began boasting about them to other churches in various places throughout the world. In their afflictions, they turned to Jesus and trusted Him to see them through. In their moments of persecution, they remembered that it was only for a season, and a glorious future in the presence of Christ awaited them.
Trials and tests show what a person is really made of. Don't despise your times of testing because the Lord will use them to bolster the depth of your faith, and put it on display for others to see. In His power, He will make you steadfast in your walk with Him. He will empower you not to adopt this world's way of thinking as your own, and He will build His church one person at a time no matter the opposition that comes against His people.
"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18b)
As Paul opens his second letter to the Thessalonians, I appreciate the words he speaks. He's giving us a metric we can use to test our spiritual maturity. Is your faith growing? Is your love for others increasing? Is your steadfastness continuing? By the grace of Jesus, I pray that it is.
© John Stange, 2020
