1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER ONE
1 THESSALONIANS Chapter ONE
Thanksgiving for These Believers
Theme: The Coming of Christ Is an Inspiring Hope
By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
© God’s Breath Publications
Please consider reading the entire first Chapter of 1 Thessalonians sometime during each day of the week. This will help you absorb the content of the chapter as well as gain spiritual truths from this marvelous book of the Bible. You will be amazed at the insights that will come from such consistent readings, as well as the growth of your spiritual knowledge. You will also notice how God’s Word will impact your life in the way you relate to your Heavenly Father as well as think, act and treat others around you.
In order for this devotional to help you learn and apply what is beneficial to your spiritual growth, I would encourage you to approach this devotional study with a commitment to observe these five steps each day.
First, pray before you read the scripture, that you will seek to both understand and apply what you learn.
(Psalms 119)
Second, read the scripture passage with a passion and a desire to be convicted by what you read.
(Psalms 37:29-31)
Thirdly, seek to meditate and absorb what you read and respond to how the Holy Spirit will convict you to act.
(John 16:13-15)
Fourthly, challenge yourself how you might apply the convictions that come from the scripture and the Spirit.
(Psalms 1:1-3)
Fifthly, pray once again, that you will consistently act upon what the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do.
(James 1:22-25)
Below each portion of scripture I may at times present additional information helpful to understanding the passage. I will always give you questions for your consideration and to stimulate action on your part. You may not wish to explore each question, but I would challenge you to seek to address most if not all of the points I lay before you to gain the most from the devotional.
DAY ONE
“1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,”
Paul does not open this letter with his authoritative title of apostle. He thus grants equal honor to his fellow brothers in Christ, Silvanus and Timothy.
* How does this demonstrate the humility mentioned in Philippians 2:3 that all of us should possess?
* How can you express such humility today towards others? At Home? At Work? In your neighborhood?
* How does an attitude of an equal standing in Christ facilitate and build relationships with others?
“To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”
The word “church” here means “a called-out people.” Whenever you read about a “call” in the Bible, it indicates divine election, God is calling out a people from this world (Acts 15:13-18). Seven times in the book of John Jesus referred to believers as those whom the Father gave Him out of this world. In verse 4 of this chapter Paul states the Thessalonians have been chosen by God.
* Knowing that you, as a follower of Christ and are chosen out of this world, how does this impact how you view yourself?
* How should this fact impact how you think, act and behave?
Here Paul communicates that the Thessalonians are “in” both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
* How does this illustrate the oneness of the Heavenly Father with His Son, Jesus Christ?
* Why is this “oneness” of the Father and Son so important to the Christian faith?
* How does this relate to your closeness to your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
Here Paul also sends a greeting of “God’s” grace to the Thessalonians. God’s grace always brings peace because of it furnishes salvation through Jesus Christ. It also implies you cannot have peace unless you are under the grace of God.
* Do you believe and understand the depth of God’s grace and how it brings peace? Consider doing a word study on grace and peace in the Bible and see what you discover about how intimately they are tied together. Begin by looking up the words: grace and peace in a concordance and reading the scriptures that contain these words.
Those who have issues with their earthly father sometimes have issues with God being their spiritual Father.
* How can such a person overcome such problems with their relationship with God?
* Who would you seek help from to move towards the healing of your emotions and thoughts if you had difficulties in this area?
We should take note here of the title given to Jesus, that of “LORD.” Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Lord. This means He should be absolute Master over our lives.
* How can this concept of Jesus as our Lord and Master be difficult to accept and live out?
* How can accepting Jesus as Lord of ones life bring peace and strength?
“2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;”
Paul states the he, Silvanus and Timothy give thanks for knowing the Thessalonians as fellow believers. He also states they all pray for them in their prayers.
* Do you show thanks in your prayers for your fellow believers?
* Do you pray for your fellow believers as persistently and intimately as Paul did for the Thessalonians?
* How can you grow in your holy habit of prayer for others?
* Other than giving thanks in prayer, what are other ways you can show thanks to other followers of Christ?
DAY TWO
“3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”
Paul gives thanks for three spiritual disciplines in the lives of the Thessalonians.
* What are these three spiritual disciplines?
Read the explanations of the spiritual disciplines below and respond to the questions or action points.
First, their work of faith: True Christian work is always inspired by faith. Paul, in other writings (Romans & Galatians), contrasts faith and works because salvation does not come from works but faith (Romans 3:20). But Paul is not trying to make this point here. He is trying to illustrate that true faith is a busy faith, busy doing good, obeying God, loving others and expressing faith in all areas of life. But their faith was not work as we might view it, it was a loving lifestyle that came naturally out of their love for God. Galatians 5:6 refers to this action in the life of a believer. Spiritual works, or acts of love, spring from the faith we have in God and the salvation He gives to us. Warren Wiersbe states, “We are not saved by faith plus works, but by a faith that works.”
* Do you consistently and persistently express works of faith in your life that are motivated by love? How can this begin to happen more frequently in your life?
Secondly, their labor of love: Christian ministry is always motivated by love for others. The Greek word for love here is “agape” and so is an expression of selfless love. The Greek word for labor here is “kopos” and denotes laborious toil which directs our minds and hearts to an unceasing desire to love others. God’s love is not the love often demonstrated in the world. God’s love is truly pure “agape” (selfless love) as seen in Romans 5:8. God does not love us because we are worthy, but simply because He desires to love us due to His holy character and nature. One of the evidences of your salvation is the love present in your life for God and others (Romans 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, John 14:15).
Paul talks here about the “labor” of love.
* What are some examples you have expressed “agape” love when it required you to sacrifice willingly, sometimes at great cost?
* What hinders you from loving others in an “agape” manner at times?
It’s always easy to love people who are “easy” to love.
* How can God empower you to love those who are “difficult” to love?
Paul shares that because they have responded to the love of God, they are motivated to become like God and love as God would. He also commends the Thessalonians for seeking to express their love towards others.
* Do you sense in your life that because the Holy Spirit lives within you as a follower Christ, He is encouraging you to love others in a consistent selfless manner?
* If this conviction and motivation is not prominent in your life, will you pray that it would be so?
* Will you commit to be responsive to the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to do this and accept the power He will give you to follow through with your commitment?
Thirdly, Paul mentions their steadfast hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian’s ability to endure in and through all things finds as its source godly hope. The steadfast patient hope Paul speaks of, is in the Greek, “hupomone” and means “an active, manly endurance to remain under,” much like that of a stout-hearted soldier who endures the burden of battle or of a mule who endures carrying a heavy load. The hope of the follower of Christ always has an air of certainty about it because it is grounded in the trustworthy character of God and His Son. It is a confident expectation of God fulfilling His promises because of His dependability. This hope is also always directed towards the second coming of Christ.
* Do you possess a strong hope in Jesus Christ that He has saved you from your sins? That Jesus is preparing a place for you in Heaven? That Jesus is your advocate in Heaven praying for you always? That He will return one day to claim His Kingdom?
* If not, pray now that God would give you such a hope. Seek to do a word study on the meaning of Christian hope in Holy Scripture. Consider reading scriptures such as; Psalms 31:24, Romans 15:13, Hebrews 6:17-20, 1 Peter 13, 1 John 3:2-3.
The addition of “in the presence (sight) of God and Father” speaks of the Fatherhood of God, but also links the Father and Son together as well. It also implies that the spiritual acts of faith, hope and love that we express are witnessed by their Heavenly Father.
* Knowing that God is a witness of all you think and do, does this make you feel concerned or encouraged? Why?
* If you are concerned by God knowing your thoughts and deeds at times, what actions could you take to change this by relying upon the Holy Spirit, God’s Word and the support of other wise mature followers of Christ?
You can consider faith, love and hope as the three legs of a stool representing your spiritual life, as long as all three legs of the stool are study and balanced it can support large amounts of weight. If just one of the legs is missing or different from the other two, the stool wobbles and insufficient to safely support weight.
* Of these three qualities, faith, love and hope, which seems to be weakest or deficient in your spiritual life? Why is this so, and what can you do to strengthen that quality? How is the Holy Spirit necessary for you to strengthen this quality?
Other Scriptures which link Faith, Hope and Love are: 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Romans 5:2-5, Galatians 5:5-6, Colossians 1:4-5, Hebrews 6:10-11, 1 Peter 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 13:13.
* Consider studying these passages and making a commitment to memorize them as well as apply them to your walk with Christ.
“4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;”
Paul uses the word “brethren” 21 times in 1 and 2 Thessalonians which demonstrates his close bond to them. The word “beloved” implies a love existing in the past with that of one continuing into the present with undiminished force.
Verse four mentions two amazing truths you should hold in your heart and mind deeply. First, you are loved by God as a follower of Jesus. Secondly, you were chosen by Him to be His child and belong to His spiritual family.
* Knowing that you are loved by God, how should this affect your relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that lives within you as a follower of Christ?
* Knowing that your Heavenly Father chose you to be part of His spiritual family, how does this impact your current life?
* Is there a responsibility that comes with such a privilege and demonstration of love?
* What do you think God desires from you as any loving father might?
DAY THREE
“5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”
Paul reminds the Christians at Thessalonica that when he shared the gospel with them, it came to them not just through simple spoken words, but in three powerful ways.
First the gospel came to them empowered by God to change their hearts. “Power” here in the Greek is “dunamis” and means “unequaled power.” Power can come in many forms, but nothing matches the power of God that can change a person’s heart.
* How has the power of the gospel changed your life, thoughts, motivations, desires and goals in life?
* If you sense there are areas in your life that the gospel has not had a strong influence, consider approaching the Lord in prayer and asking Him how these areas might need changing. Pray that you will be more responsive and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in those areas, understanding the Spirit will give you the power and direction to change.
Secondly, Paul also shares that the gospel came to the Thessalonians “in the Holy Spirit.” Everything about Christianity is supernatural because God is involved in every aspect of the believer’s life. The Holy Spirit is the divine comforter that takes up residence within the follower of Christ at their conversion.
* How has the Holy Spirit demonstrated His power in your life through the Word of God?
* What changes have taken place because of your increasing knowledge and conviction from the Word of God?
* What changes still need to take place?
* How can you allow God’s power to change you in these areas?
John Stott states that, “The truth of the Word, the conviction with which we speak it, and the power of its impact on others all come from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit without the Word is weaponless; the Word without the Spirit is powerless.”
Thirdly, Paul’s preaching of the gospel was also with his “full conviction” that it was true. He lived and taught the gospel because He believed it with his whole heart.
* Do you live the gospel in a manner similar to Paul, with conviction and in a responsible manner?
* In what ways could God enable you to live with a stronger conviction concerning the gospel?
* What areas of your life need to come under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
* What hindrances to spiritual growth need to be purged from your life?
* How can you seek to be more humble to the changes that God wishes to make in your life?
Paul, Silvanus and Timothy proved to be godly responsible men by the way they lived out the gospel. This related directly to both their witness and character.
* Does your lifestyle, as well as your habits and thoughts, reflect a good witness, a godly character and a humble submission to the Lord and His gospel?
* If your life does not reflect these godly qualities, how can you give these areas over to the Lord and seek to allow His Spirit to mold you into the person you were meant to be?
DAY FOUR
“6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,”
Because Paul lived out the gospel of Christ in all areas of his life, the Thessalonians saw no distinction between what he preached and how he lived. The result of Paul’s godly example was the followers of Christ at Thessalonica lived a Christ-like lifestyle.
* Since you have not only Christ’s example of how to live as a follower of Christ, but also Paul’s, as well as the Thessalonians, how should you be living to demonstrate your commitment to Christ? Are you?
* What steps can you take to assure that you are imitating Christ, Paul and the Thessalonians in the way you live?
Paul shares in this verse that the Thessalonians received the word of the gospel in the midst of difficult tribulations, not with hesitancy or as a burden, but with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Often there can be hardships or pressures that will make it difficult to accept God’s wisdom and advice. There can also be a price we must pay to live it out.
* What hindrances do you face in receiving the Word of God, believing it and applying it to your life?
* Are these hindrances internal or external or both?
* How can the joy of the Holy Spirit assist you in dealing with such hindrances to living out the gospel?
* How is the joy of the Holy Spirit received and experienced?
* Read Romans 14:17, 15:13, Galatians 5:22, 1 Peter 1:8, 9 and write down your thoughts on how joy is mentioned in these passages. Consider memorizing one or more of these verses to remind you of the importance of godly joy in your life.
* Consider reading Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18. These are parallel scriptures that communicate to us that as we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly we will be filled with the Spirit. When we focus on the Word of God and let it permeate our heart and mind the Holy Spirit can fill us. The result is the fruit of the Spirit, one aspect of this fruit of the Spirit is joy.
DAY FIVE
“7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.”
The result of the Thessalonians receiving Christ and imitating the Christ-like lifestyle of Paul was that they were godly examples all over Macedonia and Achaia. The Greek word here for example is “tupos” which means literally “types.” The word suggests a mold, a pattern, a model. Jesus had been Paul’s model and Paul had been the Thessalonians model. Paul states that their example “sounded forth” and in the Greek this word means “crashing out like a roll of thunder.” When we live by the Spirit God’s power is manifested in our lives and sounds forth like a mighty clap of thunder in the lives of others as God works through us.
* How have you modeled or molded yourself after the example Christ set for you?
* Are you being a model for someone else to follow?
* Have you considered how your commitment to Christ and the way you live according to the Word of God can influence others around you?
* How can the Holy Spirit within you empower you to live the holy life God has called you to live so others are drawn to the gospel of Christ?
* What areas in your life need to be transformed or changed so your witness can be more of an example of how Jesus Christ lived?
Paul commends the Thessalonians for their witness. They lived their lives so closely to that of Jesus Christ Paul had no further advice for them when it came to their witness. This does not mean the Thessalonians, nor Paul, were perfect in their walk with the Lord, but their lifestyle was an excellent example of how to live as a follower of Christ.
* What areas need to change in your walk with Christ so that your witness can more reflect the life of Christ?
* Contemplate the influence you have in the lives of others and pray how God might lead you to be more effective in both witnessing the gospel in word and deed to others.
* Make a commitment to grow in this area and expand the extent of your influence for the gospel of Christ in the lives of others.
DAY SIX
“9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,”
Paul continues to share that other Christians in Macedonia and Achaia reported to him about the lifestyle and ministry of the followers of Christ in Thessalonica. They were impressed by how the Thessalonians had made a commitment to turn from their old way of life, worshipping idols, and commit to serve the only true God. There should always be some type of change that is perceived by others when we accept Christ as Savior and Lord.
* The Thessalonians turned from their idols to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What idols did you turn from when you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
* Are there any idols that have crept into your life that you need to turn from? If so list them and pray for God to empower you to turn from them now.
* What areas of change occurred in your life when you accepted Christ as Savior and Lord?
* Are these changes still persisting in your life?
God continues to change us to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29, 12:2, 1 Peter 1:14).
* What other changes have you noticed in the last week, month or year that indicate you are becoming more like Christ Jesus?
DAY SEVEN
“10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
Paul shares in this verse that one aspect of our Christian life is that of waiting for Jesus Christ to return to earth. Waiting for something we desire is very hard to do. Sometimes we can become comfortable and complacent in the present. This causes us to fail to live productively and keeps us from progressively growing in maturity with the time we have left. Therefore we waste the time of the present. The word translated “wait” in this verse means “to await someone with patience and confidence, expectantly.” Waiting for the Lord to return requires activity and endurance.
* Do you anxiously await the return of Jesus Christ to the earth?
* Are you using your time wisely each day, knowing that He might return in the next minute?
Using your time wisely is not being a workaholic at work or in a ministry. It means gaining balance pursuing positive recreational activities, building relationships with others, having fun, serving the Lord in some form of ministry through the use of your spiritual gift(s), and growing deeper in your relationship with the Lord.
* Do you manage your time wisely striving to balance your life in all areas?
Paul also includes in this last verse of chapter one the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead and because of this, Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come.
* What impact does knowing your Heavenly Father raised Jesus from the dead have on your faith in God?
* What does the knowledge that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior have on your feeling of security in the present and for your future?
* What urgency do you feel to share the gospel knowing that there is a wrath to come for those who do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?
* What can you do to consistently and persistently witness to others about the coming wrath and how they can be saved from such judgment and punishment?