Growing Faith (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)
People ask if we know of a good church in the city.
Paul writes letter to a church that had come into existence out of a pagan culture about 12-18 months before.
As you would expect, it was not free of problems. No church is. It’s amazing how quickly Satan infiltrates a church.
But in spite of the problems, they were growing in faith, love, and endurance under persecution.
In the grace and peace of the gospel...
Growing Faith (2 Thessalonians 1:1-5)
People ask if we know of a good church in the city.
Paul writes letter to a church that had come into existence out of a pagan culture about 12-18 months before.
As you would expect, it was not free of problems. No church is. It’s amazing how quickly Satan infiltrates a church.
But in spite of the problems, they were growing in faith, love, and endurance under persecution.
In the grace and peace of the gospel.
Grace is God’s unmerited favour, shown to us in the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Grace means that God bestows all the blessings of salvation—eternal life, forgiveness of all our sins, and complete right standing with Him—as a gift to those who deserve His wrath.
Peace refers to total well-being, but especially to the spiritual well-being that comes from being reconciled to God through Christ.
His shed blood paid the penalty of our sins so that we are now at peace with God.
Increase in Faith
We need to be thankful to God because, He is behind this growth.
Faith is not a one-time event, where we believe and it’s over.
Our faith in God and the many promises of His word must grow. The difficult news is that such growth usually comes through trials.
You’re cruising along, thinking that you’re trusting in Jesus, when, you get hit with something difficult. It may be a health problem, the loss of a job, a family crisis, a financial crisis or something else that is beyond your ability to handle. What should you do?
Increasing love for one another.
Increasing love for one another flows out of growing faith in the Lord Jesus, who commanded us to love one another even as He loved us (John 13:34-35). Paul had commended the Thessalonians for their love (1 Thess. 1:3).
He prayed that their love would increase and abound (1 Thess. 3:12); and again commended them for their love, urging them to excel still more (1 Thess. 4:9-10).
Now he had heard that their love was growing ever greater. This means that we never arrive at a point where we can check love off our list for prayer and growth.
Suffering in light of the kingdom of God.
When we go through severe trials, we tend to think that God has forsaken us and is not working out His plan for us.
He wants us to understand that suffering is often the means God uses to work out His eternal purpose and prepare us for His kingdom.
persevering in suffering is an evidence that God is working in us, preparing us for His eternal kingdom.
Peter expressed a similar idea (1 Pet. 1:6-7): “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Are we soaked in God’s grace and peace through the gospel? Are we growing in faith and love? Are we persevering in our trials? And, are we viewing our trials in light of God’s coming kingdom?
Let us Pray
Heavenly father, Thank you for your grace and the gospel. Help us to grow in faith and love. Help us to persevere under challenging circumstances and look forward for your kingdom to come. In Jesus Name. Amen.
