So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
My Understanding: This letter to the church in Thessalonica was co-authored by Paul, Silas and Timothy, who were apostles and missionaries, who helped the church in Thessalonica to get established in their faith in Christ Jesus. In this letter to the church, they thanked God for the believers’ work, which was produced by faith, for their labor prompted by love, and their endurance inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then, they reminded the believers of how they dared to share the gospel with them, in spite of strong opposition; how they spoke as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel; and how they did not work for the approval, praise or financial gratification of men. They never used flattery (false praise), nor did they wear masks and pretend to be something they were not in order to manipulate the believers so they could get some kind of financial reward from them. They were gentle among the believers, like a mother caring for her children. They loved the believers in Thessalonica so much that they not only shared with them the gospel, but their lives, as well. They dealt with each one of them like a loving father should deal with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging them to live lives worthy of God, who calls us into his kingdom and glory.
The apostles, as well, told the church that the believers in Christ Jesus were their hope, joy and crown, in which they would glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ when he comes again. Wow! What an encouragement to know that there are those within the body of Christ who might care for us this much! Yet, even if we don’t experience this kind of love, nurturing and care from mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ is always there loving and caring for us, and he will never leave us or forsake us.
Firm and Steadfast
The apostles were separated from these believers for a short time, though they were never far from them in their thoughts. Yet, they longed to see them again. So, when they could stand it no longer, they sent Timothy to them, while Paul and Silas remained in Athens. The purpose of Timothy’s visit to the believers in Thessalonica was to encourage them in their faith, so that none of them would be unsettled by the trials they were obviously going through. The trials appeared to be centered in strong opposition and persecution of the believers, because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Though some people may not find this very encouraging, though it is, the apostles reminded the believers that they were destined for such trials. The reason this is encouraging is because, if we do not expect that we will go through such difficulties, then when they come, the trials could shake our faith in Christ. That is why, when the apostles were with them in person, they kept telling them that they would be persecuted. “And it turned out that way, as you well know,” they said. Jesus Christ promised us the same. He told us that we would be treated just like he was treated. He told us that the world (including the worldly church) would hate us, reject us, despise us, speak falsely against us, and would persecute us.
Yet, many believers have the opposite idea of what it means to be a Christian. They think that the mark of a true Christian is that everyone likes you and speaks well of you. And, they make it their goal, oftentimes, to do what others would approve of so that they will be liked, and so they will fit in with others who also profess belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Yet, we are not here on this earth to “fit in” or to have everyone like us and approve of us. We are here to love, serve, obey, and follow Jesus Christ with our lives; to follow his example for godly living; to forsake our sins; to love one another as God loves us; and to walk in the Spirit of God. When we are doing that, many of those who are of this world will hate us, reject us, and will persecute us. And, if we know ahead of time that this will happen, then when it does, our faith should remain steadfast and firm.
The Encouraging Report
Timothy brought back a good report concerning the faith and love of the believers in Thessalonica. That report encouraged the apostles that their labor of love for the believers there was not in vain, and that the tempter had not been able to use their trials and persecutions to dissuade them. Amen! The report brought much hope and joy to the apostles to hear that the Christians were standing firm in the Lord. They rejoiced in the Lord over this very good news! The apostles prayed for the followers of Christ night and day, and they longed for the day that they could be with them again and could supply anything that was lacking in their faith. I can tell you that there is no greater joy than to have those believers, with and for whom you have labored in love, walking in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, and standing firm in their faith. So many have gone the way of the world and are living to please themselves and are not walking in faith and obedience, so it brings much joy to the life of the servants of the Lord to hear such good reports of faithfulness.
More Encouragement
Then, the apostles gave the followers of Christ even more words of encouragement. They prayed that the Lord Jesus would make their love overflow and increase for each other and for everyone else, “just as ours does for you.” The kind of love the apostles had for the believers was expressed previously in how they shared the gospel and their very lives with them, how they nurtured them as a loving parent would his or her children, and how they urged the believers to live lives worthy (praiseworthy; commendable) of God. They did not use flattery or put on masks to cover up greed, in order to win approval of men. They were concerned with being faithful ministers of the gospel and with being approved by God, instead. They told the truth and they showed integrity in all that they did.
They also prayed that the Lord Jesus would strengthen their hearts so that they would be “blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” We are made righteous through what Jesus Christ did in dying on the cross for our sins and in being resurrected to life in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin. He died so that we could be free from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternal damnation), but he also died and came back to life so that we would be free from the control of sin over our daily lives, and so we could walk in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ, in faithful obedience and surrender to his will for our lives.
We receive him and his salvation when, by God’s grace, and through faith, we turn from our sins, and we turn to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ and to his commands. Yet, this is just the beginning of our spiritual journey. The Christian life is a lifelong process of being made holy and set apart for Christ and for his service. So, we must remain steadfast, we need to be strengthened in our faith, and we ought to be encouraged (inspired; urged; nurtured) in our faith so we can keep going and not let the enemy of our souls get us to retreat when things get tough. So, when we are going through trials that try our faith and may tempt us to retreat, or to back down in our faith, or to become lazy in our service for the Lord, we need to pray for the Lord Jesus to encourage our emotions and minds, to refresh our spirits, to revive our hearts, and to move us to serve him in all we do and say.
Refresh My Spirit, Lord / An Original Work / August 8, 2011
Based off of Psalm 51 & Matthew 11:28-30
Refresh my spirit, Lord. Revive my heart today.
Move me to serve You, Lord in all I do and say.
Be my heart’s one desire; my spirit set on fire
In pure devotion, Lord, to love you and obey.
Create within me, Lord, a pure heart, this I pray,
So I can worship You and yield to You always.
May all Your love and pow’r be lived in me, I pray,
So I might love as You; be Your witness today.
Jesus says, “Come to me all you with heavy hearts,
And find in me your peace, and give to me your all.
My yoke is light to bear, ‘cause I paid for your sin,
So you might be set free, and purified within.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlPBpizIc04
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