II. An elect church: (1:4):
Paul assures them that God has chosen them for sure, which he portrays mentioning them with the frequent reference of brethren. The Thessalonica is more of a gentile church, yet Paul refers them as beloved because of their strong faith and love for the Lord.
- What about us?
- Can we say with utmost confidence that we are chosen by God, and one day we will see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face when the church is taken up in Rapture?
III. An exemplary church: (1:5-7):
The Gospel came with “power” not in words. It had a powerful effect on the Thessalonians. Yes, the Holy Spirit changes the people when they believe the
Gospel. When we tell others about Christ, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation.
- God’s power changes people, not our cleverness or persuasion. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, our words are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of their sin, but also assures them of the truth of the Gospel. The Thessalonians could see that what Paul, Silas and Timothy were preaching, but they lived in the Gospel.
The Thessalonians were fully aware of their teachers’ manner of life and that their motive was to benefit the Thessalonians. The message Paul preached had entered into the minds and hearts of the Thessalonians and they had been saved. From their belief beautiful lives had blossomed.
The outstanding fruit of faith was Thessalonians’ change of behaviour. They became imitators of their spiritual parents, the missionaries. This is normal Christian experience. But they also went on to imitate the Lord, This too is natural, and the order is true to life as well. A new Christian first looks to other believers as his pattern, but then as he matures he realizes that Jesus Christ is his best model. That’s why Paul says: “Follow me as I follow the Lord” (1 Cor.11:1). Despite severe suffering the Thessalonians welcomed the message. Some of the suffering and difficulties the believers have faced were quite relevant to what we face daily in our lives. They are as follows:
- Hatredness: The Jews among them must have felt the hatred of their unbelieving brothers who were very antagonistic to the gospel in that city.
- Difficult situation: The Gentile converts must have had to swim against the swift current of paganism that flowed like a torrent in the commercial city Thessalonica. It is true in India now. There is an increased Hindu religious fervour, Christians are being looked down, Christians are deprived of religious liberty and faith etc.
- Conversion within the family: The city’s chief men’s wives, who had become Christians, had to go home to unbelieving husbands who would not have appreciated their newly sensitized consciences.
Yet in spite of trials the Thessalonians’ believers possessed joy within, the joy of their sins forgiven. It is interesting that Christians who have tribulations in their daily walks often seem to have greater joy in the Lord than those who live in more comfortable spiritual climates. A Christian’s joy should be determined not by his circumstances but by his relationship with Christ. This was true of the Thessalonians. The source of their joy was the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Further the testimony of these Christians reflected in other parts of Macedonia, reaching even to Achaia, the neighbouring province to the south. Having become imitators of the missionaries and their Lord they became a role model and object of imitation to other believers.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he pointed to these Macedonians as a model of sacrificial giving (2 Cor. 8:1-8). He wrote that they had given money to help other believers even though they themselves were poor. One of the most revealing evidences of a Christian’s true spirituality is the way he manages his money. In this revealing test the Thessalonians emerged as gold tried in the fire.