1 Thessalonians 3
1 Therefore when we could endure {it} no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone,
2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith,
Note Paul’s opinion of Timothy – brother, God’s fellow worker. Paul did not think of himself as the only important person doing God’s work, but he had respect for his co-workers.
3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.
4 For indeed when we were with you, we {kept} telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.
Paul sought to obey God, and yet he was destined for afflictions. Is that just for Paul?
What about you and me? If we obey God, are we also destined for afflictions? Or will we be rewarded financially, as some preach?
Consider what Paul told Timothy concerning this in 2 Tm 3:12.
2 Tm 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
It is not just for Paul! All (that’s you and me too) who desire to obey God will be persecuted. That is what Paul realized as he went through these persecutions.
5 For this reason, when I could endure {it} no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
Paul was concerned that when the Thessalonians heard about Paul’s afflictions, they would falter in their faith. He was so concerned because he knew that Satan would be trying to weaken their faith. After all, if you are not spiritually mature, then when you see your apostle suffering a trial, you wonder where God is, and why God is not standing by your apostle. Paul had already prepared them for his affliction, but he wanted to make sure that they hadn’t forgotten what he told them.
Paul was so concerned that he was willing to be left alone in Athens while he sent Timothy to strengthen them. He put their needs first.
When Paul says that he feared that his labor would be in vain, was he thinking of his own reward, or was he more concerned about the Thessalonians? I don’t think that he was thinking of his own reward because he had already converted those Thessalonians. He was thinking about their loss, not his.
Paul was not afraid of Satan, but he did spend time thinking about what Satan’s next move would be. He spent time studying Satan’s tactics (2 Cor 2:11, 2 Cor 11:14, Eph 4:27, Eph 6:11, 1 Tm 3:7), and would try to predict what Satan would do.
We also need to be like that, particularly concerning ourselves, our spouse and children, and those under our ministry.
Are you actively aware that Satan is interested in your children and wants to destroy them? You would be alarmed if someone told you that a pedophile was in the area and interested in your children, wouldn’t you? How much more alarmed should we be when we realize that Satan – who is far more powerful and far more evil than any pedophile – is interested in your children?
Satan tries to scare us, or to get us to doubt, or to distract us, and we need to recognize that. But Satan doesn’t bother with those who are ‘asleep’ or with those who are easily trapped. Are you such a person? Can Satan easily derail your plan to encourage yourself in the Lord or bless others in the Lord by just planting in your mind the thought to reach for the TV remote and see what’s on TV? Or perhaps a thought of jealousy or judgment against a brother or sister in the Lord?
Peter said that Satan is our adversary, waiting for an opportunity to destroy us, and that we need to be sober and alert (1 Pet 5:8). Peter learnt to be sober and alert. Paul learnt to be sober and alert. Part of being a mature Christian is to train yourself to be sober and alert.
Paul sent Timothy to find out about the faith of the Thessalonians. That is, Paul wanted to know if these Thessalonians were still believers. Now why would Paul do that?
Consider the following scenario: suppose you planted a tree in a region that gets frequent tornadoes, and then cared for it for a few weeks, and then went away. Now a few months have passed, and you are wondering whether that tree, which is very dear to you, is still there, or whether it has been uprooted and destroyed by a tornado. That is what Paul’s situation is like – the tree being the church in Thessalonica, and the tornado being Satan.
Now the question is this: if you knew that the tree was indestructible, would you still have the same concern? Or would you figure that the tornado cannot destroy the tree and therefore not be concerned?
Clearly, the Thessalonians had believed and were born again. If Paul believed in eternal security, why would he be concerned that his labor would be in vain? Further, why would he send Timothy to find out whether the Thessalonian believers were still in the faith or whether Satan managed to wreck their faith? Wouldn’t he be sure that, no matter what Satan did, these saints, if they were part of the elect, would persevere, and that God would keep them in the faith? Wouldn’t he know that if they were not part of the elect then they wouldn’t have believed in the first place, and sending Timothy would not make them part of the elect? If Paul believed in eternal security then there would be no reason for him to send Timothy. From this I can only conclude that Paul didn’t believe in eternal security.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,
7 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;
8 for now we {really} live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account,
When Paul found that the Thessalonians were strong in their faith he was greatly comforted. It showed the genuineness of his concern for them.
10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you;
Paul prayed with great earnestness to see the Thessalonians again.
Why did he want to see them again? It was so that he could help them advance in spiritual things. He had a great desire not only that he advance in the Lord but also that those who he ministered to would advance in the Lord.
One mark of spiritual maturity is a concern for others – not just for their physical and financial and mental well-being, but for their spiritual well-being too.
I see a great selfishness in myself – a concern about my own needs and desires and goal, and at best, the needs of my family. But I want to be like Paul, who learnt from Jesus, who left heaven and came to earth to die for my sins.
12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also {do} for you;
13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
Now read the above verses carefully, or you’ll miss something really important.
So what is Paul saying here? Is he saying that we need to increase and abound in love for everyone so that God can forgive all our sins?
Aren’t all believers without blame in holiness when they get born again? Why do we have to love each other and all people for Jesus to be able to establish that we are without blame in holiness?
Let’s examine this step by step…
What does it mean to have a heart that is without blame in holiness?
Holiness is separation from sin. To blame someone is to point out his fault. So ‘to have a heart that is without blame in holiness’ is to be in a position where no one can say that you wronged them and didn’t set it right even though you could.
Now, in this passage, Paul was reminding the Thessalonians (and us) that Jesus was going to come again.
And all the saints would be there with Him.
And the Father would be there too.
And it would be show and tell time.
And then it’s your turn.
All eyes are on you, and Jesus has to display what He was able to do with your life after you got born again.
Would Jesus be able to establish (that is, prove / confirm) that you were without blame in holiness?
That is the scenario Paul has in mind!
Now what does it mean for you to be without blame in holiness?
You know that when you were born again all your sins are forgiven. But to be without blame means that you have also set things right…
That is, you have paid back everything you cheated or stole.
And you have apologized to everyone you hurt (including God).
To be without blame is to have set right the things that can be set right, and should be set right – now, while you can. Otherwise, at show and tell time, someone will be able to stand up and blame you for something you didn’t set right. You were forgiven, but you didn’t set it right.
If you abound in love for your brothers and sisters in the church, and for all people, then you will set things right with them. That is why Paul wants them to abound in love so that they may be shown to be blameless in holiness.
Notice how Paul made it a point to remind them of the end, and the associated show and tell. Why did he do that? It is because the realization of the coming of the end is what brings people to their sense and causes them to walk with God.
Remember Enoch? What was the most interesting thing about him?
To me, the most interesting thing about Enoch was that Enoch walked with God.
Do you ever wonder why Enoch began walking with God? And when did he begin to walk with God?
Gen 5:21-22 21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
From Gen 5:21-22 we see that Enoch began walking with God after his son, whom he named Methuselah, was born.
Why? What happened when Enoch’s son Methuselah was born?
Methuselah means ‘when he dies it will be sent’.
Do you know what happened when Methuselah died? The Flood was sent!
So it seems to be that Enoch was instructed by God to name his son Methuselah, to remind Enoch that when his son died, the world, as he knew it, would end. That’s why Enoch prophesied the Second Coming.
Jude 1:14-15 14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Imagine if you heard that an asteroid was going to collide with the earth in about two years, and human beings would be wiped out. Wouldn’t your whole perspective change?
In the same way, it was the realization that the end was coming that changed Enoch’s life and made him walk with God.
That end by the Flood, indicated by Methuselah’s name, was a picture of the Second Coming prophesied by Enoch.
I think that Paul noticed this, and internalized what remembering the end can do, and that is why he reminded the Thessalonians of the end, so that they too would walk with God.
If you are wise, you too will remember that the end is coming, and you, abounding in love for others, will set things right – now, while you can – so that at show and tell time Jesus will be able to display the great things He has done in you, and no one will be able to mar His testimony by standing up and blaming you for some wrong that you did to them and didn’t set right as best as you could.
In the next chapter Paul moves from generalizations to specifics. He tells them exactly where they need to grow.
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