Believers waiting for Christ's return - The Robesonian

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

The church at Thessalonica is a good example for other churches to follow. Paul, Silas and Timothy were all thankful for the Thessalonian Christians and remembered them always in their prayers.

There, they visited a synagogue where Paul “reasoned with them out of the scriptures” (Acts 17:3). He explained how it was necessary that Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross, and how the Savior fulfilled the prophecies found in the Scriptures.

It was not an altogether pleasant experience when Paul and Silas were in the city. Some of the Jews, joined by Gentiles, believed the Gospel and the church was planted in about three weeks. There were, however, unbelieving Jews envious of Paul and Silas and the success of the Gospel. The unbelievers gathered a group of troublemakers and they “set all the city on an uproar” (Acts 17:5). It was said Paul and Silas had “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

Let’s visit the church at Thessalonica to see what makes them an example today. Perhaps the first key to understanding the people is that Paul referred to them as “the church,” meaning people who are called out of the world.

Divine election is difficult to understand and sometimes controversial but there is no denying this doctrine is biblical. In verse 4, Paul spoke of the believers’ “election of God.” In other words, they were chosen by God. Later, Paul would write, “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13).

From whom does our salvation come? According to these Scriptures, salvation comes from God, and it is because He loved us first and He has always loved us. Writing to the Romans, Paul said, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Salvation comes when we believe the Gospel, and as a result our lives are forever changed. There is in us the testimony that we have been saved out of the world. As Paul wrote in verse 9, “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you.” Truly, the Gospel message did turn the world upside down for the Thessalonian believers who “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Spiritually, their world had been turned upside down.

Finally, Christians ought to live with the anticipation of the return of Christ Jesus, and the Thessalonians did just that as they “waited” for God’s Son.

Waiting has the effect of preparing us for our Savior’s return and it means we really believe His words when He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).

The Sunday school lesson is written by Ed Wilcox, pastor of Centerville Baptist Church. He can be reached at [email protected]

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"waiting" - Google News
November 07, 2019 at 08:03PM
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Believers waiting for Christ's return - The Robesonian
"waiting" - Google News
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