Paul’s major concerns for the Thessalonians are that they live in hope and holiness – hope because of the reality of Christ’s coming return, and holiness because faith in Christ must shape the way we live. Today we’re seeing Paul’s deep concern for any negative consequences that either their persecution or Paul’s absence might cause. He emphasizes that they are Together in Holiness despite the circumstances. God never meant for us to live our faith in isolation from each other. What does it mean for us to live our lives Together in Holiness today?
Paul faced opposition from outside the church in Philippi and Thessalonica, so he defends himself based both on his own actions and the positive response of the Thessalonian Christians. In this Paul also gives us a lasting model of Leading from the Heart with a series of family images: being as innocent as infants, as loving as nursing mothers, and as nurturing as fathers. Those leadership traits are all under the arch of preaching and living the message of good news that is the very word of God. May Paul’s model shape our lives today in Hope and Holiness.
Paul begins his letter to the Thessalonians with a prayer of thanks for the dramatic way their faith in Jesus changed their lives. Their faith, love, and hope resulted in fruitful lives even in the face of suffering. When religion becomes mere words, work, labor, and endurance, Paul’s letter brings us back to the reality of joy and power in our relationship with Christ as we eagerly wait for his return. This is our new identity in Christ: Living in Hope, Growing in Holiness.
Paul encountered opposition in almost every city where he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ…especially in Thessalonica. Yet in every city Paul’s preaching planted hope: a hope centered on Jesus crucified and risen. Wherever Paul planted hope, we see churches grow and lives change. We should never see opposition simply as a sign that we’re planting gospel hope in the wrong way or in the wrong place. Jesus told us there would be opposition. Wherever the Holy Spirit is planting hope through us and in us, he promises that he is also growing holiness.
While the first nine Commandments begin with our actions and lead to our heart, the final commandment begins in the heart. In the commandment to not covet, God tells us not to set our hearts on things that do not belong to us. Even more than that, God tells us to desire only the right things, and then only in the right ways, because coveting is at the heart of every sin we face. May God Order Our Steps as by his Holy Spirit together we work on Ordering Our Desires.