There is nothing more glorious than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther said, “The true treasure of the church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.” Paul states that the church at Thessalonica is his ‘glory and joy’. Why does he make such a statement? It is because of their acceptance of the Gospel. God is glorified in the Gospel. In this passage we see several things concerning the glory of the Gospel.

                The Glory of the Gospel is found in the preaching of the Gospel. In verse 13 Paul expresses thanksgiving to God for the Thessalonians that received the Gospel that they preached to them. The preaching of the Gospel is a powerful force. It is supernatural. It does not come from man; it comes from God. As the Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Someone has said that the gospel is not the kind of message that man would invent if he could, nor is it a message that he could invent if he would.”^[1] This is why Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”^[2]The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It has the ability to transform a life. There is nothing greater and nothing more powerful than the life changing power of the Gospel. Charles Spurgeon once said, “When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed”. The preaching of the Gospel must be paramount. For it is the Gospel and the Gospel only that changes lives. It’s the Gospel that snatches an alcoholic from the clutches of addiction. It’s the Gospel that calms the spirit of the man overcome by anger. It’s the Gospel that frees a man from the entrapment of pornography. It’s the Gospel that restores a broken marriage. It’s the Gospel that cleanses the vilest sinner. It’s the Gospel that pulls you out of the muck and mire of sin and sets your feet on the rock of Jesus Christ. It’s the Gospel that rescues you from the penalty of sin and pulls you away from the flames of hell. It’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ that redeems. It’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ that saves. It’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ justifies. It’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ that sets you free. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Therefore, it must be preached. It must be preached in the market places. It must be preached in the schools. It must be preached in the halls of government. It must be preached in the dark alleys. It must be preached on the ball field and in the gym. It must be preached in the hospitals. It must be preached in the jungles. It must be preached in the deserts. It must be preached in the mountains. It must be preached on the beaches. Everywhere there are ears to hear, the Gospel must be preached. For it is the power of God unto salvation. And it is in the preaching of the Gospel that God is glorified!

                The Glory of the Gospel is found in the receiving of the Gospel. Verse 13 speaks of how the Thessalonians received the Gospel. They were convinced of its truth and they wholeheartedly believed it. Warren Wiersbe said, “May we never be confused as to the content and intent of the Gospel. The Gospel is not ‘follow Christ and imitate His life’ but ‘receive Christ by faith and allow Him to set you free.’ There is no place in the Gospel for a salvation that is attained by keeping the Law.”^[3] God is not glorified in man’s attempt to get Him. That is what religion is. Religion is simply man’s attempt to get to God. Religion will not save. Religion will not lead you to God, it will lead you to self-worship. The Gospel is about God coming to man. Doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. All that needs to be done to secure our salvation was accomplished on the cross. We must accept it. We must receive it. We must put our faith in Christ alone. For He is the only way. Spurgeon said, “Human nature’s way of salvation is, “Do, do, do.” But God’s way of salvation is, “Done, done; it is all done.” You have but to rely by faith on the atonement which Christ accomplished on the cross”. There is no greater joy than to see a lost sinner come to faith in Christ. Every time a soul is saved, the Heavenly choir rejoices! God is glorified when the Gospel is not just preached, but also received. Have you received the Gospel? Have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus?

                The Glory of the Gospel is found in the sanctification of the believer. Verse 13 goes on to say that the Word of God continues to work in those that believe. The Gospel is not something you graduate from. It’s not just something you believe in and it doesn’t affect how you live. The Gospel changes everything. We are called not to just know the Gospel, but also to live the Gospel. This continuing in the Gospel is what we refer to as ‘progressive sanctification’. It is the process of the believer in becoming more and more like Christ. The goal of sanctification is Christ-likeness. The Gospel touches every facet of our lives. As the Word of God works it affects every decision that we make. Our career choices, our relationships, our finances; it is all affected by our sanctification. Therefore, the life questions we should constantly ask ourselves is to be centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In light of the Gospel, should we buy that new car? In light of the Gospel, should I marry that person? In light of the Gospel, should I take that job offer? For the believer, everything we do is in light of the Gospel. The Word of God is working in us for His glory. Therefore, the glory of the Gospel is found in our sanctification.

                The Glory of the Gospel is found in the suffering of the believer. Verses 14-16 we see Paul recognizing the things which the Thessalonian believers has suffered. He reminds them that they are not alone, for many do indeed suffer for the cause of Christ. “The Thessalonians had suffered the same things at the hands of their countrymen as the Judean churches had endured at the hands of unbelieving Jews. Just as these Jews had made life hard for the young churches in Judea, opponents of the church in Thessalonica had oppressed the church there.”^[4] It is a sad but true fact that much of the opposition to the church comes from our own ‘countrymen.’ Be encouraged. We are not alone. Satan will do all he can to hinder the cause of Christ and derail the work of the church. Too often He will deceive well-meaning believers in the church and distract them from the mission and purpose of the church. How should we respond to those who create a hindrance to the work of the church? Paul gives the suggestion in Romans 16:17 to avoid such people. “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”^[5] Sometimes when we give people attention it only adds ammunition for their attacks. When there are those who are creating a hindrance to the church and the cause of Christ, they should not be given the opportunity to distract us or deter us from the mission. We must have an unwavering focus that outlasts any attacks that come our way. Yet, the reassuring truth is that the Gospel always prevails. When attacked, rest assured, that God is working and He is about to do something special. When they ridicule you, hold on to the Gospel and press on. When they spread lies about you, hold on to the Gospel and press on. When they run your name through the mud, hold on to the Gospel and press on. When they spread misinformation to get their way, hold on to the Gospel and press on. When they sow discord, remember what they are doing is an abomination to God and He will avenge you, so hold on to the Gospel and press on. When Satan raises his ugly head, you raise up the standard of God’s Word and hold on to the Gospel and press on. Don’t let them pull you in to an argument, just hold on to the Gospel and press on. My friend, the Gospel always prevails and when you are on the side of the Gospel you cannot lose.

                Chapter two concludes with Paul stating his desire to go back to Thessalonica. He would have already come but he was hindered. Yet, Paul rejoices for the relationship he has with the Thessalonians and he looks forward to seeing them on the day of Christ’s coming. As my Grandmother in-law would often say, “I’ll see you again, here, there, or in the air!” The glory of the Gospel will always be our shining crown.

^[1] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 695). Victor Books.

^[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 1:16). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 516). Victor Books.

^[4] Ewert, D. (1995). 1-2 Thessalonians. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 1075). Baker Book House.

^[5] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Ro 16:17). (1995). The Lockman Foundation.