Warren Wiesbre gives an informative introduction to Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica. He writes, “The Christians in Thessalonica were grateful to God for Paul’s first letter, but it did not immediately solve all their problems. In fact, the persecution grew worse and some believers thought they were living in the time of the Tribulation. Then a letter arrived claiming to be from Paul, stating that the Day of the Lord was actually present. Needless to say, the assembly was confused and frightened by this prospect. Some of the believers concluded that since the Lord’s coming was so near, they ought to quit their jobs and spend their time waiting for Him. This meant that the other members were under an extra burden to care for them. Satan was working overtime; as the lion, he was seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:7–8), and as the serpent, he was seeking to deceive (2 Cor. 11:3). It was in response to these needs that Paul wrote his second letter. He began with their most pressing need, the persecution they were experiencing because of their faith.”[1] In chapter one Paul gives encouragement to God’s final judgement and glory. He addresses the tribulation the church was currently facing and encouraged them to hold on, for Jesus will come and destroy all His enemies and will establish His glorious Kingdom on earth. The immediate context refers to future events when God will destroy the unrighteous and establish His Kingdom. It is with that context in mind that we receive encouragement for us today as we face the various trials and tribulations of life. Notice three simple truths we learn from this passage: grace abounds in tribulation, God will deal with our persecutors, and Christ will be glorified in us.
Grace abounds in tribulation. In verses 1-4 Paul begins his second letter to the Thessalonians by lifting their spirits as they face persecution and tribulations. What we see here is that grace abounds in tribulation. When we speak of grace, we speak of God’s unmerited favor. It is God’s favor on us that we do not deserve. When we are faced with tribulation, the favor of God is upon us. His grace abounds. There are four areas in which God’s grace abounds. First of all, His grace abounds in our growth. In verse 3, Paul expresses thanksgiving for their faith that has grown exceedingly in the midst of tribulation. There is something about going through hard times that makes you stronger. The church at Thessalonica certainly did experience great spiritual growth. As Matthew Henry points out, “In his former epistle (ch. 1:3) he gave thanks for their faith, love, and patience; here he gives thanks for the increase of all those graces, that they were not only true Christians, but growing Christians. Note, Where there is the truth of grace there will be increase of it.”[2] Those who are truly born-again will grow spiritually. The overall trajectory of their life will be, to be more like Jesus. Often, this spiritual growth is enhanced during seasons of trials and tribulations. The greatest lessons in life, the greatest increase in maturity comes through failure and trials. You cannot learn and grow apart from these. Therefore, we should be grateful for our trials. As we grow in the midst of tribulation, God’s grace abounds upon us. His presence and favor shines bright through our sufferings.
Secondly, His grace abounds in our love. Paul says that he is thankful that as they have grown spiritually, their love for one another has grown. It is a certain fact that the closer you are to Jesus; the greater love you will have toward others. There is something about spiritual growth that softens you. It makes you more aware of your personal sinfulness and causes you to be more thankful for God’s grace. This leads you to having the same compassion that Jesus has for others. This causes you to love more and more. It causes you to love those who are of the household of faith.
Third, His grace abounds in patience. As we grow in our walk with God and our love for one another grows, we will also develop a greater patience to endure whatever tribulations we may face. Patience is often hard for us to achieve. However, as we are covered by the grace of God we learn to trust Him more which gives us the wherewithal to patiently endure the trials of life.
Finally, His grace abounds in faith. The more we go through, and we see how God carries us, the greater our faith in Him grows. God’s favor on us in times of tribulation will increase our faith in such a way that we don’t worry over what we are facing because we are confident that God is working it out for our good and for His glory.
God will deal with our persecutors. In verses 5-10, Paul addresses the coming judgement waiting for those who reject Christ. Those who persecute God’s children will suffer greatly at the powerful hand of Almighty God. The Holman Commentary says, “Paul offered hope to his readers by noting the forthcoming reversal in God’s judgment of the present roles of the persecuted and the persecutors. While the Thessalonians were at that time facing persecution, the persecutors had to face judgment at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who reject the good news of the gospel “will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord.” God’s people can be encouraged by knowing they will be vindicated at the Lord’s coming and will realize they have neither believed nor suffered in vain.”[3] Knowing that God’s judgement will come for our persecutors relieves us of the temptation to seek vengeance on our own. As the scripture says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Our natural first reaction toward those that trouble us is to lash out and find a way to repay them for the wrong they did to us. This, however, is not becoming of a true follower of Christ. We must learn to stay calm and stay faithful and let God deal with those who need to be dealt with.
Christ will be glorified in us. Verses 11-12 we find the ‘therefore’ of the first 10 verses. Paul says that because of the grace of God and His dealing with our persecutors, we need not worry. We must live worthy of God’s call on our lives and be faithful. In so doing, Christ is glorified in us in such a way that others see the difference in us and are thus drawn to Christ. Paul’s prayer for the church was a prayer for their success. He wanted them to fulfill the life that God had called them to. He wanted them to remain faithful in these days of anticipation for the return of Christ. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “The preceding revelation moved Paul to pray for his Thessalonian brothers and sisters, that they might live lifestyles that were consistent with their calling and destiny.”[4] Living a life that is consistent to what we believe can be very difficult in a world filled with temptations. The lure of the world is often too strong for us to bear. However, it is imperative in these last days that we discipline ourselves and live in obedience to God’s Word, for this is the only way Christ can be glorified in us. Though it is a constant battle in this current age, there is coming a day when will share in the glory of Jesus. This is part of our salvation. It is part of the work that He has begun in us and has promised to finish. Our salvation has three parts: past, present, and future. Salvation is our justification, salvation present is our sanctification, and salvation future is our glorification. There will be a day at the return of Christ that our salvation will be complete. We will be conformed to the image of Christ. We will be made to be like Him. This is our glorification, Christ glorified in us. However, we do not have to wait for that day for Christ to be glorified in us. He can be glorified in us today as we grow in our walk with Him and live as He desires us to live.
These three simple truths serve as a great encouragement to those who know Jesus. Grace abounds in tribulation. God will deal with our persecutors. Christ will be glorified in us. These great truths are guaranteed for believers in Christ. We are sealed by Him and He will finish what He has started in us. Therefore, we must endure in the face of tribulations.
[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 192). Victor Books.
[2] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2345). Hendrickson.
[3] Dockery, D. S. (1998). The Pauline Letters. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 600). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 716). Victor Books.
Pastor Chris Noland 