Thanksgiving and Holiness as We Expect Jesus

Introduction:

We recently learned of Paul’s relief after Timothy returned from visiting the Thessalonians.

We have seen that Paul had great anxiety over his separation from them.

He genuinely cared for them.

He worried about their continued obedience and their view of him.

He has expressed that relief in the words of 1 Thess. 3:8.

A challenge for us is to learn to be thankful for more than just what we have.

We should be thankful to God for who he is.

We should be thankful for what He has done.

What He has done includes our relationship with one another.

Paul’s deep care for the Thessalonians and his sincere gratitude toward God comes out of this passage.

Thankfulness for Joy

Now that Timothy has returned, Paul is revived.

His separation from the Thessalonians had added to his “stress.”

Life has now revived.

Throughout the letter, he has shown an awareness of his need to thank God for the Thessalonians.

So far, the main two divisions in the letter revolve around this.

Here, he gives God credit for his “living” because He deserves it for the joy Paul has received from Timothy’s report.

He expresses this in the form of a rhetorical question.

What thanksgiving is he able to repay to God?

We should pay attention to the role “joy” plays here.

Paul found joy and rejoicing in the Thessalonians.

While we should thank God for all that we have, we should learn to express gratitude to him for spiritual reasons. Among them are:

Our creation

Our salvation

Our congregation.

The news of the Thessalonians’ faithfulness in the face of persecution brought Paul genuine relief and joy.

He thanked God for it.

He was the true responsible party.

Paul’s Prayer

Paul’s statement in 1 Thess. 3:10 ties two things together.

First, it posits an exclamatory need to thank God.

Second, it reinforces that Paul is praying to visit the Thessalonians soon.

He reassures them of his unceasing interest in visiting them again.

Paul wanted to supply or furnish their faith.

Paul has praised them for their faithfulness at least twice in this letter.

He wanted more than to see the in the flesh.

In spite of all the ways the Thessalonians had shown themselves faithful, they were not a perfect congregation.

Paul knew they had more to learn.

He was eager to provide additional instruction to them.

He wanted to help their faith be even more resilient.

The situation in which God’s people live can get worse.

We need to be instructed so we can live obediently and holily until Jesus comes.

Paul’s Wishes

Paul concludes this section by expressing three desires.

He wants the Father and Jesus to “direct our path to you.”

This, no doubt, is a statement in light of the hindrance of Satan.

Notice how this statement places Jesus alongside God, the Father.

He wanted the Father and the Son to cause their love for one another and all to abound

The Thessalonians were already advanced in this, but Paul wants to see them mature even more.

Here, both verbs count as two.

The goal of these aims/wishes was the strengthening of the hearts of the Thessalonians.

He wanted to see them “blameless in holiness.”

This all looks forward to the “parousia” of Jesus.

It is a reality.

We are to be maturing until Jesus comes.