"The Gratitude of Our Salvation"

Introduction: Background

Paul had given thanks to God for the Christians at Thessalonica from the opening verses of his letter to them in 1:3-4*

The Thessalonian Christians were growing in their faith and love was flourishing in their midst and Paul was thankful to God for that. And he even boasted about them to the other churches regarding their steadfast faith.

This steadfast faith was being displayed in the face of intense persecution and affliction. They were a growing church but they were a suffering church.

This was the evidence that they were considered “worthy of the Kingdom of God.”

One could imagine that suffering in such a context may cause many questions to arise in a believer’s mind. One question being, “How much longer will this go on?” Another might be, “Will I ever receive justice for all of my suffering for Christ?”

It is as if Paul anticipates such questions as he writes on in chapter 1:5-12*

He doesn’t give them any indication that they will be raptured out before there are seven years of tribulation on the earth. He tells them that they will get relief when the Lord Jesus comes in victorious judgement over the wicked on the final day.

It appears to me that the tribulation that they were enduring wouldn’t be over until Jesus came back in judgement.

We have been looking over the last several weeks at the coming of the man of lawlessness and Paul has been telling us and these first century Christians about his coming one day in the future. A time known only to God but suffering in the world for the Christian seems to be par for the course.

The Spirit of Anti-christ is already in the world and Christians have clashed with it over and over again. This is nothing new but how are we to keep our focus as believers in such intense times when these clashes happen?

Well our text this morning actually helps us learn about our spiritual focus in the face of the hostility being imposed by the Anti-christ system.

First we see that Paul believes that there is still a reason for us to be thankful. Look at II Thessalonians 2:13-14*

I. The Reason For Thanksgiving (13-14).

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is giving his Apostolic perspective in light of their current condition. This is not an attempt for them to lick their wounds and consul themselves in their own misery. There are no invitations to a pity party here. And nor is this just a heartless response void of any Apostolic sympathy.

No what this is, is a truth response that sees ultimate reality through the eyes of the eternal God which recognizes that there is an eternal perspective that is rooted relationally between God and His people through Jesus Christ.

Christian, this is what it means biblically to be loved by the Lord. Don’t be duped by false prophets and teachers that try to tell your that the highest end of your Christian fulfillment is something that looks like prosperity to the world.

I Corinthians 2:9— “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

How is such love expressed currently though? We can theologically get it when it comes to the future of being in heaven but what about the current aspects?

We see them in the rest of verse 13-14. Because He chose you as the firstfruits to be saved. I take this to be a referring to their being first century Christians. They were firstfruits of salvation through Christ. They were chosen by God for this.

God chose them through the sanctification by the Holy Spirit and belief in the truth.

Here we see the work of God being initiated through the Holy Spirit who consecrated them and they believed the truth as a result.

Then in verse 14, “To this He called you through our gospel”. This is God working to express His love for us in the world by initiating the work of salvation in us. The first century as firstfruits and us as latter fruit in our day, yet still fruit that God has chosen to produce.

And all of this is resulting in something big in the end. So big that it is multifaceted and it will take eternity for us to experience it. “So that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

To obtain the glory of the Lord. The crown jewel of heaven reflected in the glory of Christ we eventually will obtain. Currently we are just jars of clay that possesses this treasure in us but we will eventually be caught up in it in glorified bodies (Read II Corinthians 4 in its entirety later today).

But Paul’s conclusion there is profound in verses 16-18: 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Christian, in the face of persecution and with the certainty of the future revelation of the man of lawlessness have you ever wondered, “How could I ever make it through such things if I am alive to experience it?” Or maybe our tribulation is something that foreshadows that which is to come.

Paul establishes God’s work of initiating salvation into the Christian’s life as the very thing that he is thankful for at work in them.

If you are a parent you love that sense of security seeing your kids grow up and do well in life and to have their own job and pay their own bills. Paul did too but He sees it all through spiritual eyes. And the real security, for all of life, is in what God has provided in Christ.

Because he understands that this is the foundational basis for the believer standing fast. Look at verse 15*

II. The Foundation For Standing (15).

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

“Stand firm” and “hold” both denote the idea of being firm and unmovable in your position.

They are to stand firm and hold fast to the “traditions” taught by the Apostles by spoken words or in written letters. “Traditions” here is referring to the content of the Apostolic message that was handed down to the saints.

Traditions that are from the Apostles are critical for the life of the Church and should not be discarded. Not all traditions are based on the teaching and instruction of the Apostles.

You say, all we need is the Bible. Who do you think God inspired to write the Bible? The Old and New Testaments were taught in the early church. “Tradition” is not a bad word.

Traditions of men that do not have their root in the initiating work of God’s Word are not a firm foundation for anyone to stand.

The work of God in Christ as declared by the Scriptures are the only basis for us to stand in the face of persecution even if we do soon see the man of lawlessness.

People can be so fickle. We can understand II Thessalonians 1-2 and II Corinthians 4 in their entirety but still think our Christianity is only as good and as practical as it helps me have a sense of security and well being of success in the world.

If that is our ultimate objective in our Christianity then we will largely gauge the vitality and relevance of our Christianity on how well it accomplishes our objective of having that security and a well-being of success in the world. Those things, by the way were the things that the evil one promised Jesus in the wilderness if our Lord would forsake His mission

To do this is like hungering for an apple and finding the most beautiful one on the tree. Then picking it and throwing it over your shoulder and grabbing up a handful of dirt and eating it instead.

You may have material wealth and prosperity and that is not immoral or evil. But there are two truths that should help govern your Christian stewardship over them.

None of it can be the primary objective of your faith in Christ and your Christian practice. It can’t be your idol.

All of it is given to you by God to exercise stewardship over in being missional in the world for the glory of Christ.

To be missional is to labor as God’s servant to bring about verses 13-14 in the world.

But Pastor Brett there is persecution on the horizon and the political arena is set for the man of lawlessness. We are still on mission. All the more so let us preach the gospel to the glory of Christ.

And until He comes, stand firm and hold fast to biblical truth while we hunger and yearn for being caught up in the glory of Christ.

We miss this it the spiritual equivalent to throwing away the real food to eat the dirt of the world instead of feasting on what God has provided

“The fact that our heart yearns for something earth can’t supply is proof that heaven must be our home.” C.S. Lewis

Conclusion

Dirt is not adequate to nourish us Christian from a Spiritual perspective. You can’t pursue what earth offers in the place of God’s provision. This message is all over the New Testament.

You been eating a lot of dirt lately Christian? If you have I have a novel idea. Try spitting it out and eating from God’s word.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Turn away from making secondary things the primary. Get those priorities right and in line with God’s instruction.

And above all hope in His provision and promises that He has initiated to us through Jesus Christ. Confess your sin and rest upon Him for real security and well-being in the world.

Unbeliever you need the gospel. Nothing in this temporal world is going to hold you secure for all eternity. Only the eternal God ‘s gospel can do that.

Believe unto salvation

Lets Pray!