1 Thessalonians1:1-3

1 "Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
      To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace."

As we have already seen, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are listed first as the authors of this letter which is addressed to the Thessalonians. The church of the Thessalonians is said to be "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." What does this mean? Are churches today "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?" There are countless churches and denominations that exist today. But only a body of believers who embrace the fullness of the Gospel and all that the Bible teaches can be said to truly be "in God" or "in Christ." As we continue reading in this letter, we will see some of the evidence that Paul bases this statement on. To believe the Gospel unites believers in a special way with God the Father and with the Lord Jesus Christ- and Paul tells us in v. 5 that the Holy Spirit is all part of this too. So believers have a special union with the Triune God. We are In God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ, all by the power of the Holy Spirit!
Then Paul gives one of his customary greetings: "Grace to you and peace." Both grace and peace are spiritual blessings from God. Paul is expressing his desire that God's unmerited favor (grace) and God's peace (not being at war with God) be with the recipients of his letter. If you have believed in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have received God's grace! AND you are no longer at war with God (yes, apart from Christ, humans are at war with God- they are His enemies)- so as a believer you are at peace with God (Rom 8:1). This is all part of the Good News that we call the Gospel!

2 "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now Paul starts his encouragement of the Thessalonian believers. He and Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy give thanks to God for them. They tell them that they have kept them in their prayers and that they remember their work of faith, labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in the Lord. Do you remember hearing these three attributes listed together anywhere else? It's in another of the New Testament letters written by Paul. Yes, 1 Corinthians 13! Paul spoke to the Corinthian believers of the great way of love in this chapter and he ends by saying, "So now faith, hope and love abide (remain), these three; but the greatest of these is love" (v.13). Basically, Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians that he has seen in them the greatest gifts/attributes that Christians can have. Now I will ask myself this as I ask you: can others say this of you (me)? That is, do you (do I) excel at loving God and others? Do you (do I) have faith in God by believing all that He has revealed to us in the Scriptures and do you and I have faith in Him that he lovingly controls every aspect of our lives? Do you (do I) have a certainty that God will bring all things to their appointed end in order to bring glory to Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ? That last question is a question about hope; is your (my) hope in God?
Please don't gloss over these questions lightly. I must not gloss over them either. These are godly attributes that Paul and his companions saw working powerfully in the lives of the Thessalonians. These are godly attributes that Paul had challenged the Corinthians to excel in. And by extension, these are godly attributes that WE must excel in. These qualities are cultivated in us as God sanctifies us (as He makes us more and more like His Son, Jesus). When Jesus prayed for believers (and all who would become believers -you and me) in John17, He asked the Father, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (v.17).

So how can we begin to even scratch the surface of becoming godly in the way that Paul describes here? We must immerse ourselves in the Word of God! His word is truth. In it, we have all that we need for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...."

As we begin our study of 1 Thessalonians, let us be encouraged to live lives of holiness to God. As Paul instructs his readers, let us be instructed as well. In this, we will be spending time in the Truth that God uses to sanctify us.