Paul speaks today of the recent visit of Timothy to Thessalonica. Paul had sent him to check on the believers there, for he was afraid the trials that had come against them might have discouraged them.
"But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you." (1 Thessalonians 2:17) Not being able to visit the believers of Thessalonica makes Paul feel like he's separated from close family members. He wanted to see them before now but has not been able to make the trip. We don't know exactly what circumstances have kept him from being able to return, but we are about to find out why he has not been able to return.
"For we wanted to come to you---certainly I, Paul, did, again and again---but Satan blocked our way." (1 Thessalonians 2:18) The devil didn't want Paul to revisit Thessalonica. He thought he could keep the church from growing in Thessalonica if he kept Paul away. He thought he could keep the Thessalonians from spreading the gospel to other regions if he could keep Paul away. But he was wrong, because by throwing obstacles in Paul's path all he did was cause more books of holy Scripture to be added to the Bible. If Paul couldn't visit a church, he wrote to the church members. These letters encouraged the believers when they received them, provided a source of continual encouragement as they referred to the letters over and over again, and provided a source of encouragement to all believers since. We wouldn't be studying Paul's letters to the Thessalonians right now if Satan hadn't made the mistake of preventing Paul from visiting the believers in person. Which brings me to a very important point: Satan can't do anything to us that God doesn't allow. God knew it was in the best interests of believers to cause Paul to have to write letters to them, so He allowed Satan to keep Paul from visiting them in person. Just think of how many books would be missing from the New Testament if Paul had not been driven to write letters! How many times have verses from Paul's letters comforted you? In attempting to thwart God's beautiful plans for the church, Satan only managed to help the church grow stronger.
"For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20) Paul is quick to assure the believers that he would have visited them if it were within his power. He hasn't stayed away because he doesn't love them. On the contrary, he reminds them how much hope and joy their faith has given them. He tells them that on the day of Christ he desires no reward or crown for himself, for his reward is that these people came to faith in Christ through his preaching. His joy in these believers is so great that their salvation is reward enough for him.
It worried Paul that troubles and trials might have discouraged the believers of Thessalonica. He was afraid some might have given up in the face of persecution. So since he couldn't visit them himself, he sent Timothy to check on them. "So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials." (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3a) I've heard people say, "If this was the right thing to do, it wouldn't be so hard." I've thought that myself at times, when I'm working toward something I believed the Lord told me to do and it seems like one obstacle after another rises up. But quite often obstacles emerge because Satan doesn't want us to do the right thing. When the Lord places a calling on our lives, the last thing the devil wants us to do is fulfill it. So obstacles don't necessarily mean we aren't on the right path. If we know we're in the will of God, we can't let obstacles discourage us. However, if we aren't sure the particular thing we're working toward is the will of God, obstacles can be God's way of getting us to stop and ask Him whether we're on the right path or not. In the case of the believers at Thessalonica, Paul knows they are on the right path because what they are working toward is growing in their relationship with Christ and helping others to find their way to Christ. Those are things that are always the will of God for believers.
Paul reminds the church members of Thessalonica that trials aren't a sign that they should stop following Christ; trials are a sign that they are in the will of God. "For you know quite well that we are destined for them." (1 Thessalonians 3:b) Paul told Timothy the same thing in one of his letters to him, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12) Why do persecutions come? Because Satan doesn't want us to live godly lives in Christ Jesus. He wants to derail us. He wants to make our testimonies of no value. If he can get us to fall into some sort of shocking sin, he can keep us from effectively witnessing to others about Christ. If he can discourage us about standing firm in our beliefs, he can make us look just like unbelievers by tempting us to live like unbelievers. Then we are of little use to ourselves or to anyone else. We won't be fulfilling our calling---the same calling that was on the Thessalonians---to grow in our relationship with Christ and to lead others to Christ.
If we are going to live for Christ, we are going to meet with obstacles. We are going to be persecuted. We might not be risking our lives by following Christ, but we are going to risk other things. If we became Christians early in life, we might find ourselves excluded from certain circles at school or we might not be invited to some of the birthday parties of our classmates or we might not get asked on as many dates. In college we might have professors or fellow students who ridicule us for our faith. Later on, in the workplace, we might be passed over for promotions because we don't go out drinking with our co-workers or because our boss isn't a Christian and discriminates against us for our beliefs. We risk the loss of family members or friends after we become Christians, because some of them who are not Christians may turn against us. If the crowd we hung out with before our conversion goes places Christians shouldn't go and does things Christians shouldn't do, then naturally a distance is going to emerge between us and them unless they too convert.
It's going to cost us something to follow Christ, but if we really love Christ we are going to consider following Him worth the cost. The Apostle Paul lost his social standing, his wealth, his friends among the Pharisees, his religious/political position as a member of the Sanhedrin council, and possibly his relationships with family members. He was shunned by most or all of the people with whom he was close prior to his conversion. Eventually he lost his freedom and his life. But he loved Christ so much that he said he considered all his losses nothing but garbage. (Philippians 3:8) Paul isn't saying that it didn't hurt to lose all these things, but he's saying that Christ is more important than anything else he ever had. And the fact is, Christ is the only thing we have that we can never lose, for there's nothing else in this life that can't be taken away from us. We could lose our money, our homes, our jobs, our health, our loved ones, or anything else at any time. But nothing on earth or in hell can take Christ from us. He can't be taken from us in this life or in the next, so we owe Him the honor of making Him the center of our lives. He's the only One who can make this promise and keep it, "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5)
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