Conclusion (1 Thessalonians)

Conclusion (1 Thessalonians)

          The grace of God is with the Lord-centered community church that the Lord is building (1 Thess. 1:1; 5:28). When Apostle Paul started writing the letter to the Thessalonian church saints, he said “Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you” (1:1). Also at the end of the letter, he wrote to them “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (5:28). Paul, who began the letter with grace and ended the letter with grace, prayed that the God’s grace always be with the Thessalonian church saints because the Thessalonian church was found by the grace of God. Here, the Thessalonian church was found by the grace of God means that the Thessalonians, who were serving idols (1:9) were chosen by God in love (v. 4) and the gospel came to them with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (v. 5) so that they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (v. 9). The community of the Thessalonian church saints served the living and true God was a community of faith. Not only did they welcome the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit in spite of severe suffering (v. 6), but also they received the word of God and accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which was at work in them who believed (2:13). Therefore, their faith didn’t disturb by the afflictions (3:3) and stood firm in the Lord (v. 8). And the word of the Lord had sounded forth from them, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place their faith toward God had gone forth (1:8). In short, the Thessalonian church was the community with the "work of faith" (v. 3). The Thessalonian church was also the community of love. The Thessalonian church saints, who were taught by God to love one another, love one another (4:9). They practiced this love to all the saints who were in all Macedonia (v. 10). So Paul said to them that he had no need for anyone to write to them about the love of the brethren (v. 9). In short, the Thessalonian church was the community of "labor of love" (1 3). The Thessalonian church was the community of hope. The Thessalonian church saints waited for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead (v. 10). They believed that Jesus died and rose again and God will bring with Him those who had fallen asleep in Jesus (4:14) and waited the Lord to descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ would rise first (v. 16). In short, the Thessalonian church was the community of "steadfastness of hope" (1:3).

          The Thessalonian church was the community built by the grace of God. And this Thessalonian community was the community of faith, the community of love, and the community of hope. In short, the Thessalonian church was the community of faith, love, and hope, built by God's grace. I hope and pray that the Lord builds His church as the community of faith, love, and hope by God's grace.