2 Thessalonians Living in the Last Days

2015 Cindy Brown. All Rights ReservedThis study was written using the ESV.

1

2

Day 1: Background

If you have not done the study on 1 Thessalonians, do that before you begin this study. The two books tie together, so some parts may be confusing if you have not studied Paul's first letter. 2 Thessalonians was written during Paul's second missionary journey in about 51 A.D., and is his second letter to the church at Thessalonica. The persecution they were facing has not subsided, but much to Paul's joy, they are still standing strong! However, there are some things that Paul wants them to know and an area of correction he wants to address, so he pens another letter to this beloved church.

Read the book of 2 Thessalonians in one sitting. As you read, mark these key words each in a different way so they jump out when you look at your Bible later. It is easier to look for one word at a time so this means you will be reading the book 5 times today. But this helps you to become very familiar with the book and helps you see things you might otherwise have missed. I have found this to be the most helpful thing I can do when I come to a passage I don't understand. Instead of running to a commentary to see what men say, slow down, read it many times, and you will be amazed at how the Holy Spirit gives you understanding! And it's always more exciting when you see it for yourself!

Key words:affliction (suffering, persecutions)coming of Jesus Christ (or synonymous references)day of the Lord (and pronouns)man of lawlessnesslove

3

Day 2

Read through the book of Thessalonians again today. Look for the remaining key words below, one at a time as you read.

Key words:faithglory (glorified)idle(ness)truthimitate

Day 3: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

Read chapter 1.

Who does Paul include with him in the greeting of this book? ____________________________________________________________

What does Paul say his responsibility is in verse 3? ____________________________________________________________

Paul says he "ought" to give thanks for them. In the English, we might say "should", but the word has a much stronger meaning in the Greek. It literally means "to be indebted or obligated to." Because of the work that God had done in their lives, Paul felt he was indebted to the Lord and had to say thank you. Is this how you view thanksgiving? Or is it sometimes an afterthought?

What things are you indebted to the Lord for and need to express your thanks? List some of them below. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4

What does Paul say about the recipients of this letter in verse 3? For what does he commend them? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wouldn't you like to be known as someone whose faith is growing abundantly?! These believers were growing in leaps and bounds, but their faith was being watered with the rain of affliction. It's hard for us to endure or to see those we love undergo difficulty, but God often uses affliction to produce a harvest of faith in our lives. Because of the persecution, the faith of these believers was greatly increasing.

Not only were they growing in their faith, their love for each other was also increasing. Why do you think undergoing persecution brought them closer together? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 4, what does Paul commend them for? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who was also impacted by their example of endurance? ____________________________________________________________

Steadfast means "having the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstancesendurance." Faith means simply "to trust." The reason these believers were able to endure and bear up under the difficulty of persecution was because they were trusting God.

When Paul says the "afflictions that you are enduring" at the end of verse 4, the word enduring has a slightly different meaning than the word steadfast. Enduring means "to be patient with, in the sense of enduring possible difficulty."

Not only were they enduring persecution, but they were doing it patiently. It gives me the idea that these believers were submitted to the Lord; they

5

weren't fighting against him, but in patience and humility they accepted the difficulty that God had allowed into their lives.

The Lord has recently been working in my life in regard to meekness. Meekness is humility and bringing oneself low in submission. I think trust is wrapped up in it, too. If we have an attitude of meekness, we will be trusting God and be able to patiently endure difficulty. Recently, I was painting my living room. I had one wall left and about a half gallon of paint. I had started using a new roller and it seemed like the roller was absorbing a lot of paint and I was finding it hard to get enough paint on the wall. The result was that I could see lines on the wall where I had painted after it dried. I painted that wall three times, I still could see lines and now I was out of paint! I was not happy! We live in a rural area, about an hour and a half from the nearest Home Depot, so I couldn't just run down to the store and buy some more paint. The more I looked at that wall, the angrier I got! I thought of the waste of time and money of buying more paint and I was very frustrated! As I reflected later on what had happened, I realized I was not submitted to the Lord, I was not trusting him, and I certainly was not enduring the difficulty with patience. The result was frustration and anger.

What difficulty has the Lord allowed in your life? Are you angry, frustrated and fighting against him? Ask the Lord to help you trust Him. As you trust Him, you will have rest, knowing that God can be trusted and is sufficient for any situation you find yourself in. The result will be that you will be able to endure with patience, others will notice your uncommon response, and all the glory will go to God!

6

Day 4: 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

Read chapter 1 again.

In the midst of their suffering, Paul offers them some encouragement. What does he remind them about God's character that should encourage them? ____________________________________________________________

Sometimes we think that God does not care about what we are going through because He doesn't act when we want him to, but God is the righteous judge and He will avenge, particularly those who are suffering for His sake. Remembering this will help us to endure. God will arise to our defense, in His time.

Read the following verses below from Exodus 2 and 3. Underline in these verses everything we see God do. What is his response to the Israelites cries for help?

Exodus 223 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel--and God knew.

Exodus 37 Then The Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey..."

The Lord is just and He always does what is right. But He doesn't always act as quickly as we would like him to. Remember that the Israelites had been in Egypt for 400 years! But when the time comes, God will avenge

7

those who have persecuted His people, and Paul reminds the Thessalonians of this encouraging truth.

What does Paul tell the Thessalonians is true of them because they are undergoing persecution? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Think about this for a minute! Paul is telling them that because they are suffering for Christ, is is a sign that God considers them worthy of His kingdom!

Worthy means "to consider something of comparable merit or worth, to regard as being valuable." It literally means "of equal weight" and actually is a term used for weighing things on a scale. An item would be placed on a scale and a unit of measurement would be placed on the other side. When the items were of equal weight, it was said that the thing being weighed was worth a certain amount.

So in light of this, what does it mean to you that the Thessalonians were called worthy of the kingdom of God? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Often if we are discriminated against or suffer direct persecution because of our witness for Christ, we may be tempted to complain about the injustice, but instead we should rejoice that we are "counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name." (Acts 5:41). May we live lives that "equally measure" the worth of the kingdom of God!

When does Paul say God will repay those who have persecuted the Thessalonians from verses 6-7? This is important for us to remember. ____________________________________________________________

What do we learn about the event when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven? Read verses 7-10 carefully.

8

Who will be with Him? ____________________________________________________________What will characterize his coming? ____________________________________________________________What will Jesus do to those who do not know God? ____________________________________________________________What will happen to those who do not believe at this time? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The reason unbelievers will suffer destruction is because they will be separated forever from the presence of the only God who has the power to save them. That is so sad!

What is said about the saints when Jesus is revealed? ____________________________________________________________How will Jesus be viewed at this time? ____________________________________________________________

This must have been a sobering reminder for the Thessalonians. Those who were persecuting them would suffer an awful fate apart from Christ. This reality check must have motivated the Thessalonians to continue persevering in their faith, with the hope that their testimony for the Lord would save some. At the same time, they were reminded of the hope of seeing Jesus face to face. He will be glorified and marveled at by all those who have believed in Him. May our hope and the warning of destruction on those who don't know God, continue to motivate us to speak out and testify about Christ, despite the earthly consequences. Eternity is at stake here!

9

Day 5: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Read chapter 1 again.

Paul closes this chapter with a prayer. What does Paul ask God to do in the Thessalonians? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When this happens, what will the results be? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let's take a closer look at this prayer. In verse 5, Paul talked about them being considered worthy of the kingdom of God. Now he prays that God would make them worthy of his calling. What exactly is our calling? Many times we hear people say they were "called to be a missionary" or "called to be a pastor." Apart from Paul being "called to be an apostle" we don't see this idea anywhere else in Scripture. Is this the Biblical meaning of the word? The word called simply means "to be invited, or to issue a summons." What does the Bible say we are called to? Look up the following verses and note it below.

Romans 1:6 ____________________________________________________________1 Corinthians 1:2 ____________________________________________________________Jude 1 ____________________________________________________________

So based on these verses, what would a Christian look like who walked worthy of His calling? Does this characterize your life as a Christian? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10

What a wonderful thing to pray for! Pray that God would make you worthy of His calling. Pray that your life would accurately represent who you are as a child of God.

I find the second thing Paul asks for very encouraging! He asks God to fulfill or complete every resolve for good in them. Resolve means "that which is desired or wished for." I really do want to follow the Lord and it is my desire that He would be glorified in my life. Here Paul prays that God would complete those desires and make them a reality, bringing them to completion.

What good things in your life do you want God to fulfill in you? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He also asks God to fulfill every work of faith done by His power. "Work of faith" almost seems like a contradiction, but many times God asks us to serve in ways we don't understand and many times we don't see results and we may feel like we aren't making a difference. But in faith, we do what God has asked of us. Paul prays that God would fulfill and complete our work. This reminds me that God is the one at work. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it." (Psalm 127:1, KJV)

Read verse 10 and verse 12 again. How is it that Jesus is glorified? ____________________________________________________________

He chooses to use us to glorify him and bring him honor! Why does he do this according to verse 12? ____________________________________________________________

It certainly is God's grace that he allows me the opportunity to lift Him up before the world. I do it so imperfectly and not often enough, but in his grace he allows me this wonderful privilege. From verse 11, we can see that God is the actor. It is all about God working; you and I are just the vehicle he chooses to use.

11

Express this prayer from verses 11-12 to God in your own words. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the theme of chapter 1? ____________________________________________________________

12

2 Thessalonians 2

Day 6: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Read chapter 2 today.

Paul now sets out to do some corrective teaching. Rumors have been swirling so Paul wants to set the record straight.

As we learned in 1 Thessalonians, the Rapture and the Day of the Lord are described as two different events. The word rapture comes from a Latin word meaning "caught up." In review, the Rapture is when Christ will descend from heaven, the dead in Christ will rise and those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. It will be a joyous event! You can read Paul's description in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. We saw that the Day of the Lord is described as a day of darkness and gloom (Amos 5:18-20), a day of wrath, suffering and distress (Zephaniah 1:14-18), and a time of punishment for sin (Isaiah 13:9-13). For a complete description, you can read Revelation 6-19.

Now carefully read verse 1 again. Which event is Paul describing here? ____________________________________________________________

It seems that there has been some erroneous teaching going around that the day of the Lord had already come and these believers had missed the rapture. Obviously, this would cause them some alarm.

Which event does Paul reference in verse 2? ____________________________________________________________

So if they are two separate events, why does Paul reference them side by side? The word "concerning" in the Greek can be translated two ways and as with many End Times passages, there is some debate. The question is whether the word concerning means about or "on the basis of". If Paul is teaching them "about" the coming of the Lord, it would seem the Day of the Lord is the same event since he immediately references it in the next verses. Based on what we have already studied, it seems clear they are

13

two separate events. The second possibility is that Paul is teaching them about the Day of the Lord "on the basis of" the Rapture. In a nutshell, Paul was saying "I appeal to you on the basis of the Rapture that you should not fear that you are in the Day of the Lord."

Perhaps because of the intense persecution they were suffering, some thought that the Day of the Lord had already come. From the passages we read in the Old Testament, this would be alarming!

What also lead some to believe that the Day of the Lord had come? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paul is clear that this is not the case and he does now want them to be deceived. According to verse 3, what must happen first? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What exactly does it mean that the rebellion must come first? Look up the following verses to get a better understanding of what this will look like.

1 Timothy 4:1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The second thing that must happen is for "the man of lawlessness" to be revealed. Sometimes he is referred to as the Antichrist and in Revelation 13 he is referred to as the beast.

14

Read verse 4, and note the characteristics of the man of lawlessness. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Daniel 11:36-37. Note how this man is described here. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read the passage below from Revelation 13. In one color, highlight what the beast or man of lawlessness will do.

1And I saw a beast (the Antichrist) rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bears, and its mouth was like a lions mouth. And to it the dragon (Satan) gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4And they worshiped the dragon (Satan), for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast (the Antichrist), saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? 5And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

How will people respond to the beast? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15

So this adds to our picture of what the Day of the Lord will look like. Now we know a bit more about who will be involved and what the people will be like. Again, Paul is reminding them again that this has not taken place yet.

16

Day 7: 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12

Read chapter 2 again.

This wasn't new information. They had heard this before, but sometimes we get confused when someone comes along and says something different (v.2) and we start to question what we thought we knew. That's why it is so important to always go back to the Word.

Is there an area in your life you are now questioning what you previously knew? If so, ask God to give you clarity and seek answers in His Word. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 6, why does Paul say the man of lawlessness has not yet been revealed? ____________________________________________________________

To restrain means "to prevent someone from doing something by restraining or hindering." What or who do you think might be the one doing the restraining? ____________________________________________________________

A mystery in the New Testament is something that has been revealed that was previously unknown or not completely understood. What does Paul tell us about the mystery of lawlessness? ____________________________________________________________

When does verse 7 say the one restraining the mystery of lawlessness will stop doing this? Write the phrase below. ____________________________________________________________

So the Antichrist will be revealed once the restrainer is "out of the way." The Word is not clear here and does not specifically name the restrainer, but I think it is the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence in believers. Can you think of an event we have studied so far where the Holy Spirit will be out of the way? If you are not sure, read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.

17

How would the Holy Spirit be "out of the way" after this event? ____________________________________________________________

So if this is correct, according to verses 7-8, when will the man of lawlessness be revealed in our timeline? ____________________________________________________________

According to Revelation 13:5, how many years will the man of lawlessness be given authority? ____________________________________________________________

From verse 8, when will the man of lawlessness be brought to nothing? ____________________________________________________________

So if the Antichrist is revealed after the Rapture and his authority comes to an end when Jesus Christ is revealed at his Second coming, that puts the 7 years of the Tribulation in between that time. But according to Revelation 13:5, he will have the greatest influence during the last 3 1/2 years.

What will Jesus do to the man of lawlessness? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This speaks of the power of Christ! Remember in Revelation 13 we read that the whole world marvels and follows the beast. He is given power and great authority and is worshipped. Essentially, he is the most powerful man in the entire world. But for Jesus to be victorious over him is as easy as breathing! We serve a mighty Savior!

According to verse 9 and Revelation 13:2-4, where does the man of lawlessness get his power from? ____________________________________________________________

How will his power be shown? ____________________________________________________________

18

In verse 10, how are the works of the Antichrist described? ___________________________________________________________

The man of lawlessness is characterized by false signs and wonders and deception. What does John 8:44 say about the devil, the one the man of lawlessness gets his power from? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why does verse 10 say his followers are perishing? ____________________________________________________________

Here we see a willful disregard for the truth. It says they refused to love the truth. This verse and John 8:32 say that the truth sets us free and it saves us. When people refuse the truth, the only alternative is that they will perish. May we always be known as lovers of the truth!

Verse 11 by itself seems harsh and even unfair, but we always need to read the surrounding verses for clarity. Why does God send them a strong delusion? (v. 10) ____________________________________________________________

God is not trying to purposely deceive people so they can be condemned. We know from 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 that God doesn't want any to perish, but that all would come to repentance. God only sends this strong delusion after they have willfully hardened their heart to the truth.

The word delusion literally means "to cause to wander off the path." It has the idea of something that causes someone to hold a wrong view and thus be mistaken, misled or deceived.

According to verse 12, what condemns a person? ____________________________________________________________

We are saved by faith and condemned because of our lack of faith.

Instead of loving the truth, what did these people love in verse 12? ____________________________________________________________

19

What we believe has a direct impact on how we behave! Because these people do not believe the truth, the result is that they took pleasure in unrighteousness. We see a very similar example of this in Romans 1. Read Romans 1:28-32.

How did these people treat God? ____________________________________________________________

What did God do? ____________________________________________________________

What was the result in their actions? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was God's decree against them? ____________________________________________________________

What was the people's response? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a sad commentary on the human condition. Apart from Christ, we go our own way. Every person has a choice about what they will believe. We know from 1 Thessalonians 1:9, that the Thessalonians used to be idol worshippers, but when they heard the truth, they chose to believe it. It seems from Scripture, if people willfully, continually reject the truth, there comes a point where God gives them over to that deception. May we continually proclaim the truth so that, like the Thessalonians, some will choose to believe and be saved.

20

Day 8: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

Read chapter 2 again.

We now see a change in the book. Paul has been speaking about the unsaved who follow after the man of lawlessness and the judgment that awaits them. The word "But" shows a contrast and Paul is now going to turn his attention back to the Thessalonians.

What does verse 13 say Paul is giving thanks for? ____________________________________________________________

To be honest, this was a hard verse for me, because I have always been taught that God does not pick some to be saved and others to be condemned. But the more I read Scripture, I do see God choosing some for salvation, as this verse does. We must always be careful not to let our preconceived ideas influence what we understand Scripture to teach.

I found The Believers Bible Commentary helpful in pointing out that Scripture does teach that God chooses some for salvation, but nowhere does it teach that God chooses some to be condemned. Men are condemned by their own choice to reject Christ.

Some people see only Gods election, and they believe that man has no choice in the matter. Others emphasize mans part, and neglect Gods sovereign choice. The truth lies in both extremes. Election and man's free will are both taught in Scripture, and it is best to believe and teach both, even if we cant understand how both can be true. Someone once told me that the Bible teaches both the sovereignty of God and the free will of man and doesn't explain either! They are two parallel truths that are taught in Scripture and it is difficult for our finite minds to put them together.

Even as the Bible teaches that some are chosen, what else do we learn about God in 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21

So while we see God choosing some, we also see his desire that all would be saved. Both are simultaneously true. I fall back on the justice and the mercy of God. No one will be in heaven that deserves to be there, and no one will be in hell that doesn't deserve to be there. Even if I may not completely understand it, what I do know is that it is our responsibility to be bearers of the Light and tell as many people as possible about Him.

What two aspects of salvation does Paul highlight in verse 13? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First, the Spirit sanctifies, or sets apart. How does he do this? Read John 16:7-11. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In order for salvation to occur, the Holy Spirit must convict a person of their sin, God's righteousness and the judgment to follow if they do not believe. We also see man's part in this verse as well. Each person has a choice if they will believe the truth that has been revealed to them. Here, Paul is thanking God for the Spirit's work in their heart and their response of faith.

Verse 14 says that God called them. How did he do this? ____________________________________________________________

A call is simply an invitation. The invitation is open to all and it is proclaimed through the gospel.

What is the end result in verse 14? ____________________________________________________________

How do we obtain the glory of God? Look up the following verses for some clues.

John 17:20-23 (Jesus' prayer for the disciples and all believers) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22

Romans 8:16-23 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Corinthians 3:18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Peter 1:6-9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Peter 4:14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Peter 1:3-4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So we see that the glory of God is not only something we will experience in the future, as thrilling as that will be, but it is also for the here and now! Did you catch how closely our suffering is related to our experiencing God's glory? Every time we experience the glory of God, it is through an encounter with Jesus. So don't think you have to get to heaven to obtain God's glory. As we suffer with him, are unified with him, and are changed into his image, we reveal the glory of Christ to the world. What an awesome privilege. I think the lyrics of this song by Sara Groves express it perfectly!

You are the sun shining down on everyoneLight of the world giving light to everything I see

Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it inAnd everywhere you are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my ownStill you have made me to shine

And as I glow in this cold dark nightI know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you

May we be reflectors of his glory today!

23

Day 9: 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Read chapter 2 again.

In verse 15, what thought does "So then" refer back to? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What admonition does Paul give in verse 15? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When we think of traditions, we normally think of a way of doing things that has been passed down. But here, the word has more the idea of things that they were taught from the beginning. Paul does not want the persecution and trials to make them question or doubt what he originally taught them. They were to stand firm and hold fast to it.

As in chapter 1, Paul closes with a prayer. Look at Paul's prayer in chapter 1, verses 11-12. What similarities do you see with his prayer here in chapter 2? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 16, what does Paul remind us about God? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do we experience God's comfort and hope? ____________________________________________________________

24

Are you discouraged or feeling hopeless? Do you need to be comforted? God says that comes by focusing on his grace. No matter what you are going through, take a minute and write down all the ways God has shown his grace to you, both physically and spiritually. Take some time to focus on what God has done for you. It will comfort you and give you hope! "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Paul ask God to do for them? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What to you think is the theme for chapter 2? ____________________________________________________________

25

Chapter 3

Day 10: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Read chapter 3.

In verses 1-2, what is Paul's prayer request? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes we are not sure how to pray for pastors or missionaries. This is a great thing to pray for. Pray that God's Word would go out unhindered and that those who hear the Word would honor it by believing it!

What contrast does Paul make in verses 2 and 3? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What reason is given that some men are wicked and evil? ____________________________________________________________

Because God is faithful, what will he do? ____________________________________________________________

In 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:17 and in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Paul says that God will establish them. To establish means, "to cause someone to be stronger and more unchanging in attitude and belief." Paul says because God is faithful, He will establish us.

We have already seen that God can establish us through good works and words. According to these verses, what are some other ways God might establish us?

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26

Colossians 2:6-8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Thessalonians 3:2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Peter 5:10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read Matthew 13:19-22 regarding the parable of the sower. How does the evil one try to prevent people from being established? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notice that both God and the evil one want to use tribulation and persecution in our lives for their own purposes. In 1 Peter 5:10, God means to use our suffering to confirm and strengthen us. In Matthew, the enemy wants to use these same things to make us fall away. It is our choice how we will respond. No matter how painful, God always means it for our good. It doesn't mean it will be fun or pleasurable, but it will be for our spiritual good, producing the "fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11).

In verse 5, what does Paul pray that God will focus their attention on? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How would focusing on the steadfastness of Christ help us to remain firm and steadfast? Read Hebrews 12:2-3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus is our example and encouragement. Because of his great love for us, he endured hostility from sinful men. As we remember his unwavering love for us, our love for him will grow, and we too will remain steadfast!

27

Day 11: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-12

Read chapter 3.

Paul now switches gears a bit and returns to a topic he had briefly addressed in his first letter to this church. What command does Paul give? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Idleness is not typically what we would consider one of the "big sins" in the church, but Paul says it is such a bad thing that we should keep away from people who are lazy! There are a few times in Scripture that we are told to avoid other believers.

Look up the following verses and note what other types of Christians we are to avoid.

Matthew 18:15-17 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Corinthians 5:11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Titus 3:10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Thessalonians 3:14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compared to the unrepentant sinner or the sins listed in some of these verses, idleness doesn't seem so bad does it? Why do you think that God sees idleness as such a serious issue in the life of a Christian? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

28

So let's look at the other side. Look up the following verses and note what good things result from working hard.

Ephesians 4:28 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1 Timothy 6:17-18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Titus 3:14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What theme do you see mentioned in these verses? ____________________________________________________________

A lazy person who does not work is not able to help meet the needs of others. For the benefit of the body of Christ, it is important that each member work hard so we can contribute and help those in need.

What two reasons does Paul give for why he worked when he was among them from verses 7-9? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 11, what other characteristic seems to often accompany idleness? ____________________________________________________________

To get a better picture of what a busybody looks like, read 1 Timothy 5:13. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are getting a clearer picture of why idleness is so damaging to the body of Christ. Not only is the idle person not able to be a blessing to others by meeting physical needs, but since they have so much time on

29

their hands, they often spend it in gossip and causing divisions in the Body. Because of this Paul says, if they have been warned and not responded, they should be avoided.

What command does Paul give to the idle person? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By doing their work quietly, they will not be given to gossip and by earning their own living they will not be burden to anyone and will be able to help others in need.

According to 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, what will be the positive result of this? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God to help you work hard for the glory of His name in whatever you do today!

30

Day 12: 1 Thessalonians 3:13-18

Read chapter 3.

In contrast to the idle person, Paul encourages them not to become weary in doing good. Weary here doesn't just mean tired. It means "to lose ones motivation to accomplish some valid goalto become discouraged, to lose heart, to give up."

There are many reasons Christians lose heart and become discouraged. It could be not seeing the results we had hoped for or people not responding to the message. Sometimes we may be hurt by those we have poured our lives into. Sometimes it is just discouraging and we start to believe the lie that we would be better off doing something else. But what does God's Word promise us if we keep on?

Read the two verses and note what God tells us about our work for Him.

1 Corinthians 15:18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Galatians 6:9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So press on, my friend! Don't give up! Even though you may not be able to see it now, believe God's Word that your labor for the Lord is not in vain, and eventually there will be a harvest. And that harvest is not always in the people we are trying to minister to. I have found that often the harvest is in me! God uses my service to the Lord to mold and shape me into the image of his Son. We don't get to pick what the harvest will look like, but God does promise there will be one!

We looked briefly at verse 14 before, but what is the reason that Paul gives for avoiding the disobedient brother? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

31

The purpose is that this brother will become ashamed of his actions and repent (change his mind) about his disobedience.

How does Paul tell us to view this person in verse 15? ____________________________________________________________

Often when we see another believer living in disobedience and sin, it is tempting to think of them as an enemy. They are maligning the name of Christ, being a poor testimony, and it may feel like since they are causing more harm than good, that they are the enemy. Paul reminds us that this is not true. They are still part of our family, and the end goal is not just avoidance to cause them harm, but to restore them as an obedient member of the family of God.

In verse 16, what is the wonderful promise Paul gives us through Christ? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The reason this peace is available is because Jesus is the Lord of peace and He is always with us. Too often we don't experience peace because we perceive our problems to be too big and our God to be too small! As I write this, I am waiting on some biopsy results. There is the temptation to worry about my cancer coming back, but in the three weeks I have had to wait to have the biopsy done and to receive the results, I have had peace and what a wonderful thing it is! I know that whatever the results, God will be more than enough to get me through it. He is faithful, good, wise, and loving and He knows exactly what to use to conform me into His image and bring Him glory. When the Lord Jesus is the object of our affections and attention, he promises us His peace that is available at all times and in every way.

God's Word tells us how we can realize this peace. What are some practical things we can do that will result in us experiencing peace during hard times?

32

Isaiah 26:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Philippians 4:6-7 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Romans 8:5-6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 Peter 1:2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We become like what we focus on. If we focus on the pressure and the stress, we will be filled with stress. If we focus on the Lord of peace, we will be filled with His peace! What struggle or disappointment are you facing? Run to Jesus who freely offers you peace in the midst of a stress-filled world.

The constant companion to peace is grace. Certainly we would not be able to experience the Lord's peace if he had not poured out his grace upon us. Paul reminds us that God's grace is with us too. It is sufficient for every circumstance and available at all times. May we be people who live in and experience the grace and peace of God that is readily available to us!

What is the theme of chapter 3? ____________________________________________________________

What do you think is the theme of the whole book? ____________________________________________________________

33