Paul Remembers His Visit

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 10, 2021

Paul Remembers His Visit

We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.

I Thessalonians 2:8

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

It seems so simple and non-threatening. Why does it cause so much turmoil? The Good News is that God loves you, forgives you, and provides a way for you to live forever with Him in His Kingdom. Why would that offend anyone? Yet, in Paul’s letters, we learn there was resistance to his message of Good News and persecution for him and those who chose to follow Jesus. And there is resistance and persecution today just as there was when Paul was working among the Thessalonians.

The resistance comes on two fronts. First, in the state of fallen human nature, our acceptance of the Good News of Jesus requires us to change from being the king in our own lives, to acknowledging Jesus as our King and Master. It is the nature of fallen flesh to resist this change. Secondly, as Paul noted in Ephesians 6:12, “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” God’s enemy, the force of evil, does not want humankind to rest in the assurance of God’s love.

My Takeaway: Paul acknowledges his credibility with the Thessalonians was due in large part to his integrity in his personal conduct while with them, and because he demonstrated his own love of God and love for them by sharing his life with them. Let’s pause again, and consider the quality and depth of our relationships.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.