Never Get Tired of Doing Good

Introduction

We are finishing our study of 2 Thessalonians.

Paul gives the Thessalonians (and us) a final challenge: Never get tired of doing good.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-18 NLT
Never Get Tired of Doing Good.
¹³ As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
¹⁴ Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. ¹⁵ Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.
Paul’s Final Greetings
¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
¹⁷ HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.
¹⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Examine the Scriptures:

Never Get Tired of Doing Good.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-18 NLT

¹³ As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.

Hard working, conscientious Thessalonians would have seen some in the church doing nothing.

This could become frustrating or discouraging.

At times Christian service, acts of kindness, and faithful living can feel unrewarding or exhausting.

Paul encouraged the Thessalonians (and encourages us) to never get tired of doing good.

Challenges from the scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT
¹⁵ With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

2 Timothy 3:14 NLT (Here Paul is saying the same thing to Timothy.)
¹⁴ But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Hebrews 10:36 NLT
 ³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

• Never get tired of doing good.

Persevere in good works despite opposition or laziness around you. 

¹⁴ Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter.

• Take note of those who refuse to obey the scriptures.

Paul realizes that some people may not do what his letter instructs them to do.

Remember:

Obedience to scripture is for our benefit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 

Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 

Those who refused to obey what Paul said in his letter needed to be disciplined.

• Stay away from the lazy so that they will be ashamed.

• Hold those who refuse to obey the scriptures accountable for their behavior.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 NLT (a similar withdraw of close fellowship)
⁹ When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. ¹⁰ But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. ¹¹ I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

Matthew 18:15-17 NLT
Correcting another Believer
¹⁵ “If another believer sins against you go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. ¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. 

In the Jewish context, pagans and tax collectors were outside the covenant community.

This means the person is to be regarded as no longer in fellowship with the church.

Withhold normal fellowship until restoration takes place.

Stay away from the lazy so that they will be ashamed, repent, and be restored to the community.

Paul hoped that the disobedient Christians would be ashamed and repent in response to being shunned by the community. 

¹⁵ Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

Don’t “attack” these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Discipline in the church should be “brotherly”, “warn them as you would a brother or sister”.

The aim is not punishment or complete rejection, but restoration to fellowship.

Balance firmness with love.

Corrective discipline is meant to restore, not punish. Avoiding fellowship with individuals practicing persistent disobedience can provoke reflection and repentance.

Galatians 6:1 NLT
^6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Hebrews 12:5-11 NLT
New Living Translation
⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?  He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

• Exercise loving discipline toward those who refuse to follow godly instructions.

Paul’s Final Greetings 

¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

A blessing.

Many of the Thessalonians were “shaken” by the messages from false teachers.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 NLT
² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

 “Gift of peace” scripture verses.

John 14:27 NLT (some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples.)
²⁷ “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Philippians 4:9 NLT
⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Romans 15:33 NLT
³³ And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

Depend on God’s peace for strength and unity.

True peace comes from God.

God’s peace accompanies believers as they continue doing good and exercising discipline in love. 

• May the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.

¹⁷ HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. I DO THIS IN ALL MY LETTERS TO PROVE THEY ARE FROM ME.

A final greeting

Paul makes it clear that the letter is dictated to a secretary.  The final greeting in Paul’s own handwriting serves as a mark of authenticity.

The personal touch underscores authenticity, care, and concern. 

¹⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

A prayer for grace. (A benediction)

Compare this to 1 Thessalonians 5:28

1 Thessalonians 5:28 NLT
²⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

• Rely on God’s grace for endurance, wisdom, and reconciliation.

Grace is both a gift and a source of strength to continue doing good, resisting idleness, and living in love.

Paul has criticized his offenders, but his final prayer is for everyone.

Grace is both a gift and a source of strength to continue doing good, resisting idleness, and living in love.

Warning Against Idleness

Introduction:

Some of the members of the church in Thessalonica had stopped working, possibly due to a misunderstanding of the timing of Christ’s return.

Some thought that if Jesus was returning “any day now,” there was no point in laboring for their daily bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 NLT
Warning Against Idleness
⁶ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. ⁷ For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. ⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. ¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. ¹² We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.                                               

Examine the Scriptures: 

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 NLT

Warning Against Idleness

Some of the members of the church in Thessalonica had stopped working, possibly due to a misunderstanding of the timing of Christ’s return.

If Jesus was returning “any day now,” there was no point in laboring for their daily bread. 

⁶ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

These instructions from Paul were not mere suggestions. This is a command.

Command:  An authoritative word with a military ring.

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

• “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” gives this instruction divine authority, not merely apostolic opinion.

This elevates the instruction to a matter of obedience to Christ Himself. 

Stay away from all believers who live idle lives

This is not casual laziness—it is persistent, willful refusal to work.

Proverbs 10:4 NLT
⁴ Lazy people are soon poor;
hard workers get rich.

Proverbs 19:15 NLT
¹⁵ Lazy people sleep soundly,
but idleness leaves them hungry.

Discipline those who refuse to work and depend on others to support them.

Paul is not suggesting they treat these people as enemies, but rather as brothers or sisters who are in error.

Believers are responsible for encouraging and correcting one another.

Keep away from these people may mean excluding them from the life and meeting of the church.

Withholding close fellowship.

Fellowship is not unconditional when behavior undermines the church.

• Stay away from all believers who live idle lives.

Similar principle:

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NLT
¹² It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. ¹³ God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

2 Thessalonians 3:15 NLT
¹⁵ Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

Idleness is sinful and disruptive but those guilty of it are still brothers (and sisters) in Christ.

The purpose of this social distancing within the church is restorative, not punitive. It is meant to make the disruptive person feel the weight of their choice and lead them to repentance.

Paul is instructing intentional distancing to correct behavior.

Hold the sinner accountable for their actions, or lack of actions.

• The purpose of this social distancing within the church is restorative, not punitive. 

and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.  

Some had ignored Paul’s message and example, so he gave them additional instructions for dealing with these members.

*Paul had already instructed the Thessalonians to “work with their hands”.

1 Thessalonians 4:2, 11-12 NLT
² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. ¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT
¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

• Paul had already instructed the Thessalonians to “work with their hands”. 

⁷ For you know that you ought to imitate us.

Follow our example.

• Paul instructed the Thessalonians to imitate him and his coworkers. 

We were not idle when we were with you. ⁸ We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.

Paul most likely worked as a tent maker.

Acts 18:3 NLT
Paul Meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth
³ Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.

Paul modeled diligence, discipline and responsibility.

Paul wanted to be a model of industry. In a culture where physical labor was often looked down upon by the elite, Paul dignifies work as an act of service and integrity.

Christianity is not just taught—it is demonstrated.

Paul said the same thing in 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT
⁹ Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 

 ⁹ We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 

• Paul had the right to financial support.

1 Corinthians 9:11-15 NLT
¹¹ Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? ¹² If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
¹³ Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. ¹⁵ Yet I have never used any of these rights. 

Paul willingly gave up a legitimate right in order to teach by example. 

¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”

Note:  The verse says “unwilling” not “unable”.

This is not about those who cannot work (illness, age, disabled).

Paul is addressing intentional laziness

Paul and his companions taught the need to work for a living both by example and through instruction.

The Christian must not be a loafer.

• “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 

¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. 

See 1 Timothy 5:13
13 And if they are on the list (put on the list for support), they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

• Some of the Thessalonians were busy bodies, not working but interfering with other people’s affairs.

Idleness often leads to:

Gossip

Meddling

Disruption

Instead of doing productive work, these Thessalonians created unnecessary problems. 

¹² We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.

• Those living idle lives are commanded to settle down and work to earn their living.

Again, the goal is restoration, not punishment.

Idleness can lead to sin, gossip, and trouble.

Laziness can be self-destructive.

God values diligence, responsibility, and purposeful work.

Don’t rely unnecessarily on others.

Believers Should Stand Firm

Introduction

Encouragement and assurance for believers.

Hopefully, you will be encouraged by this morning’s Bible study.

What Paul says to the Thessalonians, Scripture says to us.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NLT
¹³ As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵ With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.
¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, ¹⁷ comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Examine the Scriptures: 

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NLT

Believers Should Stand Firm 

¹³ As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord.

Paul reassures the Thessalonians that they are loved by the Lord.

The Thessalonians were a source of joy to the apostles.

• Believers are loved by the Lord.

Colossians 3:12 NIV
¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation

• Believers are chosen by God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT
⁴ We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 

—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 

• Believers are made holy by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit transforms believers.

The only work we do is:

John 6:29 NLT
²⁹ Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

• Believers are saved through belief in the truth of the scriptures.

All we need to do is believe in Christ and accept the gift that is being offered to us.

• Christians are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.

Additional scripture:

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 

Romans 9:15-16 NLT
¹⁵ For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”
¹⁶ So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

Colossians 1:11-14 NLT
¹¹ We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

¹⁴ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News;

• God calls people through the gospel message.

The initiative in salvation comes from God, not man.

God called the Thessalonians to salvation by using the Gospel spoken by Paul and his companions and the power of the Holy Spirit.

• The apostles were the human instruments delivering that message.

Think about this.  God uses people, scripture, and the Holy Spirit.

God uses you to deliver the Gospel message. 

now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT
⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 

Romans 5:2 NLT
² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 

Romans 8:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. 

Colossians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
¹² We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 

• Believers will share in the glory of Jesus Christ.
•  Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

¹⁵ With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Believers need to stand firm.

Encourage each other with these words:

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³ Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Philippians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord.

Ephesians 6:13-14 NLT
¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

• Keep a strong grip on the teaching you received.

Remain faithful to Christ

Hold to sound doctrine

Resist sin and temptation.

Endure suffering without abandoning faith.

Trust God rather than fearing circumstances.

***Don’t believe the false teachers who are telling you that you missed the rapture. 

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 

¹⁷ comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Psalm 28:7 NLT
⁷ The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT
¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Psalm 118:14 NLT
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.

 

 

Introduction

Several verses from our previous lesson.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4 NLT
² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. ³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. ⁴ He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NLT
Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord
⁶ And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. ⁷ For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. ⁸ Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
⁹ This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. ¹⁰ He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. ¹¹ So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. ¹² Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Examine the Scriptures: 

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NLT

Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord

⁶ And you know what is holding him (the man of lawlessness) back,

The day of the Lord.

³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 

The man of lawlessness:

An individual characterized by complete opposition to God.

An individual who is often identified as the Antichrist.

An individual who is later called “the son of destruction.”

An individual who represents the climax of human rebellion.

• There is currently a restraining force preventing the full revelation of the “man of lawlessness.”

• Paul does not explicitly identify the present restraint of the man of lawlessness. 

for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 

• The “man of lawlessness” cannot appear until God permits it.

⁷ For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, 

• Lawlessness is already at work in ways that are hidden from us.

The antichrist could be someone we already know.

1 John 2:18 NLT
Warning about Antichrists
¹⁸ Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

“The last hour,” as used here refers to the time between Christ’s first coming and His return.

1 John 4:3 NLT
³ But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

  1 John 3:4 NLT
⁴ Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 (repeated)
² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those (false teachers) who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.  

Ephesians 2:2 NLT
² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Lions quietly stalk their prey, often at night, dusk, or dawn when visibility is low.
They use tall grass, bushes, and terrain as cover to avoid being seen.

• The spirit behind the future Antichrist is already influencing the world.

and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 

This lawlessness will exist in ways that we are not aware of. 

⁸ Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 

The man of lawlessness will be revealed.

• The man of lawlessness will exercise great authority, temporarily.

• Despite his impressiveness, the man of lawlessness will be destroyed by Christ.

The power of Christ’s presence when he comes to earth will immobilize the antichrist’s program. 

Christ will destroy the man of lawlessness:

with the breath of his mouth,

and the splendor of his coming. 

⁹ This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 

• The man of lawlessness is deceptive and will operate with power and signs and miracles.

Don’t underestimate the power of the antichrist.

The man of lawlessness is empowered by Satan.

Evil can be made to look good.

People will stand in awe of him.

Matthew 24:24 NLT
²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

¹⁰ He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction,

It will appear to unbelievers at that time that he is indeed God.

He will be able to pass himself off as God and will receive worship as God. 

because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 

Deliberate rejection of the truth.

The truth:

John 14:6 NLT
⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 

Ephesians 1:13 NLT
¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

Notice the progression:

Truth is available

They reject it

They become vulnerable to deception (next verse)

They perish 

¹¹ So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 

Because of their deliberate rejection of the truth:

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false… (ESV)

For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (NIV)

• God will cause those who refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them to be greatly deceived.

They will believe: (verse 4) 

⁴ He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Romans 1:18-29 NLT
God’s Anger at Sin
¹⁸ But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²² Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
²⁴ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. ²⁵ They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. ²⁶ That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. …
²⁸ Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. ²⁹ Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 

¹² Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

John 3:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 

Romans 10:9-10 NLT
⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 

• Those who reject the truth and enjoy evil are judged by being left to the consequences of their sin. 

 

Events Prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

Introduction

Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.

Focus on what you understand.  Don’t let your primary focus be on what you do not understand.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT
^2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. ² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. ³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. ⁴ He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
⁵ Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT

Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming 

^2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.

• Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.

Review: 

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NLT
¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words. 

• Christ’s return will be a powerful, public, unmistakable, transforming, and triumphant event. 

• All believers — resurrected and transformed — are united.

• All Christians will be with the Lord forever.

Christians face a bright future:

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ And they (people talking about the church in Thessalonica) speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT
⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

• Jesus will rescue (has already rescued) believers from the terrors of the coming judgment. 

• Non-believers will face the terrors of the coming judgment.

Pictured in Isaiah.

Isaiah 13:6-9 NLT
⁶ Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
⁷ Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
⁸     and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear.
⁹ For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
and all the sinners destroyed with it.

Isaiah 13 announces judgment against Babylon, and verses 6–9 describe that judgment using the prophetic phrase “the day of the LORD.” This expression carries both an immediate historical fulfillment and a future prophetic fulfillment.

The ultimate “day of the LORD” will occur when Christ returns to judge the world.

This future day will involve:

Judgment of the wicked

Destruction of evil powers

Establishment of Christ’s kingdom

Deliverance of God’s people

• Babylon’s fall was a historical example pointing toward this final, universal judgment. 

 ² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun.

The Thessalonians were alarmed by the false claim that the day of the Lord had already begun.

Believers were troubled, thinking they were already in the time of divine judgment.

The Thessalonians may have believed that they had been “left behind” or missed the resurrection. 

Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 

Matthew 7:15 NLT
¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

Matthew 24:11
Jesus Speaks about the Future
¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

Matthew 24:24 NLT
Jesus Speaks about the Future
²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
^2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.

1 John 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹ And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

• Don’t be fooled by false teachers.

• False teaching often produces fear, confusion, and instability.

• False teaching is part of the last-days environment. 

³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. 

For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 

• Two events will occur before the day of the Lord. Neither has happened yet.

• • • There is a great rebellion against God.

• • • The man of lawlessness is revealed. 

 

there is a great rebellion against God 

Matthew 24:11-14 NLT
¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. ¹² Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
Warnings against False Teachers
^4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 

A large-scale falling away from the truth.

A widespread rejection of God and His authority. 

the man of lawlessness is revealed

A future individual characterized by complete opposition to God.

The appearance of a specific individual often identified as the Antichrist.

Later called “the son of destruction.”

He represents the climax of human rebellion.

⁴ He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

This person will:

Oppose all true worship.

Exalt himself above God.

Claim divine authority.

Seek worship for himself.

Daniel 11:36-37 NLT
³⁶ “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. ³⁷ He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all.

Daniel 11:31-32
³¹ “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. ³² He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

Matthew 24:15 NLT also in Mark 13:14
¹⁵ “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)

***More about the man of lawlessness in our next lesson.

⁵ Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 

This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians.  Paul had already taught them about the day of the Lord when he was with them in Thessalonica.

Their confusion resulted from forgetting or being misled.

• This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians. 

Application for believers today:

Do not be shaken by false teachers.

Measure all teaching against Scripture.

Remember that Christ’s return is a hope, not a threat, to believers.

Remain faithful even in times of increasing deception.

 

Message for us. Get ready now

Matthew 24:40-42 NLT
⁴⁰ “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

 

 

 

 

Prayer for the Thessalonians

Introduction

Live your life in a way consistent with your calling.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT
Prayer for the Thessalonians
¹¹ So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. ¹² Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Prayer for the Thessalonians 

¹¹ So

To this end (ESV)

With  this in mind  (NIV) 

Paul had assured the Thessalonian believers of God’s promised justice for both them and their persecutors. (1:5-10)

⁶ In his justice he (God) will pay back those who persecute you. 

⁷ And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted. 

Simply put this means heaven for the believer and hell for the unbeliever.

“With this in mind”

After reminding you of all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you…

• Remember all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you. 

We keep on praying for you, 

Keep on praying 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ Never stop praying.

Luke 18:1 NLT
¹ One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

Romans 12:12 NLT
¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Colossians 4:2 NLT
² Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Philippians 4:6 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

• Keep on praying for each other. 

asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call.

This is a powerful prayer we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Reflect on:

Romans 8:30 NLT
³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

• Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
¹² We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

Ephesians 4:1 NLT
¹ Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Colossians 1:10
¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. 

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT
⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

• Live in a manner that is consistent with your calling.

“If you call yourself a Christian, live like a Christian.” 

May he give you the power

Keep on praying

Worthiness is not self-produced.  Paul prays that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of their calling.

Pray that God would give you the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to God.

• Christian growth, from start to finish, is God-enabled, not self-produced.

• Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call. Pray that God would give them the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to Him.

Philippians 2:13 NLT
¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 

Question:  What does your faith prompt you to do?

We must have a “desire for goodness.”

Have an active faith.

Reflect the character of Christ.

Persevere faithfully.

Perseverance in obedience despite opposition.

• Good intentions alone are not enough; God’s power must bring them to fulfillment.

Intensions become actions.

Faith does not remain merely internal but becomes visible.

True Christian works flow from faith. Faith is the root; works are the fruit.

Faith expressed through action.

James 2:17 NLT
¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 

¹² Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored (glorified) because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him.

Christ is glorified in believers now.

Believers will be glorified in Christ fully at His return (v. 10).

• Jesus is honored when the endurance, faith, and obedience of believers visibly reflect who He is.

• Believers perseverance under persecution becomes living evidence that Christ is powerful, faithful, and worth trusting.

Jesus in You:

When you live a life transformed by grace, people see the “character” of Jesus in you.

You in Him:

• By glorifying Christ, the believer is elevated into His glory. It’s a reciprocal relationship where God’s grace is the beginning and the end.

How should we live?

Practice Biblical principles.

Sample verses:

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

Matthew 5:16 NLT
¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

• Our ultimate goal should be Christ’s glory, not personal comfort.

This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

All of this flows from God’s grace, not human merit.

 

 

Encouragement during Persecution

Introduction to 2 Thessalonians.

Author: Paul directed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (Paul was probably in Corinth at the time.)

Date: A.D. 49-52

2 Thessalonians was probably written soon after 1 Thessalonians (perhaps within 6-12 months).

Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to:

Reassure those who were terrified by reports that the Lord had already come back.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NLT
^2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. ² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

Strengthen the Thessalonians in the face of continuing intense persecution.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 NLT
⁴ We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. ⁵ And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.

Deal with the problem of some church members refusing to earn their own living.

2 Thessalonians 3:11 NLT
¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-6 NLT
Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Encouragement during Persecution
³ Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. ⁴ We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. ⁵ And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. ⁶ In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

Examine the Scriptures:

Encouragement during Persecution

2 Thessalonians 1:1-6 NLT

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. 

This epistle begins by naming the same three men mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:1.

Refer back to 1 Thessalonians 1:1 

1 Thessalonians is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

Silas, and most likely Timothy, had been with Paul when the church was founded in Thessalonica, and their presence in the letter’s greeting emphasizes the fact that this ministry to the Thessalonians was a shared ministry and all three men had a love for the community.

Paul is the author.  (Widely accepted as authentic by most scholars)

Silas and Timothy are co-senders.

Throughout the book Paul uses the word “we”.

Paul is communicating the thoughts of others.

The inclusion of Silas and Timothy emphasizes that the gospel work was a team effort and that the Thessalonians already knew and trusted these men. 

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Note:  Paul names both God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ together.

Application:

• The church (made up of believers) belongs to God.

John 1:12 NLT
¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Romans 8:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. … 

Galatians 4:4-7 NLT
⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Ephesians 2:19 NLT
¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 

² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Don’t take this lightly!

God is the giver of grace and peace.

Grace: (Define Grace)

God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

God’s unearned favor that saves and sustains.

God’s unmerited favor which He freely bestows on all who accept the gift of salvation (verse 1).

God gives man the opposite of what he deserves: blessings instead of judgment.

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve—life, forgiveness, and restoration—through Jesus Christ.

Peace: (Define God’s peace)

Grace comes first, then peace.

In Scripture, peace refers to a state of wholeness, harmony, and right relationship with God, others, and oneself.

Inner stability even during outward turmoil.

Christians experience the peace of God as a result of Christ’s work.

Reflect on the following verses:

2 Thessalonians 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,

• God the Father and God the Son are the source of grace, peace, comfort, and hope.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

• Even in persecution, the Thessalonians could (we can) experience God’s peace.

Encouragement during Persecution 

³ Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 

1 Thessalonians 3:6 NLT
⁶ But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. 

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians:

1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT
¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

Paul’s prayer was being answered.

• Despite persecution, the Thessalonians faith was flourishing and their love for one another was growing.

Despite persecution, the church at Thessalonica was growing.

Suffering had united the Thessalonian church, it had not divided the church.

A growing faith indicates a growing Christian.

Faith, love, and endurance are fundamental Christian virtues.

• Faith is the root; love is the fruit.

James 2:14-17 NLT
>Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
¹⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Paul and his coworkers were thanking God for the Thessalonians.  The Thessalonians were a cause for thanksgiving. 

⁴ We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

The persecution the Thessalonians were suffering had intensified since Paul’s first letter.

1 Thessalonians 3:2-4 NLT
² and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, ³ and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. ⁴ Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know.

• Persecution is a way of life for many believers.

• The endurance of the Thessalonian church under persecution had become a testimony to other churches.

The Thessalonians were so outstanding that Paul told other churches about their endurance and faithfulness in all of the persecution and hardships they were suffering.

The Thessalonian church was a model to be copied.

• The suffering of the Thessalonian church had not silenced the gospel; it had amplified it.

Example for others to follow

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT
³ As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT
⁵ May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. 

⁵ And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 

The Thessalonians were patiently enduring the suffering they did not deserve (v. 4).

James 1:2-4 NLT
Faith and Endurance
² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Matthew 5:10 NLT
¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT
¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

• God makes us worthy of His kingdom.

A Christian is made worthy by God’s grace.

Endurance in trials demonstrates one’s worthiness.

God did not leave the Thessalonians to deal with persecution using their own resources.

God provided them with strength to endure, and this in turn produced spiritual and moral character. 

⁶ In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

• God is just.

Galatians 6:7 NLT
⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

• God’s judgment flows from His holiness.

God will not allow evil to go unjudged.

God pays back, not us.

Vindication and retribution are to be exercised by God, not us.

When God repays and how God repays are to be determined by Him.

Romans 12:19-21 NLT
¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
²⁰ Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.”
²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. 

1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

The justice of God brings punishment on unrepentant sinners, and it may be in the here and now as well as on judgment day.

• In his justice he (God) will pay back those who persecute you.

Paul’s Final Advice

Introduction

In this section of scripture, Paul turns from instructions regarding the future to practical instructions and reminders for the present.

It’s good to anticipate the Lord’s return, but it is just as important, or even more important, to live godly lives now.

This passage is loaded with instruction.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 NLT
Paul’s Final Advice
¹² Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³ Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.
¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Do not scoff at prophecies, ²¹ but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. ²² Stay away from every kind of evil.

Paul’s Final Greetings
²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
²⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.
²⁶ Greet all the brothers and sisters with a sacred kiss.
²⁷ I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.
²⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.                          

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 NLT
Paul’s Final Advice

Instructions for relating to others, including spiritual leaders.

¹² Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³ Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.

• Esteem, value, respect, and love your spiritual leaders for their work. 

And live peacefully with each other. 

Peace in the church is rooted in mutual respect.

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT (This passage is similar to 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15.)
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.

Admonish the idle.  They need to be corrected.

Encourage those who are timid.

Encourage the fainthearted (the discouraged).

Just previous to this passage.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Take tender care of those who are weak.

Galatians 6:2 NLT
² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Be patient with everyone.

James 1:19 NLT
¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT
⁴ Love is patient and kind.

• Warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

• Christian love is discerning. One response does not fit every situation. 

¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT
⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Romans 12:17-19 NLT
¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

These are not natural responses.

• Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Instructions for holy living.

¹⁶ Always be joyful. 

Philippians 4:4 NLT
⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

We have a reason to be joyful.  (Remember the following.)

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. 

• Always be joyful. 

¹⁷ Never stop praying. 

Keep the lines of communication with God open throughout the day.

Be aware of God’s presence in your life.

John 14:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

Prayer as ongoing fellowship with God, not merely a list of requests.

Prayer is not only speaking but also hearing and reflecting on God’s word. 

Psalm 46:10 NLT
“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Ephesians 6:18 NLT
¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Philippians 4:6 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Colossians 4:2 NLT
² Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (See v. 18)

Luke 18:1 NLT
18 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

• Never stop praying. 

¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances,

This does not say for “for” all circumstances.

God is sovereign.  God is in control.

• Be thankful in all circumstances. 

for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Verses 16-18 

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  

Galatians 5:16 NLT
¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Ephesians 4:30 NLT
³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. 

²⁰ Do not scoff at prophecies, 

• When God’s word is preached or read, it is to be honored and valued. 

²¹ but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹ And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

²² Stay away from every kind of evil. 

• Test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good and stay away from what is evil.

Paul’s Final Greetings

²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

God is interested in our entire being,

Philippians 1:6 NLT
⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

• God is actively sanctifying His people in every aspect of life, preserving them until Christ returns.

²⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. 

²⁶ Greet all the brothers and sisters with a sacred kiss.

A physical expression of true Christian love that was culturally acceptable in Paul’s time.

An alternative gesture in our current culture could be an embrace, a handshake, or a pat on the back. 

²⁷ I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. 

I put you under oath before the Lord (ESV)

I charge you before the Lord (NIV)

By the Lord’s authority, I order all of you (CEB)

• The Bible is for all of humanity. 

²⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

A familiar, but very powerful and encouraging, benediction from Paul.

Remember what God has done for you. Ephesians 2:8-10

 

The Day of the Lord

Introduction

Focus on the things you know and understand.

Focus on living a life pleasing to the Lord rather than putting your efforts into predicting dates of the Lord’s return.

¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NLT
The Day of the Lord
^5:1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.                               

Examine the Scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NLT

The Day of the Lord 

^5:1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen,

Questions about Christ’s return have always occupied the thoughts of many.

dear brothers and sisters,

Once again we see “dear brothers and sisters”.

Paul truly loved the Thessalonians. 

 we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

• Christ’s return will be unexpected and unwelcome by those not ready for it.

Matthew 24:36, 43-44 (Luke 12:3540) NLT
³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
⁴² So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
⁴³ Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

2 Peter 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.

Revelation 3:3 NLT
³ Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

Revelation 16:15 NLT
¹⁵ “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

The day of the Lord will include both judgment and blessing.

• We don’t know the timing of God’s final judgment, but we do know that it is coming. 

Prepare for Christ’s return by living godly lives.

• Live godly lives in light of coming judgment on the world. 

 ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

This will be a time of judgment and destruction for the unbeliever.

• God’s ultimate judgment comes unexpectedly to the unbeliever and is inescapable.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 NLT
⁹ They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 

• Christ’s return will not take believers by surprise (however, the timing might).

The signs of Christ’s return are discernable to Christians, but we do not know the exact time.

Christians will not face destruction on judgment day. 

⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day;

Colossians 1:11-14 NLT
¹¹ … May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

John 12:36 NLT
³⁶ Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

Acts 26:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ … Yes, I am sending you (Paul) to the Gentiles ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

1 Peter 2:9 NLT
⁹ But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

we don’t belong to darkness and night. 

• Christians are children of light and of the day—people transformed by Christ. 

⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others.

Unbelievers are spiritually insensitive. Living without considering the coming Day of Judgment. 

Stay alert and be clearheaded. 

Matthew 24:42 NLT
⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 25:13 NLT
¹³ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

• Anticipate the Lord’s return.

Be watchful and clearheaded, waiting for the Lord’s return. 

⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.

Matthew 24:48-51 NLT
>⁴⁸ But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? ⁵⁰ The master will return unannounced and unexpected, ⁵¹ and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The drunk are unable to respond properly.

The drunk lack self-control.

The drunk are unprepared for the master’s return. 

 ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

• Know that God has equipped you with faith, hope, and love to protect your heart and mind until Christ returns.

A good prayer to pray for those preparing for Christ’s return:

Philippians 1:9-11 NLT
⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. ¹¹ May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

John 15:16 NLT
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰ And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Romans 5:9 NLT
⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

• Jesus has rescued Christians from the terrors of the coming judgment. 

¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 

Review verses from previous lesson:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NLT
¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

Additional verses:

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

• Christians will live with the Lord for all of eternity. 

¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Remind each other of the promises of God that we already know. 

• The church is a community that encourages and builds others up in preparation for Christ’s return.

The Hope of the Resurrection

Introduction

Focus on the things you know.  We have hope.  As Christians, we are citizens of Heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.

Examine the Scriptures:

The Hope of the Resurrection
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT 

¹³ And now, dear brothers and sisters,

Dear brothers and sisters used 20 times in 1^st & 2^nd Thessalonians.

This is a clear indication of Paul’s love for the Thessalonians. 

we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died 

We do not want you to be uninformed … NIV & ESV

• There were some things the Thessalonians needed to know.

Review:

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 NLT
⁹ How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. ¹⁰ Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

The Thessalonians were concerned about what would happen to the Christians who have already died.

Some Thessalonian Christians had died before Christ’s return, and the church worried they would somehow miss out on the blessings of the Second Coming.

• Paul is about to tell the Thessalonians what will happened to the Christians who have died. 

so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 

Grieving is not wrong.

Godly people grieve.

Acts 8:2 NLT
² (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)

However, it is wrong for Christians to exhibit hopelessness in their grief.

The grief of a believer differs from that of unbelievers.

Unbelievers have no hope of a bodily resurrection.  Believers do have hope.

• Christ transforms grief. Christians grieve, but not hopelessly. 

¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again,

Christ’s resurrection is the center of God’s plan …

1 Corinthians 15:12-14
¹² But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 

• The death and resurrection of Jesus is a well-known recorded fact of history.

People Who Saw the Resurrected Christ

Mary Magdalene
Other women
The disciples (multiple appearances)
Over 500 believers at once
Paul

The certainty of our resurrection rests entirely on Christ’s resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT
²³ But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

¹⁵ We tell you this directly from the Lord:

• This is a message from the Lord, not from Paul.

This is not speculation; it is divine revelation. 

We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 

There is no advantage for the living over the dead. 

Picture this in your mind. 

 ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.  

1 Corinthians 15:42-44
⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

• Christ’s return will be a powerful, public, unmistakable, transforming, and triumphant event.

After the dead come forth, their spirits, already with the Lord, are now being joined to resurrected bodies

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 NLT
“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

Luke 23:42–43 NLT
Jesus tells the repentant thief:
“Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
⁴³ And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

John 11:25–26 NLT
Whoever believes in Christ will live even though he dies.
²⁵ Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. ²⁶ Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 

¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 NLT
⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory
⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” 

• All believers — resurrected and transformed — are united.

Death is permanently defeated.

• All Christians will be with the Lord forever. 

¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words. 

• The primary purpose of this passage is to provide encouragement to those Christians whose (Christian) loved ones have died.

The dead will be resurrected and will participate in the Lord’s coming for His own.

When Christ comes the living will be reunited forever with their loved ones.

Believers will spend eternity with the Lord.

Understanding about the Lord’s return should give us comfort and encouragement.

Believers can and should encourage other believers in the face of death.

 

Other scripture passages to reflect on: (this list is not all inclusive)

Philippians 3:20-21
²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

1 John 3:2 NLT
² Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Revelation 21:3-4 NLT
³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

2 Peter 3:13 NLT
¹³ But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.