Paul Prays to Return to Thessalonica
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 NLT
11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 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. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.
Examine the Scriptures:
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 NLT
Paul Prays to Return to Thessalonica
Paul prays:
Verses 11-13 are a prayer.
Look back at verse 10.
“Night and day we pray earnestly for you…” (v. 10)
11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus
God the Father and God the Son working together.
“God and Lord Jesus” are also used in verse 1 and verse 13 as well in 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2, 8, 12; 2:16; 3:5
A lesson within a lesson.
- Paul frequently pairs “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” to show their shared divine authority and unity of purpose.
Jesus is God.
- By naming both God our Father and our Lord Jesus, Paul emphasizes distinction of persons within the Godhead.
1 Corinthians 8:6 NLT
6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.
Paul often adds “Holy Spirit”.
2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
bring us to you very soon.
- Paul longs for personal fellowship with the Thessalonians.
In person interaction is so much better than “on line” interaction.
Watching a church service on TV is just not the same as being in a church service with other believers.
12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow,
- The Thessalonians were already noted for their love, but Paul prayed that their love would grow and overflow even more for fellow believers and for all people.
- God is the source of Love.
1 John 4:7 NLT
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
- God is the one who causes our love for others to grow.
Genuine Christian love is one thing in the Christian life which cannot be carried to excess.
More verses about loving others. (The challenge is clear.)
1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT
9 But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.
Romans 12:10 NLT
10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 13:8 NLT
8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT
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 Peter 1:22 NLT
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
1 John 3:11 NLT
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:23 NLT
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
1 John 4:9-12 NLT
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
2 John 5 NLT
5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning.
- Scripture tells us to love one another.
just as our love for you overflows.
13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy
- God is the one who makes our hearts strong, blameless, and holy.
Blameless
Someone whose conduct aligns with God’s will
Someone who doesn’t cause others to stumble.
The character of a person who consistently seeks to do what is right and repents when they fall short.
A life of wholehearted sincerity, integrity, and faithfulness to God, free from the willful defiance of God’s will.
To be blameless means to live with integrity, sincerity, and devotion to God—so that nothing in your life brings shame to His name or gives others cause to accuse you of hypocrisy.
Holy
Set apart for God’s purposes.
Separated from sin and dedicated to God.
Conforming more and more to God’s moral character.
Reflecting God’s purity and righteousness in your life.
This involve a lifetime process. The process of sanctification.
More verses about God turning us into the people He wants us to be. (Enjoy)
Ephesians 1:4 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.
Romans 12:2 NLT
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.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT
7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
John 17:16-17 NLT
16 They do not belong to this world any more than I (Jesus) do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
Hebrews 10:10 NLT
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Titus 2:14 NLT
14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
- God chose us to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
as you stand before God our Father
- One day we will all stand before God. (God is preparing us for that day.)
We are being prepared (verse 12 & 13a) for the return of Christ
when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people.
All His holy people can mean either angels or believers.
Amen.
