I love God's word... I need God's word. I want to be saturated with it that I may know Him more intimately, help equip those who also know Him and point those who don't know Him in His direction. In our #nestingwithjesus we have been in the warm and pleasant waters of Thessalonians.

Paul, right from the start, as he usually does in his intros, qualifies his audience to the called out assembly (church) in Thessalonica by emphasizing that he's writing to those who have both... the Father and His Son. That's significant becuase many would claim to knowing God, but ignored or wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and that's impossible to do without trusting, knowing and loving Jesus. He wanted to make sure everyone knew who he was addressing in his letter. Remember, He who has the Son, also has the Father. And it’s impossible to have a relationship and access with the Father without abiding in Jesus.

Another pattern we find in Paul's letters is his gratitude toward the Godhead. Think about it? Have you ever read where he thanks men for their faith? I could be wrong on this but I can’t find any place that Paul, in thirteen Newer Testament books, ever thanks men for these three things... faith, love and hope. When the Bible give thanks for these three things it's always pointing heavenward to their origin. Why is that? Because all three are gifts that are ushered in when His grace invades our lives. So, it's only appropriate to thank God for these three essential and eternal blessings of His unequalled grace and relentless mercy.

Paul gave thanks for two reasons:

1. He remembered the direct results of God’s redeeming grace.

The three things he remembered and gave thanks to God for:

1. What they were doing. (They worked with faith).

Their work was rooted in and the result of God's word. It was based on the word of God and reflected His will.

2. How they were doing it. (They labored with love).

Their labor was motivated by the love of Christ, and it compelled them to love Him and His people and to proclaim His message to a lost world.

3. Why they kept doing it. (They hoped with perseverance).

Their steadfast and unwavering perseverance validated and proved an unashamed hope within them that had been purposely and practically built by God and it wasn't something they had borrowed from man. (Romans 5:1-5)

And this hope, love and faith were the direct results of God working in and through them and he couldn't help but give thanks to Him who gave it—GOD. Paul understood this when He said...

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I LABORED more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10)

May we give credit to whom credit it due... the type of faith, love and hope that Paul consitently spoke of are all gifts from above. They come from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning—He's constant and faithful. Blessings to each you... and may you have a day filled with faith, love and hope. And the greatest of these is love...

Paul gave thanks for two reasons. We just covered the first reason, the following is the second:

2. He knew that God had chosen the redeemed in Thessalonica by the power He demonstrated to save and sanctify them.

Paul, under the inspiration and influence of the Holy Spirit, assured the disciples at Thessalonica that he KNEW and could SEE that God had chosen them (1:4-10) because of three distinct dynamics that he reveals in chapter one and two:

His words... not mine:

"For this cause also WE THANK GOD without ceasing, BECAUSE, when you received the word of God, which you heard of us, YOU RECEIVED IT not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe" (1 Thes. 2:13)

Paul is saying, this a God thing... what is impossible with man, is possible with God.

Validation of God’s work #1

1. How the Word of God was Revealed

(How was God’s message revealed to them. The message and the messengers were anointed by God to make His good news of their salvation, in Christ, both clear and bright. The veil, that once covered their eyes, and had them in complete darkness to the gospel, was supernaturally penetrated by the light of the spoken Word of God.) 1 Thes. 1:5 says, “For our gospel came not unto you by 1. declaration only (word ONLY), but also in 2. enabling grace (power), and 3. by the Presence of God, Himself, (the Holy Ghost, Titus 3:3-7), and 4. by our great expectations and confidence in God’s redeeming work, through the gospel of His grace (much assurance); as you know (we lived what we declared) what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Validation of God’s work #2

2. How the Word of God was Received

They embraced the Word of God, as it is in truth, a word from God and not the words of men. They supernaturally, without restrictions, welcomed the message of Christ Jesus and the cross He died on, as God’s only answer and hope and way to live. They opened their heart to the Man and His message and allowed it to strip every prideful rebuttal away from them. They divinely received the truth about their rebellion and hostility toward living a life that glorifies God. God gave them light to understood they had been living to serve themselves. And, by the grace of God, the penetrating light of the gospel manifested the love and kindness of God in Christ Jesus, in spite of who they were and had been. They received the life changing truth that their lives were no longer their own, they had been bought by the blood of Jesus, and they were compelled by the love of God to live for Jesus. Titus 3:1-7) 1 Thes. 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectually works in you that believe.”

Validation of God’s work #3

3. How the Word of God was Redeeming

The redeeming and far reaching work of the gospel... I love simple and clear principles... that significantly speak life and grace into our lives from day to day. The letter to the Thessalonians is such a great and gracious word that ushers in a tremendous amount of clarity on how the word of God’s grace is revealed, received and redeems those who see, agree and act in faith on what He reveals.

“...how you turned TO God, from idols, TO serve the living and true God. And TO wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, namely Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

The Word of grace and truth took root and took over the lives of the believers. They turned in faith to the Father and turned from serving themselves and the useless things of this world to serve the living and true God by faith. They became followers of the disciples and examples for other believers. Complete and utter transformation of nature and living. They had been interrupted by Jesus and invaded by His redeeming grace and they would never be the same. They were now living life in the light of the promised return of Jesus. Not perfectly, but purposely and with passion. The eternal grace of God had so transformed how they lived, loved and looked at life and even more so the return of Jesus. They were living and looking for Jesus to come, as they served and preached the gospel to a lost and dying world (Titus 2:11-14).

Grace upon grace...