Welcome to the Agape Flashcards Bible Study eBook Series!
Can you imagine for a moment that you have never heard of God or Jesus? Where ever you are in life, up until this moment you have been painfully oblivious of your Perfect Creator who extends all grace, love, and happiness to us. Try to picture that gap in your life, the gaping hole in your chest or wherever it is that the Holy Spirit occupies within us. Now imagine your sudden realization that there is a wonderful perfect God who loves you in a way you’ve never known and that through Him you have salvation. Imagine the explosion of realization filling that gaping hole in your soul so quickly you swear you’re going to explode! What overwhelming emotions would fill you in that moment and all moments thereafter?
If you have trouble imagining that, it’s ok, I do too! When I try though and I get just a glimpse at the raw power of such a moment, it makes me a little jealous of the Thessalonians. You see, before Paul led them to Christ, they had never been exposed to the God of Abraham, and certainly not Jesus Christ. When Paul brought them the Good News though, they embraced it and as 1 Thessalonians depicts, the church flourished and became a cornerstone for Paul’s ministry! His love for them was immense, and theirs for him.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul shares his love for the church of Thessalonica, but also goes into great details in encouraging their growth in Christ. Though Paul has a soft spot in his heart for this particular church, he also worries about them! They are relatively young and immature in their faith, so he decides to give them some pretty masterful advice in this letter. Consequently, we too can enjoy and learn from what Paul had to tell them so long ago and guess what, it still applies!