1Th 2:9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

1Th 2:10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

1Th 2:11  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

1Th 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

As we have seen earlier, the Thessalonians were doing things God’s way, the reason for this was they had become “followers” of Paul just as he exhorted the saints in the prior epistles. These saints were not running away from the “affliction” that came their way, they had learned how to continue doing things God’s way no matter what suffering that came their way. Just as Paul had earlier been an “ensample” to the other saints, the Thessalonians were now “ensamples” to saints all over the world. The “walk” of the Thessalonians was “worthy of God” in the sight of God, and they learned how to let the word of God “work effectually” within them, the reason for this was the Thessalonians followed Paul’s design for edification, not the ‘way’ of man. As we see Paul says the reason for their growth in the doctrine of godliness is because they “received the word of God” by following Paul, not by following “the word of men.”

1Th 3:1  Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

1Th 3:2  And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

1Th 3:3  That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

1Th 3:4  For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

1Th 3:5  For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

1Th 3:6  But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

1Th 3:7  Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

The Thessalonians were not like the Corinthians saints who did not want the “afflictions” that they suffered, Paul says that they should not be “moved” by the afflictions that they were experiencing; these saints were already taught that they are “appointed” to suffer, and as the doctrine worked “effectually” within the saints, they were not “tempted” to stop doing things God’s way. Paul had heard of the sufferings and persecutions that the Thessalonians were experiencing, so he sent Timothy to “establish” and “comfort” these saints regarding their “faith” toward their sufferings, but these saints were not “moved” by what they experienced, it was Paul who became “comforted” by their faith in his “afflictions.”

1Th 4:1  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

1Th 4:2  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

The Thessalonians had “received” from Paul how they ought to “walk and to please God,” this was the issue of the saints accepting and wanting to walk as Paul did. The only way we can be the Thessalonian saint is we have to take a ‘step back’ and “examine” ourselves. We need to see if we ‘find ourselves’ on pages of the Corinthian epistle of reproof, and correction; we must be honest with ourselves when it comes to where we are at doctrinally. We must determine whether we are a Corinthian, or Galatian saint, or an Ephesian, or a Colossians saint in our understanding and maturity, or are we ones like the Thessalonians who have begun to let the word of God work effectually within us. The Romans through Galatians saint understands his justification and he has heard the doctrine of how to think like God does, but he has not “received” it, he minds “earthly things,” and he follows the “rudiments of the world,” and is content in not experiencing the “sufferings of Christ” in his life. This saint needs to fully understand and appreciate the doctrine of Romans through Galatians so that he can doctrinally grow in his edification process. However, if you have learned how to think like God does, but you can’t fully understand how to “put on the new man” as the Thessalonians did, then the saint needs to go over the doctrine of Ephesians through Colossians which is designed to establish the son so he can now do things God’s way.

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Php 1:8  For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

Php 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

 Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

 It was Paul’s prayer that the Ephesian, Philippian, and the Colossian saint gain more “wisdom” and “understanding” in their “faith,” and it is God the Father’s desire that we too understand the “knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” The key to walking “worthy of the Lord” is to want to be educated by the Father in His word, His Will, and His way, and to want to do things the same way He would if He was here on this earth. The walk of the son should be based upon his knowledge of the Father’s will, and his decision making in the details of his life ought to be according to the Godly wisdom and understanding that he has received also.

 2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

In the first epistle to the Thessalonians Paul said the Thessalonians were “ensamples” to the other saints in how a son should “walk,” and Paul also praised their “faith” in their walk as well. However, in his second epistle Paul gloried in that the saints not only continued to walk worthy of who they were in Christ, but their faith grew “exceedingly.” This was all due to the fact that Paul’s epistle had a Godly effect upon them, and his epistles ought to have an effect upon us who are “in Christ.” When we understand and appreciate the progressive ‘milk-to-meat’ design that the Father has for us in our bibles, we can fully get the benefit and understanding that God intended we have within His word.

  Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Php 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Php 4:14  Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

And just as Paul had “learned” to do things differently in his education as a “son,” we should also. Paul had learned to “do” all things according to the Father’s will, not according to his own ‘wants’ of his flesh. Paul learned to be “content” whether he was living a peaceful life, or whether he faced suffering and persecution, he learned to “endure,” and rejoice in them just as his Father would have him to do. These verses are oftentimes misunderstood by Christians, and an appeal is made unto God to physically ‘give them strength’ in their times of need. The understanding is that when this plea is made, God will respond by making their situation easier to handle. But this is not how God deals with a son that would place the son under the “Tudors and Governors” system, the son is to take what he has learned and make godly decision concerning whatever problems that may come his way.

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

When we learn as Paul did to have “patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” in the circumstances of our life, we will come to a point where we will walk “worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.” Our strengthening comes from our “increasing in the knowledge of God” the Father. The key to living the Thessalonian saint life is described below, and it consists of the son becoming the “new man” and being “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Once we begin to let the “word of Christ” dwell in us richly, our decisions and our judgment will be Godly in “all things” according to the will of God. Moreover as we “put on” the things mentioned in Colossians 3:12-13, Paul says the perfect son is one that knows how to walk in charity no matter what may come his way, and when we “let the peace of God rule” in our hearts, we will do things God’s way “in word and deed” and be the son that the Father intended us to be.

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Rod Jones