The people of Thessalonica were in a bad place, but this chapter was really good news for them – and for you. They were to think about glorifying Christ.
Lots of us have lots of things going on in our lives. Here’s a big idea: Getting hold of what it means to glorify Christ gives meaning and purpose to whatever you’ve got going on.
You might think that you would glorify him best with amazing worship. Or evangelism. Those things would be great. You may think that you’re too normal, or that you’ve got too much going on in your life to think about glorifying Jesus.
But hear the word of God speak into your life right now.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in October 2025. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Flourish in your troubles (1-4)
That might seem an impossible thing to say, so bear with me. Read 2 Thess 1:1-2.
We call this 2 Thessalonians because it was Paul’s second letter to the people at Thessalonica. Paul had established the church himself, but then got run out of town by a mob of Jews, angry at him for preaching about Jesus. The persecution continued against the church after Paul left. People were getting arrested. It was scary.
It was a young church – a church plant, really. In chapters 2 and 3 we’ll see that it was far from perfect. But Paul, the apostle sent from God, brings them peace and grace from God himself.
Even though they weren’t perfect, the first thing Paul does is to say how much he gives thanks to God for them: Read 2 Thess 1:3. If he’d congratulated them on their faith and love, they might have got proud. He could have protected them from that by saying nothing, but that’s not very encouraging. It’s lovely to say to someone, “I thank God for you, for the gifts he has given you.” Try it yourself!
Paul’s thanksgiving is “rightly so” because the church is growing.
After the first few chapters of Acts (where the church exploded in numbers), the New Testament never gives any indication of the size of a church. It’s just not a measure of health.
But Paul does give thanks for their growth.
“…since your faith is flourishing…”
- For “flourishing” read “hyper-growing”. Booming! Someone’s put MiracleGro in the faith pots.
- Faith isn’t just something you ‘have’ or ‘don’t have’. You can have weak faith, or strong faith, as Jesus points out in his gospels several times.
- Faith is something that can and should grow over time. Think of a climber testing his ropes and equipment; you give it a tug, you lean on it, and then you trust your life to it. We saw it with Gideon, the way he learnt to trust God in smaller things in preparation for the big task.
There’s a sense that faith isn’t even a personal characteristic of your self: It’s more a growing awareness of the strength of someone else. If you’re familiar with the Narnia books, you might remember Lucy asking Aslan if he’s got bigger? Aslan says, “every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
Growing faith is growing trust in Jesus. What’s more, faith is always an action, not a passive characteristic. So if your faith is to grow – to flourish – you need to step out, stand up, do what Jesus commands.
Obedience to Jesus is itself an act of faith, trusting that he will do you good and enable you to obey.
But faith wasn’t the only thing growing in Thessalonica: “the love each one of you has for one another is increasing” (v3).
Notice how broad that is: “each of you… for one another.” Love is like faith: It’s always an action. It’s always other-person-oriented. And in Thessalonica, everyone stepped up. There may have been friendship groups, but there were no closed cliques. No-one was left out in Thessalonica. They wouldn’t just be adequate. Their love increased.
Some of you may feel that you’re maturing in your Christian walk. But if you’re not growing in faith and love, you’re not growing at all. What’s it like being on the receiving end of you?
Now you might think that you’re not in a good place in life and that this talk of growth in faith and love will have to wait.
So read 2 Thessalonians 1:4. This flourishing faith and increasing love was happening under persecution from the authorities. The Discipleship Explored course we’ve done a few times opens with an eastern european pastor saying this: “For Christians in the West: I wish you persecution! Then you will know the sweetness of Christ!”
The uncomfortable truth is that a life of ease isn’t always conducive to growth in faith and love.
There are plenty of people here who know what it’s like to suffer illness, pain, loss, anxiety… and to be driven to Jesus by them! As Romans 5:3 dares to say, “we… boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us…”
It’s no surprise to see Paul mention their perseverance and faith together in v4. They go hand-in-hand.
You can flourish in your troubles too. How?
Trust Jesus in your troubles (5-10)
Most of us don’t really understand what persecution is.
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Islamic forces boast that they’ve killed 590 so-called “infidel Christians” since last Christmas. They attack churches, carry out ambushes, and kill church leaders. (Barnabas Aid)
- In Eritrea, current estimates suggest around 1,000 Eritrean Christians are imprisoned, and they haven’t been charged with any crime. (Open Doors)
Some people here know what that kind of persecution is like.
The amazing thing about 2 Thessalonians 1 is that we see that persecution isn’t a sign of God’s displeasure at his people, but his justice. Read 2 Thess 1:5-7a.
Get this clear: God will use the persecution of his people to draw a clear line of distinction: Persecution clearly identifies both the Christian sufferers and the non-Christian persecutors. That will 100% justify his acts of judgment on the persecutors, and his acts of redemption for his people.
When will that happen? At Christ’s return to the earth. Read 2 Thess 1:7b.
Christ will return from heaven to earth. It won’t be anything like his first coming. Everyone everywhere will see him at once. Everything will be changed in an instant. You will see it.
What will happen? Read 2 Thess 1:8-9.
When you read “vengeance” there, it’s not vindictive. When God brings “vengeance”, it’s appropriate justice. So why does it say “he takes vengeance with flaming fire”? Isn’t that really appropriate justice?
Yes. And if the punishment matches the offence, how great must your offence be?
- “…when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus”
- Why is that worthy of flaming fire?
- Because his wrath is the other side of his love. They exist in equal measure, two sides of the same coin.
God is rich in grace, offering you eternal life with him. He became human to save you, to take your punishment for you. If you know that, but reject it, is that a small thing? Is it nothing to spurn the love of the God who is love?
So as you reject his love, he will reject you in wrath. Read 2 Thess 1:9 again. You would be eternally separated from the glorious strength that he offers you right now. So he calls you: Repent of your sin, turn to him, seek his forgiveness. He doesn’t want you to be lost to hell.
The day of Christ’s return will highlight those who are Christ’s people and those who aren’t.
So read 2 Thess 1:10.
- Jesus will be “glorified by his saints”
- When our English translations of the New Testament use the word “saint” it doesn’t mean super-Christians.
- It means “holy person” – which is what every Christian is, because every person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and united to Jesus. (The NLT doesn’t use the word “saint” – it has “holy people” which is far better and, oddly, more literal!)
So what’s the verse saying? That Jesus will be glorified “by” his holy people, his Christian people.
That word translated “by” could also mean “in”. When Jesus returns, his people will be instantly changed. You’ll be like him! We’ll look at each other in amazement, in our holy appearance. We’ll be glorified with his glory in us. Changed from glory into glory! You’ll radiate his glory in you, like Moses’ face but more so! And seeing that, you’ll glorify Jesus over and over and over.
And what wonderful works have you done to receive all this? You believed the gospel, the good news about Jesus, here in the Bible. In v7, Paul says the church will receive “relief… along with us” because (v10) “our testimony among you was believed.”
To those Christians suffering in the DRC or Eritrea or North Korea of Afghanistan, Paul is saying here that when Christ returns they will personally shine with Christ’s glory. They will glorify Christ. God will bring justice in the end.
Which means that whatever you’re going through, God will bring justice in the end. Your broken, ageing body will shine with Christ’s glory. You will glorify him, and be glorified in him, by him, with him.
That is a message of hope – whatever you’re going through.
But what about now? Tomorrow? This week?
Glorify Jesus in your works (11-12)
Persecution displays God’s calling. His people will be glorified at Christ’s return. So the prayer from Paul is that they be worthy of that calling now. Read 2 Thess 1:11-12. How can you possibly live a life worthy of his calling? By living a life of holiness and fellowship with God, desiring to do good, with works produced by faith (not slavish obligation).
If you do that, then your future Christlikeness will be growing now. You’ll be bringing forward that amazing day of Christ’s return when you will look like him fully. As you grow in faith and love, Jesus is glorified by you and you are glorified by him in you!
Towards the end of this letter (2 Thess 3:13), Paul writes “do not grow weary in doing good.” You will glorify Christ in your good works.
Don’t leave all the work to someone else.
Don’t only do good works in private or in church: Do good in the public square, even if it attracts persecution.
Obviously, if you do good to glorify yourself then you’re not glorifying Jesus. Be very deliberate about what you’re doing and why.
You know the works: Love one another. Forgive one another. Build one another up and encourage one another. Do them.
What is the highest good you could do? The best good? Point someone to Jesus. To eternal life. These verses paint a stunning picture of the future every Christian can anticipate. But the image of what happens to those who don’t know God and who refuse the gospel of Jesus is terrifying.
You know that, so your understanding of v9 mustn’t be one of joy that the bad guys will get their comeuppance. No, it should cause you to pray for your enemies with passion.
Without faith in Christ, these verses promise a terrible future. For those with faith in Jesus, the future is glorious in him.
So flourish in your troubles, growing in faith and love.
Trust Jesus in your troubles; he knows what he’s doing and you will see and experience and marvel at his glory!
So glorify Jesus in your works prompted by faith.
- Works of love, forgiveness, encouragement, witness.
- Will you think about your works, your faith, your love?
- Will you plan specific areas of opportunity and growth?