Christian growth goes hand-in-hand with saving faith.
When you become a Christian, you realise you have sinned against God and don’t deserve anything from him. But he’s gracious and ready to forgive. You become a Christian in the moment you ask God to forgive you. Then you become a child of God – and your journey in Christian growth begins at that very point.
It’s not that you have to reach a certain standard to become a Christian. But once you have been forgiven by God you will want to become someone who will please him.
1 Thessalonians will do your Christian growth the world of good.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in December 2024. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Stand firm in the Lord (3:1-13)
Remember that 1 Thessalonians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church (people) at Thessalonica in northern Greece. He had visited Thessalonica on a missionary journey, but after 3 weekends there he’d been run out of town by an angry mob of Jews. They were angry because he was teaching that Jesus is the promised Messiah who’d been crucified but was risen. And they hated that this good news was being told to Gentiles (non-Jews).
Paul and his colleagues Timothy and Silas had had to flee the town for their own safety. They went to nearby Berea, but Jews from Thessalonica found out and stirred up trouble there too. Read about it in Acts 17. The three men ended up in Athens, but were desperately worried about the church in Thessalonica. So: Read 1 Thess 3:1-3.
Paul would have loved to have gone, but it just wasn’t safe. In calling Timothy “God’s co-worker” he shows that Timothy is very much an adequate stand-in, honouring the church. Timothy was sent to do three things: To strengthen the church, to encourage them in their faith (both v2) and to find out about their faith (v5).
What were Paul’s great concerns for the church? Why was he so anxious to find out about them? What might have happened?
There are two risks to the church that Paul was worried about, and they can happen to every church, every Christian, in every place and age: Affliction and temptation.
Afflictions
Read 1 Thess 3:1-2 again. You’re a strange person if you’re never shaken by afflictions. The world’s a mess, life is hard, and pain comes to us all.
Paul’s concern was that the afflictions that that church were suffering might lead people away from their faith.
- For those people, the main affliction was persecution. You might not get run out of town, but if you stand up for Christian ethics you’re likely to come under some sort of fire. Or even get fired. We like to be liked. It’s hard to face opposition, especially from friends and family. How do you react? Some people cave, and walk away from their faith into unbelief.
- But we also face other kinds of affliction. Grief has shaken many people’s faith. You can’t understand why God would take the life of someone so young, so healthy, so good, or so loved. And, of course, if you’d died before them they’d ask the same questions, grieving for you. Death is cruel. You can know about how everyone has sinned, and that death and grief are the result of a fallen world. But what you know in your head doesn’t always align with what you feel in your heart: It can shake you.
No wonder Paul was worried for them. Watch yourself.
Temptations
He was worried about them being tempted to sin too: Read 1 Thess 3:5.
- Everyone is tempted. Temptation isn’t sin. Temptation has two sides: There’s the thing “out there” that comes at you, tempting you. And there’s your own desire “in here” that wants (or doesn’t want) the thing coming at you.
- We won’t all be affected equally by the “out there” things. We’re all bombarded by advertising for gambling (lottery, scratch cards, phone apps), but we don’t all feel that temptation in the same way. For you it might be a temptation to steal, or lie, or for pornography, or over-work, or under-work. Your heart has its weak spots, and the devil will entice you to sin by matching the “out there” temptations with your “in here” desire. He hates you. And he’s a liar.
No wonder Paul was worried for them. Watch yourself.
Good news
But as it turns out, there was good news: Read 1 Thess 3:6-8.
The first half of v8 is probably hyperbole, an exaggeration from emotion. But the second half is keenly meant. The thing is, if you think you have faith (if you think you’re a Christian) it will be sorely tested by affliction and temptation.
And if you’re not the real thing, you will inevitably fall away.
Your only hope is to stand firm in the Lord.
So you need to be crystal clear on what even is a Christian:
- A Christian is a sinner forgiven by God.
- No-one is perfect. But in truth your imperfection is really rebellion against God.
- Every lie, every bad word, thought or action: Sin against God. And in a world of justice – God’s world – sin brings judgment.
- But God loves you. The Judge would rather be your Saviour. So he himself entered the world to take the punishment your sins deserved. He died at the cross.
- As you turn from sin and turn to God, ask him for forgiveness of all your sin – and he will forgive.
- You are then a child of God, united to Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And he will never let you go.
Stand firm in the Lord
Jesus was afflicted terribly in every way. He also overcame every temptation without sinning. He knows what affliction and temptation feel like.
So, if you’re a Christian, you can lean on him for help – and he’ll give it. He will keep you and strengthen you in every trial. You have strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.
When Timothy went to that church, he could see their faith, love, and hope all tangibly being worked out in their relationships with each other and with people outside the church.
That’s why Paul was so excited: It’s clear that they were the real thing.
So his prayer was that they’d keep on at it: Read 1 Thess 3:11-13.
You can only be “blameless in holiness” in the Lord, in Christ. We’ll think more about Christ’s return next time, but as you stand firm in the Lord, Paul has things to say about holiness and love:
Grow in holiness (4:1-8)
Verse 3 says, “For this is God’s will, your sanctification…”
Whatever else God has planned for his children, holiness is key. Sanctification means “becoming or being holy”. And because only God is holy, sanctification means becoming more Christ-like, more distinctly his.
He gives four example ways that you’re to grow in holiness:
“Keep away from sexual immorality” (v3)
- He probably mentions that because the Christian sexual ethic is so radically different from what most people considered normal in 1st century Thessalonica.
- It’s still the same in 21st century Britain.
- Sexual purity means sexual activity only within marriage, meaning the union of one man and one woman; every other situation is to be celibate.
- I sometimes see people (on Twitter) mocking: “Why does God care what you get up to in your bedroom. God doesn’t care who you sleep with.”
- But marriage is a reflection of Christ’s glorious union with his world-wide church: A union built from love, commitment, and perfect faithfulness.
- For those of you who may one day marry: You’re called to be counter-cultural, and God’s law is always for your good.
“That each of you knows how to control his own body” (v4)
- It’s about self-control. Obviously, that’s partly linked to the point about sexual immorality.
- But there’s also gluttony and self-abuse.
- Addictions can be overcome, though it’s hard.
- Self-control over what you watch online or on TV.
The point is that if you’re a Christian, you’re united to holiness.
You’re a child of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
Have you ever been let down by a friend, someone close to you? You feel the disappointment, the surprise of let down? When you sin, the Spirit feels that way about you.
So (v6) “This means one must not transgress”
- That is, you mustn’t break God’s laws.
- Your Christian growth depends on you knowing more about what God wants of you, and knowing him more and more as you spend time in his word and in his presence.
And (v6) “one must not… take advantage of a brother or sister”
- Again, that’s obviously true in matters of sexuality.
- But it’s a general principle not to take advantage of each other.
- You’ll often find that people are broadly “takers” or “givers” in life, and in church. Be sure to be a giver if you’re a child of God, because he is the great Giver.
And holy living isn’t just for some kind of “super-spiritual Christians” – we’re all the same. This is for you.
Read 1 Thess 4:7-8.
Verse 3 said “For this is God’s will, your sanctification…” And in v7 you’re reminded that you’re called to live in holiness. More than that, holiness isn’t about floating round on a cloud playing a harp: It’s the detailed, counter-cultural life that God calls you to – at home, in work, every day.
Holiness isn’t an optional add-on to your Christian faith; it’s your very identity as a child of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.
What’s God’s will for you, for your Christian growth? First and foremost, it’s sanctification – growing in holiness, living for God. But there’s something else:
Grow in love (4:9-12)
Read 1 Thess 4:9-12.
The words “brotherly love” are one word in Greek. Before there were Christians, the word was only ever used to describe the love that exists in families. But that points to another really big part of being a Christian: If you’re a child of God, every other Christian is your brother or sister.
They say blood runs thicker than water. In other words, whatever happens in life you usually look out for and care for your blood relatives, your family.
The Christians in Thessalonica were already doing that for each other, but you can never do enough. Do you feel satisfied with the love that you show your brothers and sisters in this church? Whether you do or not, Paul would say “we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more.” There’s no upper limit. God loves you in spectacular measure, and his love is to flow out through you.
And there’s something even more startling here. We usually think about such love within a local church, but Paul takes it further: “you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region” (v10).
You are to love the Christians in the local Gospel Partnership, as a minimal starting point. “They’re not like us” – you say. Blood flows thicker than water: They’re your family. Get over your preferences and prejudices and love your family.
And remember, this isn’t a command to help you become a Christian! This is for your Christian growth.
God is for us
God himself works in you to help you succeed: Read 1 Thess 4:9 again.
- Paul made up a word: “God-taught”.
- Live out God’s word in your mind and the Spirit within.
And live life peaceably:
- He encourages you to work hard, be a good citizen, and don’t go looking to be a trouble maker for the sake of it.
- Why does he need to say that?
- Because you will cause enough offence simply by living a life of counter-cultural holiness, prioritising being with God’s people (the church) because you love them more than other entertainments on offer.
The gospel is offence enough.
In Summary
Christian growth begins with standing firm in the Lord:
- When afflictions and temptations come your way (and they will)
- if you’re not trusting in Jesus Christ for your forgiveness before God
- then you’re not a child of God,
- and you will inevitably, eventually fall away
- if you’re not trusting in Jesus Christ for your forgiveness before God
- He will keep you and strengthen you; he is your hope.
Then grow in holiness
- That means becoming more like Jesus himself.
- Close to him, like him. Doing right, doing good.
- And that is often counter-cultural living: Sexual ethics, self control, killing sin, giving rather than taking in everything.
And grow in love, especially for the church
- There are no upper limits. When you love your brothers and sisters here (or elsewhere), Christ’s own love is flowing out: And that is Christian growth in you.