By Larry Miles
The Apostle
Paul commends the Christians in Thessalonica for their
faithfulness. He tells them that the news of their
faith was spread beyond their home. Other Christians
have heard of the commitment to the Lord Jesus (1 Thess.
1:6-8). In 1 Thess. 1:6 we are told that they were
imitators of the Lord. It was not a “bed of roses”
for them when they accepted the Lord Jesus and began to
follow Him.
They became an
example to others—Oh that it could be said of us today
that we live lives so close to Jesus that others will want
to “conform to the image of the Son of God.” They
left a life of idol worship with no hope of salvation and
no hope of an eternity outside of the “ Lake of Fire
.” We are told in 1 Thess. 1:9 that they made a
complete turn around in their lives and identified with
the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess. 1:10
gives us the words in our title. Jesus is coming
again! That is not just a pipe dream; it is a reality! We
don’t know when He will come; it may be today. We
are told here to be “waiting” for His return. What
does that entail? Watching for the Lord Jesus in the
Scriptures means that while we are waiting we are
“watching,” and working for Him. We sing a song
written by Fanny Crosby: “Blessed are those whom the Lord
finds watching. In His glory they shall share.
If He shall come at the dawn or midnight, Will He find us
watching there?” True waiting involves working for the
Lord Jesus, not a working to be saved but working because
you are saved. We are saved by grace through faith,
in baptism, unto good works. Let’s be like the
Thessalonians and be a people who live our lives for the
Lord so that others see us and glorify God (Matthew
5:14-18).
- Larry Miles lives in Louisville, KY and publishes "Larry's
Lines" several times a week. Copyright 2009. Visit his
website: http://larryslines.com/
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