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1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
In becoming followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in heaven through the inspiration given to the Apostle Paul and his ministry team by the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in heaven, the Christians in Thessalonica have opened their hearts to “receive” the word , and have done so “in much affliction” but have done so with joy as is only attainable through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6, NKJV). Their afflictions were seen by those throughout the surrounding regions and were noted as being proper examples of Christians.
This is an example of a Christian in reflection of the joy of the Lord through affliction.
For many, it is hard to imagine being a part of anything that has to do with suffering, especially if it is from a voluntary standpoint. The truth is that we all suffer in this earthly world due to sin and the consequences of it. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the Christian does not go through the suffering alone; Jesus walks with the Christian through the afflictions of this world and guides him/her through it. Jesus declared in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”
The joy that one is able to experience through the afflictions of this world is due to the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian through confessing their sins to God, asking forgiveness for them, and thanking Jesus for dying on the cross to pay their penalty for sin so that they may be forgiven and receive the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Only after one has taken these steps unto salvation in Christ Jesus can one experience the joy of God’s Holy Spirit in their life. It is a joy that will fill your soul, even through affliction. Put your trust in Jesus today – confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you – and profess your thanks to Him for saving you from sin, and you too will become a child of God (John 1:10-13) and experience the joy of being a Christian.
Dear LORD,
Sometimes we wonder why You allow us to suffer afflictions after we put our trust in You to save us from them – after we believe in the saving power of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and rising from the dead in victory over them in eternal life. But the truth is that Jesus suffered afflictions for us in saving us from sin, and in this earthly world afflictions remain. Jesus did promise that for all who will believe in You that You would send Your Holy Spirit to guide us through the afflictions of this world and experience an inner joy that is only possible through being a Christian, as was those in the church at Thessalonica. Please help us to be that same example to the regions around us today of the joy in our lives through putting our faith in Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, amen.