1 Thessalonians 2:11-20 Receive the scriptures as God's word and as a child of God live a life pleasing to his calling

For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. Jesus said, "In this life there will be suffering. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. The Christian need not live a life of protection. Because you are a Christian, you have been saved and separated from the world. One need not be concerned with over-committing to Jesus Christ, because he is the Son of God and on the cross overcame death and the devil. One need not worry about losing salvation, because God sent the Holy Spirit to place a seal on us to keep us until the day of Jesus Christ. There is not an adversary in the universe who can take them from the secure hand of the Lord. Amen.