1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thess 3:9 “For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

"For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;” Paul was again rendering thanks to God for the brothers and sisters of the church of Thessalonica. He had previously thanked God for their work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope. Now he thanks God for their joy and the joy that he had for their sakes before God. Paul seeing their joy and their fruitfulness in the gospel of Christ and the blessings of serving the Lord rejoiced with them.

“Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” Obviously Paul had a great desire to see the members of the church at Thessalonica as he prayed exceedingly to God that he might see them and to perfect that which is lacking in their faith. Growth in faith is a theme throughout the scriptures. We all need to grow in faith. Our faith continuously needs perfecting and it is through the preaching and teaching of God’s word and our personal studies that we grow in faith and what we lack in the faith is perfected (matured).

“Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.” Paul recognized that what he might desire to do and what he would be enabled to do was dependent upon God. For this he prayed that God would direct the way unto the members of the church at Thessalonica. A minister’s steps are to be directed of the Lord. Paul and Silas had experienced the need for the direction of the Lord in the following passage: Acts 16:6 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” There is a need for the Lord’s humble obedient people not only to increase in the faith, but also to increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men. Christian growth should be a goal of every member of the Lord’s church here on earth. We need to grow and increase in faith, and love, and hope throughout our journey here on earth. For this growth we need the Lord’s help in helping us to grow.

“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” To establish means to steadfastly set. Unblameable means to be faultless. Thus the end goal for each of us is that our hearts may be steadfastly set to be faultless in our pursuit of holiness before God, just as all of our hearts will be steadfastly set to be faultless in holiness before God at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes with all his saints.