1 Thessalonians 4:9-18: Faith Works

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:9-18

Paul says there are two things that the Thessalonian church members need to focus on: love the members of God's family and the respect of outsiders. Then he goes on to tell them that they should not be worried about comes next, because "we will be with the Lord forever." 

For God's family, it is loving them, both near and far. Church was supposed to be an extended family, where each tried to help those in need, in the same city, in the nearby region (i.e. Macedonia) and around the world (Jerusalem, see Romans 15:26). This was not just money, but involved representatives from the churches involved in this to know how the money was being used (to support the struggling poor in Jerusalem, 2 Cor. 9:4) and give a glimpse of how churches could have an impact working together (2. Cor. 9:2, see also 1 Thess. 1:7-8) Their attitude (perseverance, obedience, joy) showed how faith worked. (1 Thess. 1:6) and that was a contagious example. 

For non church members, life was about winning respect. Being quiet, living out your life and being productive and contributing members of society. Respect was earned, not based on our standards but based on their standards. Again, it was about showing how faith worked.