In this world full of turmoil, God has a people for Himself, disciples of the Lord Jesus. They have chosen to take a path marked by sufferings, which others have taken before. Many believers have gone through great conflicts. Yet they are willing to do so, eager to imitate the example of those who went before. It is like in an army, where fallen soldiers are being replaced by new recruits.

Despite much opposition, the new believers in Thessalonica courageously took the place of those who had departed. Thus, together with others, they became imitators or followers, not only individually but also collectively, as assemblies of God in Christ Jesus. Appreciating the great privileges of belonging to the Savior, they were willing to suffer for Him.

Today, Jesus of Nazareth is God’s Anointed in heaven (Acts 2:33), and He will thus be honored in the world to come. Meanwhile, the opposition against Him is quite serious, as many generations of faithful believers have experienced. Paul, once a persecutor himself, was opposed by the Jews who had killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets. Such opponents “do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved” (1 Th. 2:15–16). We should not expect any different treatment today.