“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth…”

With this verse, Paul shifts from dealing with the Day of the Lord to a prayer of thanksgiving (2:13-15) followed by exhortations to walk with the Lord because of the teaching of the first two chapters.

But

In contrast to the unbelievers of the previous verse, Paul carries a sense of thanksgiving for the Thessalonians because they have a radically different future than non-Christians do.

we are bound to give thanks to God always for you,

Paul is “bound” to give thanks to God for the Thessalonians. He views himself as under a sense of obligation to do this because of the dynamics in their faith. Paul had a sense of duty to thank God for His work among the Thessalonians. He knew that his ministry there was not due to his intelligence, determination, or strategy. It was due to the unadulterated grace of God at work among them.

“…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:12).

Principle:

The function of our thanksgiving depends on our capacity to appreciate God’s grace.

Application:

Have you considered it your duty to thank God for your fellow Christians? God brought the blessing of their lives into your life. He deserves the credit. If God did the doing, then He deserves the glory.