SCRIPTURE 1 Thessalonians 3:5 “For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”  

COMMENTARY This passage, written to the church in Thessalonica and the Christians therein, reveals that Paul was concerned that his work in bringing people to the Lord would be in vain.  Passages like this, and the one in Acts 20, show that Paul did not believe as much of the modern church does.  

The context here is that the tempter would tempt them away (presumably from Christ).  Paul’s labor in bringing people to Christ could not be in vain if he never brought them to Christ, nor if they could not be lost. This is written to Christians.  Again, if an individual is truly permanently saved as the adherents of guaranteed, unconditional eternal security claim, there would be no chance of Paul’s labor of seeing people come to Christ, be in vain.