A Sincere Faith

 

“For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 ESV

 

One of the primary accusations thrown at believers today is that of hypocrisy. And while we sometimes dismiss these accusations, citing our sinful nature, while we often write them off because it’s impossible to live a perfect life, they are not unfounded. It’s true that many of us, who profess to be believers in Jesus, are hypocrites.

 

It’s true that we are actors. It’s true that we are posers. It’s true that we don’t sincerely believe the faith that we proclaim.

 

Those making these accusations do not expect perfection. Believers and non-believers alike understand that no one is perfect. They do, however, expect to see evidence of the faith we confess.

 

If we proclaim the Word of God, it should be evident that we receive the Word of God. If we proclaim the Word of God, it should be clear that we’ve turned from the false gods we once served and that we now serve the Lord. And if we proclaim the Word of God, it should be clear that we are sincerely awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises, that we’re awaiting the return of Jesus along with the blessings this will bring.

 

When our life fails to align with the faith that we confess, it affects our witness in a negative way. However, when the two match up, it has the opposite effect. It creates a strong witness that can have a powerful impact.

 

This is exactly what was going on among the believers in Thessalonica. Paul says that the word of the Lord had sounded forth from them. In other words, they were faithfully proclaiming the Word of God.

 

However, in addition to this, their reputation was known everywhere. The faith of the Thessalonian Church was well known. It was reported how they had received Paul. It was reported how they had turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And it was reported how they awaited the return of Jesus.

 

In the same way, when our life matches the message we proclaim, it will certainly have this effect. It becomes clear that our confession is not empty or hollow.  It is clearly seen that our faith is genuine. It’s clearly known that we believe and hold to the faith that we declare to the world.

 

That being said, if it becomes clear that we are hypocrites, the answer is not for us to try harder. The answer is not for us to conform our life to the message we proclaim. We must, rather, trust in the message we proclaim. We must receive the salvation that God has provided for us in Jesus, and offered to us in the gospel. And the rest will come naturally. The evidence of our faith will flow naturally from our belief.