Receiving the Word

 

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!”

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 ESV

 

 

When someone shares an idea that is different than our own, or when someone shares an idea that makes us uncomfortable, we respond by saying: “Well, that’s your opinion!” We simply dismiss them. We dismiss them, telling ourselves that it’s only the idea of a man.

 

This makes virtually any idea easy to dismiss. Man, after all, is fallible. Man, after all, is imperfect. And, for this reason, any idea that comes from man is likely to be wrong.

 

This is something that can hinder the work of ministry, as well as the work of God in our own life. As the Word of God is proclaimed, it is often dismissed as nothing more than an opinion. It is often dismissed as nothing more than the teaching of man.

 

For this reason, it’s viewed as something that is fallible. It’s viewed as something that’s potentially flawed. It’s viewed as something that is deficient and lacking.

 

However, as we see in the above passage, it was received differently by the believers at Thessalonica. When Paul and his companions brought to them the Word of God, they received it as just that. They received it not as the word of man, but as the Word of God himself.

 

And this was not only something that they confessed. It’s something that was expressed in their lives. Believing it to be the Word of God, they became imitators of the believers of the congregations in Judea. Believing it to be the Word of God, they suffered for their new faith, just like the Jewish believers.

 

This leads us to ask ourselves an important question: How do we receive the Word of God? Do we receive it as the word of man? Do we receive it as the opinion of man? Or do we receive it as the Word of God himself?

 

If we receive it as the word or opinion of man, we’ll continue to dismiss it. This is especially true when it contradicts something that we already believe to be true. And it’s especially true when it makes us uncomfortable.

 

But when we receive it as the Word of God, it’s able to transform our lives. It will do so because, only then will we receive the conviction it brings. It will do so because, only then will we receive the hope that it gives.