The Source of Faith

Most of us know and believe that we are saved only by the grace of God. Our works play no part in it, nor can they. It’s a free gift of God.  

We know also and believe that this grace is received only by faith. It’s through faith in Jesus that we receive the grace of God and are saved. As we read in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

However, what is this faith and where does it come from? Have you ever thought about that? How do we come by this faith which enables us to receive the grace of God?

Most of us tend to think that our faith results from our ability to reason. This is why so many of us believe that babies cannot have faith and that they are automatically saved. We reason that they are not yet at the point where they are able to believe.

Scripture, however, tells us otherwise. David tells us in Psalm 22:9-10, for example, that God made him to have faith while he was at his mother’s breast. From the time he was an infant, God made him to believe.

In Matthew 18 we see that, calling to himself a small child, Jesus told the people that unless they became like children, they would never enter the kingdom of heaven. And he went on to say that whoever caused one of these little ones who believe in him to sin, would be better off dead. In this way, Jesus clearly stated that young children can have faith.

The Bible is equally clear that none of us can come to faith on our own. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul tells us that the natural person (the person without the Spirit) cannot understand the things of God. And in Romans 3, Paul tells us that there is no one who understands or who seeks for God. So, even as adults, we are incapable of understanding the gospel. Our ability to reason has no bearing on this whatsoever.

As we investigate this further, we learn that it’s only by the Spirit of God that we are able to confess faith in Jesus. Paul tells us at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12 that a Spirit-filled person cannot deny Christ. And he goes on to say that a person without the Spirit cannot confess Jesus as Lord. In the same way, in John 6, Jesus says that no one can come to him unless he’s drawn by the Father.

This tells us that, just as salvation is a gift of God, so too is faith. The ability to believe in Jesus, the ability to trust in Christ, is not something we possess on our own. It’s something that God enables in us.

And, finally, we see that this faith is received through the Word of God. Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. So, it’s as we hear God’s Word, and as the Holy Spirit works through the Word, that we’re enabled to believe.

This, then, reveals to us why it’s so important for us to be in the Word of God. It reveals to us why it’s so important for us to share the Word of God with our children. And it reveals to us why it’s so important for us to share God’s Word with those who don’t yet believe. It’s through this Word that God works in us, enabling us to believe and to be saved.

Our Gospel Hope

 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

 

As we read the above passage, it sounds pleasing and it seems simple enough. But, in reality, it’s anything but simple. It’s anything but simple because life is hard.

 

Life is full of problems and hardships. And, as we face them, we don’t feel like rejoicing, we don’t feel like praying, and it doesn’t seem to us that we have reason to give thanks. These admonitions, which ordinarily seem good and easy to fulfill suddenly become difficult on so many levels.

 

After all, why would we rejoice when life is hard? Why would we pray when it seems that our requests go unheard? And why would we give thanks when it seems we’re receiving only the curse and never the blessing?

 

These are all fair questions. And, as we live in this world, they seem logical. They reveal, however, that we’re short-sighted. They reveal to us that we’ve failed to understand the gospel.

 

According to Scripture, the difficulties and hardships of life are the consequences of sin. They’re the natural result of sin. And we must not pretend that any of these consequences are undeserved.

 

Yet, as we reflect upon this truth, our tendency is to point to the forgiving and gracious nature of God. And Jesus, indeed, came into this world to save us from sin and its consequences. This does not mean, however, that our life in this world will be perfect. It does not mean that it will be free of problems.

 

We will only be free of sin when we meet Jesus face to face. And we will only be free of the consequences of our sin when the end of this age has come. At that time, sin and its consequences will be no more as we are conformed to the image of Christ.

 

In the meantime, this means that we’ll continue to face hardships and difficulties. But we must realize that they’re only temporary. They will not endure forever.

 

That which is eternal provides us with ample reason to rejoice. It gives us ample reason to pray. And it gives us ample reason for thanksgiving.

 

We can rejoice in Jesus and what he’s done for us. We can rejoice in the sacrifice he made on our behalf and his resurrection from the grave. And we can rejoice in the blessings he’s provided for us in this way.

 

We can rejoice even in the face of hardships. We can pray in the face of difficulties. We can give thanks when it feels like we’re on the receiving end of God’s judgment. We can do so because of the gospel. We can do so because of the hope we have in Jesus.

 

Embracing the Mess

 

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14

 

Many of us, in the church today, fail to interact with our fellow church members. As I’ve mentioned before, we make in our aim to get in and out of worship in as little time as possible. And, as a result, we don’t truly get to know those who surround us in the pews each week.

 

This can lead to false impressions. From the outside, it seems that everyone else has it all together. We, then, compare that impression with own circumstances, which we know to be a mess.

 

However, when we truly get to know our fellow believers, we find that their lives are a mess as well. We find that they too have problems and difficult circumstances in life. And this can affect us in one of two ways.

 

For some, it’s further reason to separate themselves from the body of Christ. Because their lives are messy, we assume that the faith professed by these people is either weak or non-existent. And it turns us off to the Church, and perhaps to the Christian faith.

 

However, as believers, this reality should create within us a desire to minister to our fellow believers. It should create within us a desire to bless our fellow believers. And, in the passage above, Paul told the Thessalonians how they could do just that.

 

He points out that some, in the church, are prone to idleness. They’re undisciplined and disorderly. They’re slothful and inactive.  And Paul encourages the church to admonish, or to warn, such people.

 

Others are fainthearted. They are disheartened or feebleminded. And they were to encourage such people.

 

Still others are weak. And, while this word can refer to those who are without strength or feeble when it comes to the body, or those who are weak in mind, in power, or in significance, they were to be helped. The body of Christ was to do what it could to assist them.

 

The last phrase, I believe, is the key. Paul tells the church to be patient with them all. Whatever their struggle, whatever their weakness, the church was to be enduring or long-suffering with them.

 

In the same way, as we encounter those in the body of Christ with particular needs or flaws, we’re to bear with them. We are to minister to them in their need by offering both correction and encouragement. And we’re to suffer alongside them as long as the need persists.

Peaceful Lives

 “Be at peace among yourselves.”

1 Thessalonians 5:13 ESV

One thing the church is not known for is peace. And when I say this, I’m not referring to the church’s relationships with those of other belief systems. Nor am I talking about actions carried out by the church in ages past, like the Crusades.

I’m referring to the relationships of those within the church. I’m referring to the life of its members. And I think we can agree that it is often anything but peaceful.

There has been some friction in every church of which I’ve been a part, either as a member or a pastor. Some, of course, are worse than others. However, this is true nevertheless.

We can simply chalk this up to our sinful nature, and we wouldn’t be wrong in doing so. Yet this doesn’t excuse the ugly reality that confronts us. We are called to do better.

As we see above, Paul called the members of this congregation to be at peace, or to live peaceably, with one another. Each member was to do his part in this endeavor. He couldn’t, of course, control the actions or the attitudes of others. But, as much as it depended on him, he could be at peace with others.

Paul stated as much in Romans 12:18. While the context of this passage isn’t the church, he reminded the people that it wasn’t their place to take revenge. When they were wronged, they were instead to leave this to the Lord.

He encouraged them to repay evil with good. This, you see, is what it means to live in peace with others. It means extending grace to those who wrong us. It means putting an end to the cycle of vengeance and allowing God to handle it according to his will.

If this isn’t reciprocated we’re, at the very least, testifying to the grace of Jesus by our actions. He, you recall, didn’t seek revenge against those who rejected and harmed him. He, instead, died in their place, paying the penalty of their sin, that they might have peace with God through faith in him.

However, if everyone lives in this way, what a blessing for all. In this way, we each receive grace from our neighbor. And, in this way, the church’s reputation of mutilating our own comes to an end.

This isn’t, of course, something we can do of our own accord. Having received the grace of Jesus, who established us in a state of peace with God, we naturally begin to desire peace with others. We naturally begin to live peaceably with others. And when we fall short, we seek the forgiveness of God that is found in Christ.

The Blessing God Intended

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 ESV

 

Many of us, specifically here in the United States, have an extreme libertarian mindset. We believe that we can and should be completely independent, free of any guidance and oversight. In fact, we tend to buck any authority that is placed over us.

 

This is often true within the church, as well. Many of us, as believers, do not believe we need any oversight. We do not believe we need anyone to teach us. And we do not believe we need any accountability whatsoever.

 

I remember being told by a church member, long ago, that Christians ideally need no pastors. He seemed to believe that they are only necessary as a majority of Christians do not engage with the Word of God as they should, nor serve as they are called. This, however, contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture.

 

We are told, quite plainly, that pastors are God’s gift to the church (Ephesians 4:11). They’re given to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for the building up of the body of Christ. And this tells us that they are, in fact, good and necessary.

 

In the above passage, Paul calls on the church to respect those who labor among them, who are over them in the Lord, and who admonish them. They were to esteem these leaders very highly in love because of their work. They were to be esteemed not because of who they were, but because of what they did. After all, according to Jesus, those who are greatest in the kingdom of God are those who serve (Matthew 23:11).

 

I realize that, because I’m a pastor, this may seem rather self-serving. But this isn’t a case of someone in authority telling those under his authority to submit. This is true for all of us, even pastors.

 

Even we need those whom God has placed over us, who admonish us, and who labor among us. We need the encouragement given to us by others who are servant leaders. And we need to be continually equipped, as we continue in our service.

 

For this reason, we must not buck those who are over us in the Lord. We must not think of them as unnecessary. We’re, instead, to receive them as a blessing of God.

Living in Light of Jesus' Return

 

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

 

Many of us, who profess faith in Christ, live a contradiction. While we confess faith in Jesus, and while we confess faith in his promises, we live like those who surround us. We live like those who have no faith in Jesus whatsoever.

 

Our life is not one of repentance, nor is it one of faith. It’s a life of sin and rebellion. It’s a life of depravity and immorality.

 

Earlier in the fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul discussed the return of Christ. He recounted the fact that we do not know the day of Jesus’ return. But he drew a distinction between people of faith and those who are without.

 

This day, he said, should not surprise us. And it should not surprise us because we’re not of the night or of the darkness. In other words, we aren’t living in unrepentance. We are not living in sin. Although we still commit acts of sin, our life is not one of ongoing rebellion against the Lord.

 

For this reason, he calls us to keep awake. He calls us to remain sober. And he calls us to do so because God has not destined us to wrath, but to salvation.

 

In this way, Paul is calling us to live in light of Jesus’ return. After all, his return is our hope. And, believing his promise, we’re to live in this world expecting his coming.

 

What this means for us, as believers, is living a life of constant contrition and faith. It means doing so, knowing that he died on the cross for our salvation. It means doing so, knowing that he gave his life to free us from sin and its consequences and to bestow upon us redemption and life.

 

What does this mean for us, practically? It means a constant acknowledgment and confession of our sin. It means looking always to Jesus for forgiveness and mercy. And it means, by his grace, living according to his will.

Ready or Not

 

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 ESV

 

The end will one day come. Jesus will one day return. And this will be a time of blessing for believers in Jesus.  But, at the same time, it will be a time of judgment for those who do not trust in him.

 

However, that being said, we don’t know when this will take place. Jesus stated very clearly that no one knows the day nor the hour of his return. And, for this reason, he taught that we must we watchful. He taught that we must anticipate his coming.

 

What we do know is that it will be sudden. Paul, in the above passage, tells us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. He compares it to labor pains coming upon a pregnant woman. When people feel that all is well, when they believe that they are secure, this day will abruptly come upon them.

 

That being said, there is a distinction between believers and unbelievers in this regard. We are not in darkness for that day to startle us. Even though Christians are equally unaware of when the Lord will return, his coming should not surprise us.

 

It should not surprise us because we are expecting it. It should not surprise us because we are watching for it. It should not surprise us because the return of Jesus is our hope.

 

We long for it as, at that time, our sinful nature will be no more. We long for it as, at that time, the consequences of sin will be a thing of the past. And we long for it as it marks the beginning of an eternity in the presence of the Lord.

 

Unbelievers, however, will be caught completely off guard. When they feel that all is right with the world, sudden destruction will come upon them. When they feel that they have all they need, the wrath of God will fall upon them.

 

Trusting in Jesus, then, we will remain watchful. We’ll anticipate the Lord’s return with a confident expectation. We’ll long for that day because of the blessing it will bring.

 

It will also motivate us to share the gospel with those who are perishing. It will motivate us to share our hope with those who have none. It will motivate us to do so that they also might look to Jesus in faith and receive the grace and mercy available to all who believe in him.

Why This Church?

 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

Titus 2:1 ESV

What is it that draws you to a particular church? What is it that convinces you to remain with a particular church? And what is it that leads you to leave your church for another?

I realize these are heavy questions. But I believe they’re important for us to consider. They’re important to consider because they reveal what we believe to be the most important aspects of church life.

As we look at the above passage, the word that stands out to us is doctrine. As Paul instructs a young pastor, named Titus, he tells him to teach what accords with sound doctrine. In other words, his focus and his mission was to faithfully and accurately teach the Word of God.

For most, in the church today, doctrine has become a dirty word. Doctrine is synonymous with boring. It’s synonymous with a dead and a dry spiritual atmosphere. And, for this reason, people shun doctrine.

What leads many of us to join a particular church or to leave a particular church, today, is not doctrine. It may be that our family goes to that particular church. It may be that grandpa shingled the roof of the church building so long ago. It may be loyalty to a particular pastor, or our hatred of another. It might be the worship style. It might be that you hate a structured liturgy, and prefer a worship service that is more informal. Or, perhaps, the opposite is true. You hate the perceived lack of reverence you see in so many churches today, and you long for that which is more structured and seemingly respectful. It might also be the music. You may hate hymns, believing them to be old-fashioned. You may hate music that’s played on the organ or simply on a piano because it seems dull. And you prefer the upbeat contemporary music, with drums, electric guitar, bass, and incredible vocals. Or, once again, this modern music may seem to you to lack reverence, and so you are drawn to the old hymns. It might be the size of the youth program. It might be the activities that are offered. 

There are a whole variety of things that either draw us to a church or that lead us to leave it behind. However, the thing that should lead us to join or to leave a church is nothing less than doctrine. After all, doctrine is simply right teaching. It’s teaching that’s in accordance with the Word of God. 

Please don’t misunderstand me, when I say this. Each of us is certainly entitled to our preferences. But if the choice is between a church that caters to my preferences while the doctrine is questionable, and another where the doctrine is good but not all of my whims are satisfied, I’ll choose the church with right doctrine every time. I’ll choose the church that is going to faithfully proclaim to me, as well as to my family, the Word of God so that we are sustained and built up in the faith.

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have found both. However, let us never forget what is truly important. More than any other element of the worship service or of church life, it’s doctrine that must be prioritized.

Heaven and Earth

 

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV

 

It’s interesting to hear the views that many express when it comes to the afterlife. It’s even more interesting when these people are professing Christians. And it quickly becomes clear that we’re missing something.

 

So many of us, today, tend to think of our eternal existence as something that is purely spiritual in nature. We believe that, when we die, our spirit goes to heaven to be with Christ. And that’s the end of it.

 

When it comes right down to it, we’re unsure of what eternal life will look like. Some view it as an endless church service. Others imagine that we’ll be forever sitting on a cloud, strumming our harp. But, whatever the case, we imagine ourselves to be spirits. We don’t envision any physical aspect of this existence whatsoever.

 

Although it’s true that, when we die in faith, our spirit goes to be with Christ, this is not how it will be forever. Our existence in eternity will not be purely spiritual. We will exist as the physical and the spiritual beings that God created us to be.

 

We see, in the above passage, that those who have passed on in faith are indeed with Christ. They are with Christ, away from the body. And, when Jesus returns, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

 

At that time, Paul tells us, they will rise from the grave. In other words, their spirit will rejoin their now perfected body. And those of us who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the air. We will join them with our body as well.

 

We learn from this, as well as from other passages of Scripture, that our eternal existence will take place in the body. It will take place in the body, which has been delivered from sin. And we’ll live forever in a physical world.

 

The difference between the world in which we live now and the one in which we will live is that, as there will be no more sin, the consequences of sin will be no more. Suffering and death will be a thing of the past. And we will always be with the Lord.

Be Quiet!

 “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 ESV

As Christians, we are certainly called to share the gospel. We’ve been called to bear witness for Christ. And we’ve been called to make disciples.

We also have a civic duty to vote. We have the duty to cast our ballot for representatives who will best represent our values. We have the duty to vote for candidates whom we believe will best serve our nation.

We ought to take both of these responsibilities very seriously. We should do them diligently. However, there’s another side of this that we must consider.

Here, in the United States, we have the freedom to say what we want. We have the freedom to voice both our beliefs and our opinions. However, that being said, many of us have become quite obnoxious in doing so. We’ve become obnoxious as we constantly feel that we must make our voices heard.

This is true when it comes to interpersonal conversation. But it’s even more true when it comes to social media. As we hide behind the computer screen, we’re emboldened to say what we will in a way that is both tactless and insensitive.

As we see above, this is not God’s will for us. Paul urged the Thessalonians to love one another. And he encouraged them to do so more and more. However, he then went on to tell them how they were to live within society.

They were to aspire to live quietly, and to mind their own affairs. In other words, they were to be at rest. They were to stay home and mind their own business. And they were to hold their peace, they were to say little to nothing, as they went about their lives.

They were also to work with their hands. They were do so that they might walk properly before others, or win the respect of others. And they were to do so that they might be dependent upon no one.

As we carry out our call to proclaim the gospel and to make disciples, and as we carry out our civic duty to vote for our representatives, we would do well to cultivate these other character qualities as well. We would to do well to love one another more and more. We would do well to hold our peace and to say little. We would do well to stay home and mind our own business. And we would do well to work hard to both support ourselves and to win the respect of others.

Disregarding God

 

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV

 

Many of God’s commands are ignored or disregarded today. They are explained away that we might do as we please. And many of these commands concern our sexuality.

 

Living together outside of marriage is prevalent and even accepted among the church. The hook-up culture has found its way into the church and is practiced by many of its members. Divorce for any and every reason is common and accepted. And homosexuality is both practiced and accepted within the church.

 

As Paul makes clear in the above passage, this is not to be the case among the people of God. God’s will for us is our holiness. His will for us is our sanctification. His will for us is that we learn to control our body. His will for us is that we express ourselves sexually only within the bond of marriage.

 

As this is taught and enforced within the church, today, many see it as old-fashioned. They see it as out of touch. The believe that it’s not in keeping with the times in which we live.

 

They, then, disregard these words as the opinion of man. The disregard them as the teaching of man. They disregard them as the teaching of a man who didn’t know any better. And, doing so, they live as they please.

 

Truth, for so many of us, is defined not by God’s Word, but by experience. It’s defined by our feelings. And it’s defined by the feelings and practice of those who are dear to us.

 

Paul, however, makes the point that whoever disregards this directive disregards not man, but God. In this way, he’s making it clear that this is not simply the will or the teaching of man. These commands have come from God himself.

 

This tells us how serious we must take these words. Few of us have a problem dismissing the teaching or the opinion of a man. We have little problem doing so even if he’s extremely educated and cultured. However, even those who have a more liberal interpretation of Scripture are much less willing to disregard God and his direct commands.

 

We must, then, receive these commands for what they are, the very Word of God. And, knowing this, we must conduct our lives accordingly. We must refrain from sexual immorality in all of its forms. And if we’ve fallen short, we must repent and seek the forgiveness that was won by Jesus on the cross.

Growth - A Gracious Blessing

 

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 ESV

 

As Christians, we know and believe that our forgiveness and salvation were provided for us by Jesus. We know and believe that he made these blessings possible by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. And we know and believe that these blessings are received as a free gift through faith in Jesus.

 

As we reach out to unbelievers, this is the message that we proclaim. This, we know, is the message of the gospel. It’s the good news of what God has done for us.

 

However, after we receive the gospel, after we receive God’s forgiveness and salvation, our understanding and our message suddenly change. Instead of trusting in Jesus for the blessings that he provides, we look to our own efforts to produce growth in our faith. And instead of proclaiming the gospel, we instead proclaim a message of law, a message of what must be done in order to achieve growth.

 

Just as there’s nothing we can do to receive the forgiveness and the salvation of God, there is nothing we can do to attain growth in our faith. This too is a blessing received only by grace. And it’s a blessing that is received through faith.

 

We see this as we look at the above passage. Paul had been expressing his concern for the believers at Thessalonica, and his desire to see them. And he looks to God to provide that opportunity for him.

 

He then goes on to express hope that the Lord would cause their love for one another to abound. He expresses hope that the Lord would cause their love for all people to abound. And he expresses hope that the Lord would establish their hearts blameless in holiness before God.

 

In this statement that we tend to read over as nothing more than a personal sidenote, Paul makes it clear that Christ alone is the source of this blessing. It’s the Lord who causes our love to abound. And it’s the Lord who establishes our hearts blameless in holiness before God.

 

We, then, must not look to ourselves for our growth in faith nor in our love for others. We must understand that, just as we are saved by Christ alone, so too do we grow in faith. It is his work as we look to him. It’s his work as we trust in him.

 

The changes that we see in our life, then, are the fruit of this work. It is something that’s produced not by our efforts. It’s something that’s produced by the Lord’s work in our life.

One in Christ

 

^“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 ESV

 

As believers, we will sometimes receive news that causes us great distress. We may have a conversation with our child, in which they tell us that they have left the faith behind. We may receive news that someone we’ve taught or discipled has fallen into unrepentant sin. We may hear that a well-known or well-respected pastor has abandoned the faith or been seduced by his sinful nature. Or we may hear of a scandal that has been uncovered in the larger Church and that is being widely reported in the news.

 

Even if we are firm in our faith, and even if we possess a strong assurance of our salvation, this news is very distressing. It’s very upsetting to us. And it may even cause us a great deal of stress.

 

Recognizing that we’re saved through faith in Jesus, and that these events taking place in the lives of others have no bearing on our salvation, we might wonder why this is so. We might wonder why these reports weigh on us so heavy. We might wonder why they bother us so much.

 

We can understand the reason for this as we look at the above passage. Paul had been extremely concerned for the believers at Thessalonica. He feared that they may have fallen from faith in response to the persecution they had suffered. And, for this reason, he had sent Timothy to check on them.

 

Now, Timothy had returned and his report was good. They were firm in their faith. Their love was intact. They remembered Paul kindly and longed to see him again. And this report gave to Paul great comfort.

 

Paul then makes this interesting statement. He says: “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” What Paul means is that, before the good news had come to him concerning their faith, there was deadness. His heart was heavy. But now that he’d received this encouraging report, there was life.

 

As believers, our hearts are bound with one another. They are bound as we are the body of Christ. They are bound as we share together in faith as well as the call God has entrusted to us.

 

As a result, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:26, when one part of the body suffers, all suffer together. And if one member is honored, we all rejoice together. We cannot separate or isolate ourselves from the rest of the body.

 

The same reality plays itself out in our life, in our congregation, in our association or denomination, and in the larger Church as a whole. Because we are members of one body, we are affected by the events happening in the life of the church as a whole. We can be filled with great joy or sorrow depending upon the events taking place.

 

And this is not something that we should strive to undo. We shouldn’t seek to become unbound from the body that we might escape this entanglement. It’s a blessing as we seek the edification of the church. And it’s a blessing as we ourselves are built up by the rest of the body.

The Easy Life?

 

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV

 

Christians in America are conditioned to believe that we should have it easy. And we have, in fact, had it easy throughout our nation’s existence. We’ve been able to worship freely and to live out our faith without any real challenges or difficulties.

 

We’ve had it so easy that we’ve come to believe this is the way it’s supposed to be. We’ve come to believe that an easy life is the blessing of God that results from our faithfulness. We will sometimes go as far as equating the ease of our life with our level or strength of faith.

 

Nothing, however, is further from the truth. Although an easy life is certainly a blessing, in a sense, it is not indicative of our spiritual maturity. Nor is it a sure sign of God’s blessing.

 

Paul mentions in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians that the believers in that city had been suffering for their faith. They had been suffering for their faith just like the believers in Judea. Suffering was something that automatically went along with faith in Christ.

 

We see this truth in the above passage as well. Paul had sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to check on them. He had sent Timothy to strengthen them in faith. And he did so out of fear that the enemy may have lured them from faith by way of their affliction.

 

He recalls how he’d shared with them that they were destined to suffer affliction. They had been appointed to suffering. And this suffering had come to pass.

 

Everywhere the church has existed, suffering has typically come to those who believe in Jesus. And this has been true not only in history, but also today. Our brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world are well-acquainted with suffering.

 

As we read the words of Jesus, particularly in the gospel of John, he makes it clear that this is normal for the believer in Jesus. It results, he tells us, from our association with him. As the world responded to him, so does it respond to us. And as the world treated him, so will it treat us.

 

This, then, is something that we must expect. It isn’t something that we should find unusual or abnormal in any way. As believers in Jesus, we too are destined to suffer affliction.

Our Only Boast

 

^“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20 ESV

 

We live in a very selfish culture. We live in a culture of self-seeking people and behavior. We live in a culture where the ultimate goal of most is both status and recognition.

 

For this reason, we boast in our accomplishments. We brag about our successes. And we put our achievements on full display.

 

We boast, for example, in our education. We boast in the awards and honors we’ve received. We boast in our wealth. And we boast in our status, in relation to others.

 

As believers, this tendency to boast doesn’t seem to fade. It remains. We maintain a continuing desire to boast before both God and man.

 

We boast most often about our behavior. We boast most often about our obedience. And we tend to boast about our perceived status.

 

We boast in the fact that we don’t smoke, drink, or chew, and that we don’t go out with girls who do. We boast in the fact that we attend church every week and that we read our Bible daily. We boast in the fact that we teach Sunday School, that we’ve assisted with the youth group, and that we serve on the church council.

 

However, as believers, our boasting should be found not in our perceived successes.  It should not be found in our perceived obedience. And it should not be found in our perceived spiritual maturity.

 

As we look at the above passage, we see the source of Paul’s boasting before Jesus. We see the source of his joy, as he stood in the Lord’s presence. And it didn’t have anything to do with his own personal sense of righteousness.

 

The source of his boasting was the Thessalonians, themselves. The source of his joy was the Thessalonians, themselves. The source of his hope was their faith and salvation.

 

When I say this, I don’t mean to imply that he was taking the credit for their salvation. He rejoiced in the fact that they had received the salvation of the Lord. And they were dear to him as they had done so through his ministry.

 

In the same way, when the Lord comes, we cannot boast in ourselves. When we stand before the Lord, we cannot boast in any of our perceived accomplishments. We can boast only in the salvation that God has provided. We can boast only in the salvation he’s granted to others. We can boast and rejoice only in the work that he has accomplished through us for the salvation of the lost.

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.