1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16  And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.  For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.  They displease God and are hostile to all men in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.  In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.  The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Paul tells the Thessalonians he is extremely pleased with them, for he knew they were living out a strong commitment to God regardless of the opposing forces to the gospel in their community.  He realized they were maturing in their faith as they willingly endured persecution for the gospel.  As he commends them, he reminds them that they are facing the same kind of hostility to their faith as the Jewish Christians in Judea faced.  Paul also appreciates that their fervency for the word of God has changed them permanently: 180 degrees away from their former dead barbarian lives.  He knew their new lives in Christ would never be the same no matter how much persecution they faced at that time or in the future.  For the rest of their lives, the Thessalonian believers would carry the coat of arms of the cross wherever God called them in his name as his representatives and members of his royal family.  As Paul said in his testimony, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  (Galatians 6:14)  From now on the Thessalonians' testimony would be the same as Paul's: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20)   With their hearts and minds changed, their goals would no longer revolve around themselves, but they would commit to bringing others to a saving knowledge of Christ.  They would believe with Paul that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

Is this testimony the burning desire of our hearts?  Would Paul write us a letter of commendation because he is so glad we have received the word of God  and he sees fruit from that word in our daily lives?   Do we have a testimony with the people around us of our walk with Jesus and evidence of a gospel of reconciliation, mercy, and grace?   American Christianity seems to lose sight of some important gospel distinctives.  How focused are we on the cross, the blood of Jesus shed for sins and the Good News that Christ died and rose again?  In our attempts to be user friendly and culturally relevant do we eliminate some of what makes us powerfully able and fully dedicated to saving sinners?  Are we more focused on trying to make people feel better than salvation?  Does the world hear more about our political positions than about Christ and him crucified?  Do unbelievers know that we are the light of the world and not just advocates for a particular philosophy or ideology?  Are we testifying more about our trials and the troubles of this world than we are about God's goodness and loving kindness?  The Thessalonians and Jewish Christians testified about Christ and his saving grace even though they had adversaries who persecuted them, chased them from their homes, and wanted to murder them.  Today, we have Christians who get red in the face with anger over temporal acts such as something the government has done or not done but will not expound in love on the eternal aspects of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ when faced with the needs of the unsaved--people who are messy and in need of hope and help.  We ignore the fact that Christ loved the world while they were YET sinners, while they were yet rejecting him.  How often we have strayed from the biblical truth: CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY.  Many of us in the church have become so worldly in our thinking that we begin to act as if a gun is better than a Bible.  Violence will never change the hearts of people, but the Word of God will.  The barbarian Thessalonians were changed permanently by the Word of God; then they went out to change others, not with swords but with the love of God.  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  (1 John 4:7-11)

As Paul was telling the church how much he appreciated their acceptance of the gospel and the way they were putting the word they had received into practice, he said we also thank God continually because they did not discount what they received as mere teaching from Paul, but they received it as the word of God.  This body of believers rightly discerned the anointing of the Holy Spirit and had spiritual ears to hear what the Spirit said to then.  Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  (Mark 4:9)  When our children were growing up and they would have a hard time sleeping or they would wake up with bad dreams and come to Dad for comfort, if he had not gone to bed yet, they would find him in his recliner chair.  He would take them on his lap and hold them and say loving things to them.  He would things like, "You are safe.  It is going to be all right.  The Lord is with you."  Then he would say, "When you are afraid, listen to the Lord.  He is always talking to you.  Listen to his voice.  He is saying, 'I love you.  I am with you.  I will take care of you.  I will never leave you.'"  The children would relax in his arms and they were comforted.  They would sit with him for a while and rock in his loving arms or if they had come into our bed, they might fall asleep there and be safe with Mom and Dad.  They needed our reassurance but they needed more than that.  They needed to know they had a loving heavenly Father who watched over them night and day, who never lost track of them and who never went off duty.  When we sell out completely to the Lord, we must know that someone higher than ourselves is in charge.  We must know that when we let go of all that we hold dear, there is someone holding onto us.  The psalmist writes: Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.  (Psalm 127:1)  We cannot keep our house from falling; we cannot add one day to our lives.  Yet each of us know for sure, that we are safe in the arms of our Savior Christ our Lord and King.  Today we rejoice in our salvation, and we rejoice that we are his epistles, read by the world.  We ask the Lord to renew our zeal, to refresh our testimonies, and to help us to shine brightly for him everywhere we go.  We thank each of you for remaining faithful to this ministry.  May God richly bless you today and every day.