Building the Body

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Paul and Silas enjoyed great success in Thessalonica, even though they were there for only a short time. In the first part of 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul expresses how affectionately they treated the Thessalonians, how hard they labored among the Thessalonians, and the appeal they made while in Thessalonica.

For Paul and Silas, their work in Thessalonica was a labor of love. The Apostle explains their labor in 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

 ...as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (I Thessalonians 2:11-12 NKJV)

The Apostle and his companion, Silas, exhorted, comforted, and charged the people of Thessalonica. They did this because they loved the people of Thessalonica. Paul expresses this great affection in the words “as a father does his own children.” 

From describing their labor and affection, the Apostle transitions to expressing gratitude for the fruit of their labor. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, the Apostle Paul says, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing.” The reason they are thanking God is for the results of their work. These results are seen in the statement:

 ...because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (I Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV)

The reason for their thanksgiving was the way the Thessalonians received the Word of God. In chapter one, the letter expresses the Apostle’s great gratitude for the evidence of the Thessalonians’ election by God. Next, in the first part of chapter two, Paul reminds the Thessalonians how the truth was communicated to them with great sincerity and affection. Now, as he continues, Paul gets down to the foundation of their faith. At this point, he speaks to the basis of faith rather than the content. He explains how the Thessalonians’ attitude toward the word of God and the Church became the foundation of a triumphant Church. He also speaks of how viciously the world opposed the work of the Lord and how courageously the Thessalonians stood against that persecution. 

There is a direct connection between the foundation the Thessalonians built their faith upon and their ability to stand in the face of opposition. Today, we are considering the foundation that enabled them to stand. As our world opposes the Church more and more, we need to stand, and to stand, we need a firm foundation. We need what the Thessalonians had, and we have the same foundation if we hold onto it. 

The first part of the foundation the Thessalonians built on was the word of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 says:

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (I Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV)

The Thessalonians received the word of God, which they heard from Paul and Silas. There are several examples in the New Testament, where people received the word of God.

When Jesus walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the book of Luke tells us:

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:27 NKJV)

Jesus, the Son of God, used the Scriptures to expound the things concerning Himself. Every word spoken by Jesus was the word of God, and yet He used references to Moses and the Prophets.

When Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch on the road in the wilderness, Acts tells us:

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:35 NKJV)

The Scripture referenced here is Isaiah 53, which is one of the most explicit passages in the Old Testament telling us about Jesus.

Jesus and the Apostles used the Old Testament Scriptures to teach and to preach. When Paul says they received the word of God as the word of God, He is referring to the Thessalonians receiving the message of Scripture. This is consistent with the way Paul and Silas presented the gospel.

Acts 17 tells us:

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures... (Acts 17:1-2 NKJV)

The people Paul and Silas went to were in the synagogue, and so they were familiar with the Scriptures and considered the Scriptures to be the word of God. Thus, it was natural that Paul and Silas reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

Acts 17:4 tells us that a great multitude of the Greeks who were in the synagogue were persuaded along with a good number of the leading women. However, the Jews who were not persuaded were the ones who stirred up trouble and forced Paul and Silas to leave Thessalonica. From Thessalonica, Paul and Silas traveled to Berea, where Acts tells us:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11 NKJV)

The teaching of the Apostles and even of Jesus was based on the Scriptures. Basing their teaching on the Scriptures gave those they taught an objective source that they could examine for themselves to check the truth of what they were being told. This is what the Bereans did. They searched the Scriptures to see if the things taught were so.

At the time of Moses, those who were at Mount Sinai had no question as to whether or not God was speaking because they could see the presence of God. Even so, some of them rebelled and died for it. So, when they received the Scriptures, they accepted them for being the word of God.

This is a distinguishing mark of all Scripture. To be included in the Bible, one of the tests a book has to have passed is that it had to be accepted and recognized as the word of God from the moment it was written. For every book of the Bible, we have historical evidence of its acceptance as Scripture dating back to ancient times. The historical evidence for the reliability of the Scriptures is overwhelming. No other book in the world can make the historical claims that the Bible can make. 

However, the historical evidence is not the only evidence the Thessalonians had. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 also says:

  which also effectively works in you who believe.

The word of God changes lives. Reading “Moby Dick” or “Gone with the Wind” may be entertaining, but it will not change a person’s life like the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

Other books claim to be life-changing. For example, the “Book of Mormon” and the “Koran” claim to be life-changing.  And they may be life-changing. However, they do not have the historical backing of their veracity. Quite the opposite, they contradict recorded history. So, although they have subjective evidence, they lack objective evidence. 

The Bible is the only book of its kind. No other books claiming to come from God are supported by evidence in the same way.

The Scriptures are the first foundation mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 2. 1 Thessalonians 2:14 gives the next foundation.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, (I Thessalonians 2:14 NKJV)

Saying that the foundation of the Church is the Church, but underlying the imitation of the churches of God is the principle of gathering together. The word used in the New Testament for “Church” means “the gathering.” The strength of the Church is found in this gathering together. We know that there is strength in numbers, but many who claim to be believers do not gather with other believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to gather together to strengthen each other. Then it tells us not to forsake the gathering as some do. Here is exactly what it says:

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV)

Even in the earliest days of the Church, for whatever reason, some stopped gathering with other believers, and Scripture explicitly says DO NOT DO THIS!

Not every gathering is good. Even in the earliest days of the Church, the New Testament warned of those who preach the gospel for gain and those who seek to lead others astray for one reason or another.

Some gatherings do not preach the gospel and thus lead people astray. The way to distinguish which gatherings are good and which are bad, we need to be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures to make sure that the teaching is true.

There is only one Church, but there are many denominations. Generally speaking, the denomination does not determine if a gathering is good or bad. Denominations exist mainly because, as humans, we have differences. 

For example, I like bacon. Now, I am not sure whether or not to believe it, but I have heard that people exist who do not like bacon. So naturally, I attend a church that does not forbid bacon. 

All joking aside, it should be evident to us why a person who only speaks Spanish would find it difficult to attend this church every Sunday. Language and culture influence our choice of which gathering to attend. However, differences in language and culture do not have anything to do with whether a group is good or bad. A church, or gathering, is measured by its faithfulness to the word of God and the gospel.

Language and culture are not the only ways in which we differ. Some churches have a liturgy, and some do not. Some churches have loud celebrations on Sunday mornings, and others have quiet celebrations. Some of these differences are based on doctrinal issues. We may interpret Scriptures differently in places than our brothers and sisters. However, they are our brothers and sisters. As long as they preach the death, burial, resurrection, and return of our Lord Jesus, and salvation through Jesus alone, they are our brothers and sisters. 

And we all share this in common, we gather.

When the Thessalonians believed, they gathered together. That is what we do. It happens all over the world. It happens in secret when governments forbid it. It has happened throughout history. It started with Jesus gathering His disciples and continued through Acts to this very day.

Some stop gathering because of bad experiences. If you are one who has stopped gathering with other believers, may I address you directly? Find a different place, but do not stop gathering. I am going to say something judgmental and harsh. I know it is judgmental and harsh. For two thousand years, believers have found a way to gather even under the severest persecution. So, if you cannot find a body with which to gather, you need to seriously examine where you are in your relationship with God.

The word of God and gathering together served as foundations for the Thessalonians and enabled them to stand despite persecution. The word of God and gathering together still serve as foundations that allow us to stand despite persecution. 

We must hold on to both if we are to stand.

Followers

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica for a short time before they were driven out by persecution. After making their way from Thessalonica to Corinth, Paul and Silas wrote a letter to the Church in Thessalonica to encourage them. The message starts with an expression of thankfulness for the testimony of the Thessalonian believers. Reports of the work of God that occurred in Thessalonica had spread wherever Paul and Silas traveled.

The Apostle Paul makes special mention of the fact that the Thessalonians became imitators, or followers, of Paul and Silas. In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, he says,

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit... (I Thessalonians 1:6 NKJV)

Paul was especially thankful for this evidence of the work of God in the lives of the Thessalonians. 

We call the process of learning to walk as a Christian “discipleship.” Discipleship involves learning to imitate Christ. Learning to imitate Christ starts with following the examples of those who follow Christ. Today we are considering 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. This passage is about the process of learning to follow, in other words, discipleship. 

Discipleship, or learning, is essential to the Christian life. Another name for Christian is Christ-follower. In the gospels, those that followed Christ were called disciples. Jesus singled out twelve of His disciples and called them Apostles. These twelve were entrusted with passing on the teachings of Jesus through the process of discipleship. This process has continued down to the present day. Therefore, we are still called Christians or Christ-followers. Our mission as a church is to make disciples.

Who we learn from and what we learn are crucial. It is essential that we follow sound teachers and teaching. If we follow the wrong leader, we will end up in the wrong place. If we learn the wrong things, we will end up confused, confounded, and deceived. 

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul reminds the Thessalonian believers what and who they imitated and reassures them that they have not been deceived or tricked. 

In today’s world, it is as important as it was back then for us to be careful of who and what we are imitating. Today, in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we are going to see the marks of a good leader or teacher.

The first mark that Paul and Silas modeled is sincerity. 

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, Paul writes that the Thessalonians themselves knew that Paul and Silas’ coming to them was not in vain. Vain means empty. Vain can have two meanings in this context. One meaning is that the teaching produced no results. The other is that the teaching had no value or purpose. While the first meaning is undoubtedly true concerning Paul and Silas’ ministry; from what follows, we can see that Paul means the second. Their teaching had purpose. The results produced were not useless or meaningless, but rather the results produced were of eternal value. Paul says their coming to the Thessalonians was not in vain and he begins speaking of the purpose and character of the ministry that he and Silas did in Thessalonica.

One of the first things that can be said about empty or vain ministry is that it lacks sincerity. When a ministry lacks sincerity, it produces vain or meaningless results. A lack of sincerity can also be called hypocrisy and people hate hypocrisy. We even hate hypocrisy when we see it in ourselves.

The sincerity of Paul and Silas’ ministry is first seen in their willingness to suffer for the cause. This is the first proof that Paul points to in telling the Thessalonian believers that their ministry was not in vain. He says, “You yourselves know...” They saw Paul and his companions mistreated and slandered for their faithful proclamation of the truth, and they heard the news and saw the evidence of their mistreatment in Philippi. This demonstration of sincerity is why the saying came into existence: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” 

Paul explains this sincerity by saying:

“For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. (I Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV)

Having the certainty that what one is teaching is true, being confident one is not working from hidden motives, and knowing that one is not lying are what sincerity is.

Sincerity is the first mark of gospel ministry we must find before we follow. The next mark we need to look for is devotion. What are we and our teachers devoted to?

The Apostle shifts to talking about their devotion to God when he says:

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. (I Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV)

Their devotion began with the conviction that they were called, or as Paul says, “approved” by God to be entrusted with the gospel. This truth has far-reaching implications for the life and practice of the servant of the Lord.

Paul’s calling was unique. Jesus met Paul on the road between Jerusalem and Damascus. At the time, Paul was a violent persecutor of the Church. Jesus told Paul that he would serve Jesus. This call was unmistakable.

Even though you and I will not meet Jesus on the Damascus road, our calling is just as sure. If you are a believer in Christ, you have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. The gospel is what we believe and confess. If one does not have the gospel, that person is not saved. There is only one name given by which we must be saved. My calling is different from your calling. Each person’s calling and gifting is unique. Some people are gifted in ministering to children. Others are gifted with construction and buildings. Devotion to God shows itself in devotion or faithfulness to the calling that He gives.

Since God gives the calling, it follows that one must work to please God, not men. Working to please men is idolatry and pride. It is devotion to one’s self and not to God. Devotion to God is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength and to love one’s neighbor as one’s self. Loving someone does not necessarily mean pleasing them. When it comes to a choice, devotion calls on us to please God, not men.

This is basic Christianity. If we are to follow Jesus, we must live to please His Father.

The Apostle Paul’s devotion also showed itself when he said:

For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness— God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. (I Thessalonians 2:5-6 NKJV)

Covetousness, glory-seeking, and making demands will always signal that a person is devoted to his or her self and not to God.

Devotion grows out of sincerity. Conviction without hypocrisy leads to service without reservation.

This leads us to another mark we must look for before we follow.

Before I name this third mark, I want to point out a truth about God, our Father, the One to whom we are devoted.

Jesus told us:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)

It should shock us to think that someone sincerely devoted to God would not share in His affection for the world God so dearly loves.

The third mark we must look for in those we follow is affection - love.

Look at what Paul says about their affection for the Thessalonians.

But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. (I Thessalonians 2:7-8 NKJV)

In this text, the Apostle expresses great affection, and then he says that he and his companions were pleased to give even their own lives for these people. Just as God was willing to give His own Son, they were willing to give their lives, which they did.

I understand how people can get disillusioned with church. I have been disillusioned with church at times. 

Let me share a story with you. When I was working as a missionary in Japan, I was pastor of a Japanese church. One night I was riding back from an outing with a group of Japanese pastors, and I was asking for advice on helping a couple of people in the church with a couple issues. I made some comment lamenting the fact that churches always seem to have problems. One of the pastors quoted a Proverb to me. I had read it. I had read the Proverbs numerous times. However, I had never really noticed it, but when I heard it in Japanese, it struck me with the force of truth I will always remember. The Proverb is:

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. (Proverbs 14:4 ESV)

Wherever people gather regularly, there will be messes, but if we stop gathering because of this, we miss out on the harvest, the blessings, and the riches that others bring with them.

Are we willing to impart our lives to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Every problem is an opportunity to grow and to learn. We are all broken, and broken things can be frustrating. When things do not work as they should, and when things are not done the right way, we tend to get frustrated. What we do with our frustration says a lot about us.

I have a strong tendency to try not to stir things up. Often I do not say things that need to be said. I have been rebuked many times by meditating on Leviticus 19:17. It says:

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. (Leviticus 19:17 ESV)

The Lord is clear. When someone offends us, we are to go to that person and let them know. To not do this is to hate that person and to dismiss them as unworthy of our time. However, there are times when we are on the other side, and we have offended someone. In that case, the Lord is clear. We are to go to the one we have offended and make it right. To not do so is to hate that person and discount their feelings as unimportant.

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love, and Ephesians 4:29 says:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)

Affection is an essential part of being a Christian. Affection is a mark we must look for in those we follow. Where love is lacking, we must repent.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, the Apostle Paul teaches us what to look for in those we follow. To be more like Jesus, we need to exhibit these marks in our lives and find those to follow who show these marks in their lives. These marks are:

1. Sincerity
2. Devotion
3. Affection

How are we measuring up?

The Beginning of Being a Christian

1 Thessalonians 1

Thessalonica was the principal city of Macedonia; it was the capital and largest city of the Roman province. Acts 16:6-10 tells us how, when Paul purposed to go into Asia, the Holy Spirit stopped him. Having seen a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading for help, Paul traveled from Troas to Samothrace to Neapolis and then to Philippi. Paul and Silas began their ministry in Macedonia in the city of Philippi and enjoyed success. Because of their success, the Philippian officials put Paul and Silas in prison. God miraculously saved them from prison, converting the Philippian jailor and his family in the process. From Philippi, Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, finally stopping in Thessalonica. Acts 17:1-9 gives the account of their short ministry in Thessalonica. Although their stay was short, they visited the synagogue and were persuasive enough to be joined by a great multitude of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading Jewish women.

Paul and Silas’ success in ministry caused envy among the unbelieving Jews. So, these unbelievers stirred up a riot, and Paul and Silas were sneaked out of the city by night for their safety.

After stopping in Athens, Paul made his way to Corinth from which he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Of Paul’s letters that we have in the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians is one of the first ones written. He wrote the letter around 50 or 51 A.D.

Paul commends them for their testimony and the reports that were spreading about the faith of the Thessalonians, but the primary purpose of the letter was to establish them in the faith. Because of the short time he had with them, he wanted to make sure that they had a firm grasp on the basics.

The basics are essential in any endeavor. The basics provide the framework, the context, and the reasons for our decisions. As a book about the basics of our faith, 1 Thessalonians provides context, meaning, and purpose for our existence and work as the Church.

There is a famous story about Coach Vince Lombardi and the 1961 Green Bay Packers football team. The story goes that on the first day of training camp, Coach Lombardi stood before the three dozen professional football players, and holding up a football said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Then he proceeded to teach about football as if the men knew nothing about football. This focus on basics led to great success for the team.

Thessalonians is our “This is a football.”

A firm grip on the basics is just as crucial for the Church today as it was in 51 A.D. The Church in Thessalonica suffered persecution. They broke with the culture around them and turned from idols to serve the living and true God. We must understand. Thessalonica was the chief city in what is now Greece and was within sight of Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. We see the power of their turning from idols to serve the living and true God in what Paul says. He says that in Macedonia, Achaia, and in every place, Paul and Silas did not have to say anything because people were telling them of what was happening in Thessalonica. Not only were the Thessalonian believers persecuted, but they were also living philosophically and morally contrary to everyone around them. These circumstances made it all the more necessary for them to stand firm on the basics. Today the world around us opposes and resists everything to do with the basics. As long as the Church does not say anything about the truth, confront sin, talk about the need for repentance or preach salvation through Jesus Christ alone, then the world is content to let us live with our delusions. However, if we say nothing about any of these things, are we even a church?

In chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul expresses his great gratitude for the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 says:

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (I Thessalonians 1:2-4 NKJV)

Paul and his co-workers are thankful for the Thessalonians’ faith, love, patience and hope. They based their gratitude on their knowledge of the Thessalonians’ election by God. The remainder of the chapter explains how they knew that God chose the Thessalonians.

First, they knew God chose the Thessalonians because the gospel came to them with power and in the Holy Spirit. 

1 Thessalonians 1:5 says:

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. (I Thessalonians 1:5 NKJV)

I like how Ellicott interprets this verse when he says:

If God had not set His heart upon you, we never could have been as successful among you as we were.

The Thessalonians’ response to the gospel was the first evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit at work. We always look for a human explanation. Some speculate that those who turned to Christ from among the God-fearing Gentiles were fed up with and disillusioned with the many so-called gods of the Greeks. Some also think that their hearts were prepared for the gospel by their association with the synagogue since Acts 17:2 tells us that Paul spent three Sabbaths there.

The Holy Spirit probably used these factors in some of the lives touched by the Gospel in Thessalonica. However, salvation is a very personal thing. There is no way of accounting for the drawing of the heart to God that takes place when a person accepts Christ. The circumstances and background of each person are different. However, the drawing of the heart is the same. Jesus said:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44 NKJV)

There is a drawing that takes place that is not explained by natural factors. Of course, if a person wants to explain it away, he or she will be able to find a way to explain this drawing by natural means. This is the first trick the devil plays on any new believer. He tells the new believer, “Oh, what you experienced was not real.” And then he will invent an explanation. It does not matter what the explanation is as long as he can get the person to doubt what has happened. The reason the devil starts here is that the drawing of the heart is the first evidence that God is calling a person.

However, this drawing is not the only evidence. Paul says the gospel came to them not only in word. The drawing is so important that the devil mimics it. For example, one of the significant components of proselytizing for the Mormons is the experience of a “burning” in the chest or heart. The word, or Λόγος (Logos), is essential. We must not abandon reason. We know that what we believe is true because of historical evidence, the evidence of life, and how our faith fits with reality.

Paul brought the word, the Λόγος, and the fact that the people received it was evidence of the working and power of the Holy Spirit. The truth of 1 Corinthians 2:14 applies to this initial step in salvation. 

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

Paul explains this inability to receive the truth more in 2 Corinthians 4:4 when he says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.

The response of the Thessalonians to the gospel message was evidence that God had chosen them, but it was not the only evidence. There was much more, and Paul continues to talk about this evidence in chapter 1. 

The other evidence of their conversion was the fact that their lives were changed. Paul knew God chose them because their lives were changed.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 says:

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. (I Thessalonians 1:6-7 NKJV)

First, they became followers of the Lord, then they suffered persecution, and they suffered the persecution with joy. This was such a huge change that Paul says that the word of God went forth in every place. People were telling Paul and his companions about the amazing things that had happened in Thessalonica. He said, “...so that we do not need to say anything.”

In James 2, James tells us that faith without works is dead. This change that took place in the Thessalonians is what James meant. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 says, “...your faith toward God has gone out.” The fact that we are saved by faith and not by works does not mean that faith does not change our lives. When someone believes, we expect a change of life. A good statement of this truth is the NLT’s interpretation of James 2:14.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? (James 2:14 NLT)

Change is necessary evidence, but it is not just any change. An unsaved person can turn their life around and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. However, there is certain content that comes along with the change that indicates God’s choosing. We see the exact content of this change in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to 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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (I Thessalonians 1:9-10 NKJV)

We see the essential elements of the change that was evident when the Thessalonians accepted Christ. These were as follows.

1. They turned to God from idols.
2. They served God.
3. They expected Jesus to return.
4. They believed in the resurrection, which would also include His death and burial as precursors.
5. They expected Jesus to deliver them from the wrath to come.

It is important to note that wherever Paul went, people were telling him that these were the things that the Thessalonians believed.

The choosing of God, the imitation of God, and the confession of faith are the absolute basics of being a Christian. These are the “this is a football” truths that we must understand and live out if we are to call ourselves Christian.

In today’s world, “evangelical” tends to represent a block of voters and political views, and “Christian” tends to be a religious affiliation. God save us if this is all we are because political views and religious affiliation are not essential to our faith. We are first and foremost followers of Christ. Now, if our love for and relationship with Jesus does not inform our politics or our religious affiliation, I would question if we know Jesus. However, these things are secondary to knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is first.

The question for us today is not where we stand on the social issues of the day. The question for us today is, “Does the world tell others about us that we:

‘…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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come?’”