Introduction With any discipline, learning the fundamentals is a key to success. Vince Lombardi is famous for walking into a room full of professional football players during training camp and holding up a football and saying, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Lombardi's emphasis on the basics and his demand that players master them led the Green Bay Packers to 5 championships in 7 years. In similar fashion, Paul writes to the new Christians in Thessalonica to remind them of the basics of Christianity in order to guard them against the increasing pressures they faced. Paul's focus on the basics is just as relevant in our day as it was in his. Statistics reveal alarming inconsistencies among those who identify as Christian. According to one study, 70% of Americans identity as Christian, but another study found only 35% of Americans claim to attend church almost weekly. Other studies suggest a majority of professing Christians deny the Bible is without error--let alone applicable to daily living--and they reject the claim that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. While any statistic should be taken with a grain of salt (maybe even two), collectively these reports highlight the need to clearly define basic Christianity. Most basically, a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, saved by grace through faith. Paul's purpose in writing to the Thessalonians is to encourage them in the basics of Christian living, which he describes as faith, hope, and love, so that they are equipped to endure present difficulties. The Text 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 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. 9 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Some Observations
Paul begins with praise to God (v2) for the evidence of saving faith in these young Christians. Acts 17 describes how the church started. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy came to Thessalonica and preached the gospel for three consecutive weeks in the local synagogue (Acts 17:2-3). However, the Jews who rejected Christ were provoked to jealousy as Paul persuaded some, and they formed a mob to set the city into an uproar (17:5). The Jews argued that Paul preached "another king" (17:7) and appealed to the local authorities to intervene. In light of the conflict, Paul and his companions were quickly sent away by the local Christians (17:10). Given the abrupt exit, Paul was concerned for the welfare of the new church and sent Timothy back later to "establish and exhort" them in their new faith (1 Tim 3:2) and bring back word of their status. Timothy's report was wonderful. A number of things are highlighted by Paul as evidence of God's work, and they are worth noting. Observation #1: Their New Pattern of Living "2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." First, something has changed in the Thessalonians, and God is the reason for the change. If the reason for the change was found in the Thessalonians, then Paul would be giving credit to God for something He did not do. Paul's example reminds us of the virtue of praising God for the work He does in and through others during our personal time of prayer. It is right to give God the credit for what He has done, and it is good for our own soul. We also see from his statement that Paul's shorthand for true Christian living can be summarized as faith, hope, and love--these are the basics. Someone who has believed the gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and He saves those who trust in Him, will live differently than those who do not believe. Faith embraces and trusts something--everyone has faith. The important question is what is the object of our faith? Christian faith trusts all that God says as being true, good, and worthy of obedience. True faith is proven by obedience; all people prove what they really believe by what they do. Hence, Paul celebrates their work of faith. Hope looks to the future--the confident expectation that what God has promised will come to pass. Hope functions as a "North Star" for Christians. We need direction in our lives and we need reasons to remain faithful to Christ in the midst of suffering; our confidence in what God has promised provides the incentive to remain faithful. Hence, Paul celebrates their steadfastness of hope. Love is sacrificial giving for the good (as defined by God) of another. Given our culture's confusion and perversion of love, this requires a little more explaining. One way to think about love is as the line that goes from the cross to the Second Coming of Jesus; love is the narrow path that makes sense in light of what Jesus did at the cross and what He will do when He comes again. Love is obedience to God. Jesus went to the cross to deliver us from sin's penalty and power (Gal 1:3-4). Our condition as slaves of sin was so severe that nothing less than the death of the Son of God could set us free. Jesus will come again to judge the living and dead, and He will inflict vengeance on all who reject the rule of Christ and persist in sin (2 Thess 1:7-8). Consequently, there is a pattern of living that makes sense in light of the cross and the Second Coming, and that pattern of living is called love. A life that continues in sin, which is opposed to true love, has not been affected by God's love, because God's love controls those who truly receive it (2 Cor 5:14). Love keeps the commands of God, and delights to do so (1 Jn 5:3). Hence, Paul celebrates their labor of love. Observation #2: Their Response to the Word of God "4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." Paul continues his praise of God in his confidence of the election of these new Christians. He says he knows God has chosen them because of how they responded to the gospel. In verse 5 we see their reception of the gospel was not "only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." In other words, their acceptance of the gospel was not casual. This was not mere intellectual assent. Their acceptance of the gospel came with an experience (power), a new focus (the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus Christ), and new decisions (the proof of conviction). This is obvious from Paul explaining how the Thessalonians "became imitators" of Paul and the Lord (v6). Everyone reflects what they behold. It starts when we are little and we imitate our parents in how we stand, move, and speak. As we get older we imitate those we think are cool. We imitate the people who are, or have, what we want. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit" What makes the Thessalonian's positive response to the gospel all the more remarkable is they received the word in "much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (v6). Ordinarily affliction and joy do not go together, but that is the point; possessing joy despite enduring the affliction brought by their embrace of the gospel was the evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in them. The affliction came from their fellow countrymen who were still committed to worshipping idols and were not interested in the obedience required by Christ. The joy came because it was confirmation that they were participants with Christ as they shared in the suffering Jesus promised would (not could) come from following Him (Jn 15:20). Observation #3: Their New Allegiance "9 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, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." Finally, Paul describes another angle for considering the Thessalonian's God-wrought change as a shift from worshipping idols to worshipping God. It is worth noting that Paul uses the same themes of faith, hope, and love but with different words. The Thessalonians "turned" away from idols to God (faith); they "serve" the living and true God (love); and they "wait" for Jesus Christ to return (hope). The gospel declares the authority of Jesus as The Christ (God's promised king who would establish the kingdom of God on the earth), along with the promise of complete pardon of sin for those who repent. The claims made in the gospel must be accepted or rejected. Everyone lives in service of their God or gods. Today we have a prevailing myth called secularism: the belief that religion can, and even must, be excluded from the public sphere for the common good. Secularism claims to foster a "neutral" space for people of all beliefs to operate, but the truth is there is no neutral space; everyone is either worshipping the One True God or they are guilty of idolatry. God's eternal power and glory are readily visible in everything He has made, and God deserves praise and obedience from all (Rom 1:18-20). Failure to worship our Creator is an act of rebellion, the suppression of truth, and it always results in people exchanging truth for a lie and worshipping idols (Rom 1:21-23). The people in Paul's day, along with most people throughout human history, understood that religion, politics, economics, and every other aspect of life were connected; religion cannot be compartmentalized. Turning to God from idols (faith) was not a one-time decision made in private; the result was service to the living God, a contrast to idols that are lifeless. Accepting another god was not a problem in Thessalonica (they worshipped many gods), but turning to One God that demanded exclusive obedience and the renouncing of all others was. Just like in our day, the people in Thessalonica did not really care what you believed in private; all anyone cared about was what you did in public, and whether you went along with what everyone else was doing. So long as you were willing to participate in public life, which included idol and emperor worship, sexual immortality, and numerous other vices, you were free to believe whatever you wanted. In other words, as long as your beliefs were not important enough to keep you from going along to get along, you were "free" to believe and worship however you desired. Naturally, living as followers of Jesus Christ earned the Thessalonians strong disapproval from their neighbors, and it brought affliction. The temptation to yield to the pressure would have been enormous, just as it often is in our own experience. The question often comes up whether our holiness is really necessary--do we really need to abstain from what our non-believing neighbors are doing? Do we really need to look so different? Christian's only withstand this pressure if they keep their eyes on Jesus and the promises He has made. Our "waiting" for Jesus could be compared to preserving an appetite. If you believed you were going to have your favorite meal for dinner tonight, would you spend your afternoon snacking--especially if the snack was not something you really liked? Or would you save your appetite to make sure you would be able to fully enjoy that favorite meal later? Waiting for Jesus is something like that. We say "no" to the fleeting pleasures of sin (Heb 11:24-25) because we are confident in the greater pleasures that are found only with God (Ps 16:2, 11)--pleasures that would be robbed and undermined if we indulge in sin now. Final Thoughts The Thessalonians new life started with hearing and embracing the gospel of Christ, which was reason for Paul to praise God. God's continued work among this new church was obvious as people turned from serving idols and lived in love (new obedience to God). Their endurance in faith and love came from clarity and confidence in what God promised would come with the return of Jesus Christ. Keeping the focus on Jesus and His future coming is essential to holy living. Basic Christianity--true Christianity--is about faith, hope, and love. When these three are viewed in others it is reason to praise God because it is His power at work. If we claim to be followers of Jesus, it is our calling to exercise and practice all three so as to grow up in every way into Christ.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
November 2022
Categories |