Introduction
The Christian life is based on faith--but what does that really mean? Is faith a simple matter of affirming statements or ideas? It is about believing something enough, or feeling a certain way? Is faith just doing what you know is right? In biblical usage, faith affects the entire individual. Our thoughts, feelings, and decisions are all entangled, and the object of our faith shapes each of them. For Christians, Jesus Christ is the object of our faith; He is the one we trust. But we trust Jesus to do what He promised to do, not what we want Him to do. Jesus promised to forgive our sins, to be with us, give us His joy, make us holy, and empower us to do the good works that God has prepared for us to do. Faith in Jesus, then, means knowing, loving, trusting, and obeying God. This means faith building is a matter of increasing understanding, affection, confidence, and commitment to God. Faith building is the aim of gospel ministry, and it is the focus of Paul's efforts, as we see in our text.
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"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
-Romans 12:2 All of Scripture reveals the will of God. Every command, prohibition, testimony, and promise gives insight into what God says should, or should not, be in this world. Christians are followers of Christ, and as such the will of God deserves first place in our priorities. As we pray the Lord's Prayer (Matt 6:9-13), we begin by acknowledging God as our Father and our desire to see Him regarded as holy (special). Next, we confess our desire to see God's kingdom come, and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We treat God as holy when we commit our ways to Him and order our paths according to His revealed will (Ps 50:23). Introduction
When Jesus walked on the earth He spoke often about the kingdom of God. In those days, Israel was waiting for her promised Messiah, the one who would usher in the kingdom of God and fulfill all God's promises to His people. Naturally when Jesus did all the amazing things He did, the question was asked whether this Jesus could finally be "The One." John the Baptist even wondered this when he was imprisoned, and he sent disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Christ. Instead of giving a simple yes or no, Jesus replied, ` (Luke 7:22-23). Pulling from Old Testament expectations, Jesus showed John's disciples that He was the Christ, as Jesus was doing exactly what the OT taught the Christ would do. Christianity is a show and tell kind of religion. Jesus' actions alone did not declare Him to be the Christ, as the OT first had to teach people to expect the Christ to do those kinds of things. On the other hand, having prophecies without the fulfillment would also fail to prove Jesus to be the Christ. Both word and deed were required to know that Jesus was, in fact, the promised Christ. Introduction
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul praised God for the real transformation that has occurred in the lives of the church members in Thessalonica. Paul's confidence that these professing Christians were in fact rooted in Christ, the evidence their "conversion" was legitimate, was in the fruit the church displayed--this fruit being faith, hope, and love. The gospel, the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and promises to save all who trust in Him, is what has brought the change. In fact, gospel ministry is all about seeing people delivered from the power of sin. Paul begins chapter 2 with the word "For" which shows he is going to provide reasons for what he just stated in 1:9-10. In these verses we see the effect of faithful gospel preaching is people turn to God from idols (faith); they serve the living and true God (love); and they wait for Jesus Christ (hope). Faithful gospel ministry is about seeing the development of faith, hope, and love in individual lives. In 2:1-8 Paul reminds his readers of a number of things that are true of faithful gospel ministry. 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. |
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
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