Scripture Reading: 1 Thes. 1:4-10
The more we read the book of 1 Thessalonians, the more we realize that it truly was written to young believers. In this Epistle Paul is speaking to new believers.
In 1:4 he says, “Knowing, brothers beloved by God, your selection.” Selection refers to God’s choosing before the foundation of the world for His eternal purpose (Eph. 1:4). The apostles knew that the brothers beloved by God were chosen in such a manner by God for the fulfillment of His heart’s desire. The apostles knew that the Thessalonians were included among God’s selected people, His chosen ones. Their selection had been made manifest to such an extent that the apostles had the assurance that the Thessalonian believers had been selected by God.
The fact that the Thessalonians had been selected by God was manifested by their reaction to the gospel. How do we know that we have been selected? We know this by the way we respond to the gospel. If a person rejects the gospel, that is a sign that he has not been selected by God. But if he accepts the gospel willingly in a positive way, that acceptance is a sign, an indicator, that he surely has been selected by God.
God selected us in eternity, before the foundation of the world. But in time He comes to us in the preaching of the gospel. Now it is a matter of our reaction. If our reaction is positive, that is a positive sign, a sign that we have been selected. But if our reaction is negative, that is a negative sign, a sign that we have not been selected. The apostles knew that the Thessalonians had been selected by God because of their ready and willing acceptance of the gospel in a very positive way.
No doubt, Paul’s word in 1:4 concerning selection is directed to young believers. New Christians need to be helped to know that they have been selected by God. The foundation of our salvation was not laid in this age; rather, it was laid in eternity past. Based upon His selection, God saves us. Furthermore, with God’s selection as the foundation, the Spirit moves us to believe in Christ. The move of the Spirit in this way is based upon the foundation of selection laid in eternity. We should try to help new believers realize God’s selection as the eternal foundation of their salvation. We all need to see that in eternity past we were selected by God and that our being in the church today is a sign of this eternal selection. Therefore, in 1:4 Paul could say, “Knowing, brothers beloved by God, your selection.”
In verse 5 Paul continues, “Because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” The apostles not only preached the gospel; they lived it. Their ministering of the gospel was not only by word, but also by a life which displays the power of God, a life in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance of their faith. They were the model of the glad tidings they spread.
We all should learn that to preach the gospel we must preach in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. As we preach the gospel, we need to have the assurance that it is a saving gospel. The gospel we preach is able to save others. Before sinners can believe in the gospel, we ourselves must believe it. We must believe that the gospel is able to save sinners. When we preach the gospel, we should look away from those in the audience who may be opposing our message. Looking at them may cause our faith to diminish. Instead of looking at the faces of opposers, look at the gospel. The expression on the faces of the opposing ones is a lie. We must have the assurance that the gospel we are preaching can save even these opposers.
In verse 5 power, the Holy Spirit, and much assurance are linked to the words “what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” It may seem to us that Paul’s writing here is not logical, and we may wonder how the two parts of this verse fit together. This verse reveals that if we would preach the gospel in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, we must have a life to match this kind of gospel preaching. Our manner of life must match the power, the Holy Spirit, and the assurance.
A careless person, one who does not live Christ, cannot preach the gospel in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. To preach the gospel in this way, we must first live Christ and have a manner of life to match the power, the Holy Spirit, and the assurance. In other words, the power, the Holy Spirit, and the assurance require a certain manner of life. If we do not have the proper living, we shall not have the power, the Holy Spirit, and the assurance in our gospel preaching, for our manner of life will not match these characteristics.
In verse 6 Paul goes on to say, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having accepted the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit.” Since the preachers were the model of the gospel, the believers became their imitators. This then led the believers to follow the Lord, taking Him as their model (Matt. 11:29).
First the Thessalonians as new believers became imitators of the apostles, and then they became imitators of the Lord. This indicates that we need to be a pattern, a model, for others. The believers do not see the Lord first; they see us first. If we are not a proper pattern or model, it will be difficult for others to see the Lord. Because we are the Lord’s representatives, we need to be a proper pattern. Then others can imitate the Lord by imitating us. This means that through us they imitate Him.
In verses 7 and 8 Paul says, “So that you became a pattern to all those who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to speak anything.” Here we see that the imitators of the apostles became a pattern to all other believers. They imitated the pattern and then they became a pattern to the believers in the Roman provinces of Macedonia and Achaia.
The book of 1 Thessalonians is concerned with a holy life for the church life. In 1:1-3 we have the structure of this life. This structure includes the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope. This means that a holy life for the church life is constructed of faith’s work, love’s labor, and hope’s endurance. In 1:4-10 we have the origination of this holy life for the church life. This life originates through the preaching of the word and the acceptance of the word that is preached. Thus, we need to help new believers by presenting them the word of God in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, matched by our manner of life. Then the new believers will accept this word and follow us to follow the Lord, thereby becoming a pattern for other believers. This is the way a holy life for the church life originates.
In verses 9 and 10 we have the details of such a life: “For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entrance we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from the heavens, Whom He raised from among the dead — Jesus, Who delivers us from the wrath which is coming.” In these verses we have three details as the contents of a holy life for the church life: turning to God from idols, serving a living and true God, and waiting for His Son from the heavens. To turn to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from the heavens are the three basic substances of the Christian life viewed from another angle. To turn to God from idols is not only to turn away from false gods, with the Devil and demons behind them, but also to turn away from all things other than God. This is by faith infused into the new converts through hearing the word of the gospel. To serve a living and true God is to serve the very God who is triune — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — processed to be the believers’ life and life supply for their enjoyment. They should experience Him not only as the object of worship, but also as the all-inclusive Supplier who lives in them. This is done by love produced within them by the sweet taste of the rich supply of the Father through the Son in the Spirit. To wait for the Son of God from the heavens is to look for the One who has passed through incarnation, human living, and crucifixion, has entered into resurrection and ascended to the heavens, and who will come back to receive His believers into glory. This is the hope that strengthens the believers to stand steadfastly in their faith.
The first characteristic of the Christian life is that we turn to God from idols. Some people claim to be atheists. They say that they do not believe in God or worship Him. Actually, every human being worships something. Everyone has a spirit, a spiritual stomach. In our physical stomach we are hungry for food, and in our spiritual stomach we are hungry for God. We would not have a physical stomach if it were not necessary for us to eat in order to live. Our spirit, our spiritual stomach, is for worshipping God, contacting Him, receiving Him, and containing Him. Both our physical stomach and our spiritual stomach were created by God. During the day we must eat a number of times to satisfy the hunger of our physical stomach. In the same way, everyone worships something in order to satisfy the hunger in his spiritual stomach, the spirit. For this reason, all people worship something. Whether we worship a false god or the true God is another question. The point we are making here is that everyone, including atheists, worships something. Whether the food we eat is proper or improper food, we all eat some kind of food. In the same principle, everyone worships something, even if it is a false god.
Do you know what atheists worship? They worship themselves, for they are their own god. In Philippians 3:19 Paul speaks of those whose god is their belly. Others worship education, fame, or position, all of which are idols. God alone is the proper object of worship. Any person, matter, or thing that we worship other than God is an idol.
In my youth I had the impression that Americans did not have any idols. There were many idols in China, but my concept was that the United States was a land free of idols. But when I came to this country as an older person, I realized that there are idols everywhere. The idols in China were outward, but the idols in the United States are hidden, concealed. In their intense love of pleasure and entertainment, many in this country are worshipping idols. It is true to say that the United States is a land of entertainment. When many pursue certain forms of worldly amusement, they act without restraint, seeming even to forget their own names. In this way, their pursuit of entertainment becomes the worship of idols. The Lord’s Day was ordained by God for His people to worship Him. But what do most people do on this day of the week? In one way or other, they worship idols. How many genuine worshippers are there of the true God? Surely many more people worship idols today than worship the true God.
We usually think that the goal of the gospel is to turn people from sin to God. But Paul’s preaching of the gospel turned people also from idols to God. It is not sufficient merely to turn others to God from sin. If our preaching of the gospel only does this, our preaching is weak and inadequate. The stronger preaching of the gospel turns people both from sin and from idols. It is somewhat easy to turn others to God from sin, but it is much more difficult to turn them to God from idols.
Do you know what is the beginning of the Christian life? The beginning of the Christian life consists in turning to God from idols. When we turn from idols, we also turn from sin, for sin lurks behind idols. In today’s entertainments and amusements there is a great deal of sin. Those who do not worship idols may not sin. But whenever someone is worshipping an idol, it is impossible for that person not to sin.
Idols are actually parts of the Devil. They are demons. Behind every idol there is at least one demon. This means that there are demons behind the scene of today’s entertainments, amusements, and pleasures. Therefore, the Christian life must be a life that begins with turning to God from idols.
Many of us still need a further turn from certain idols unto God. If you want something other than God Himself, that thing is an idol. Anything other than God that draws our attention or anything that distracts us from God is an idol. Any who are distracted in this way need a further turn to God from their idols. The Christian life must have the turning to God from idols as its first characteristic. The Christian life is a life without idols.
In verse 9 Paul speaks also of serving a living and true God. Literally the Greek word rendered serve means to serve as a slave. The living and true God is in contrast to the dead and false idols. In this verse the word living is mentioned before the word true. It is rather easy to serve a true God; it is not so easy to serve a living God. Nevertheless, we need to serve a living God. God must be living to us and in us in our daily life. He should be living in our speech, in our behavior, and in every aspect of our daily life.
How can we prove that God is living? We prove it by our daily life. If God were not living, our daily life would be very different from what it is. Our present living is a testimony that the God whom we serve is living. He is living in us, and He controls us, directs us, and deals with us. He will not let us go. Rather, in many matters He corrects us and adjusts us. The fact that God controls us and directs us, even in small things such as our thoughts and motives, is a proof that He is living. Furthermore, it is by our daily walk that we can prove to our relatives, neighbors, and friends that our God is living.
We live under the control, direction, and correction of a living God. An idol, however, does not direct or correct anyone. In the presence of an idol someone can gamble or steal without being corrected at all. But we cannot do such things before a living God. For example, if God is living in us, He would never allow us to tell a lie. If our God is living, we cannot lie in His presence. Serving a living God is the second characteristic of the Christian life. We must live a life which bears the testimony that the God we worship and serve is living in the details of our daily life.
Years ago, when I was in Manila, I learned that certain people could steal and then immediately go into a cathedral to worship. Some repented of their thefts and then immediately went out to steal once again. Some robbed others even in the cathedral. Surely such people do not worship a living God. On the contrary, the god they worship has no life.
What about your God? Is He a living God to you? The proper Christian life should bear a testimony that God is living. The reason we do not do or say certain things should be that God is living in us. The God whom we worship and serve is living not only in the heavens, but also in us. We have turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God. No doubt, when God is living to us in our experience, He is also true.
A third characteristic of our Christian life is that we are waiting for God’s Son from the heavens. As Christians, we must live a life that declares to others that our hope is not on this earth or in this age. Instead, our hope is in the coming Lord, and our future is in Him. On this earth we do not have any destiny, destination, or future. Our future, our destiny, and our destination are altogether focused on the Lord who is coming. He will be our hope, our future, and our destination. We are going to the Lord, and our destiny is to meet Him. Worldly people, on the contrary, have the kind of living that gives others the impression that their future is on earth and that their hope, destiny, and destination are all in the present. Although their future is thoroughly related to this age, our future is not. Because we are waiting for the Son of God from the heavens, our future is focused on Him. We have no hope on this earth and no destiny in this age.
Genuine Christians do not have any idols, they live a life that testifies that their God is living, and they declare by their living that they have no hope on this earth, but only in the coming One. We should not have anything other than God, our God should be living in our daily life, and we should declare that we are waiting for the coming of the Son of God from the heavens. I hope that those who are working with new converts and young believers will render them help concerning these things from 1 Thessalonians. Furthermore, even some of us who have been in the recovery for years still need to be helped to make up things lacking in the Christian life. Some of us may still be clinging to certain idols, to things other than God Himself. Moreover, our daily life may not testify that the God whom we serve is living, for we still may do many things without His direction, control, or adjustment. If this is our situation, then we have a negative testimony that our God is not very living to us day by day. If He is living to us, we shall surely be under His control and correction. If our God is living, He will correct us and not allow us to be careless in our living. Many of us may also lack a waiting spirit, a spirit waiting for the Lord’s coming back. Our living may not declare or testify that we are waiting for the Lord’s coming. We may lack this kind of atmosphere in our living. May we all see from 1 Thessalonians that a proper Christian life for the church life is a life without idols, a life that testifies that our God is living, and a life waiting for the Lord’s coming back.
