The Thessalonians: A Life Worth Imitating
“Set a good example!” You’ve probably said it if you’ve been around kids for any length of time. I know I have. We all agree that we should be a good example, but what does a good example look like for a follower of Christ? The Apostle Paul applauded the Thessalonians for being good examples to believers throughout Greece (1 Thessalonians 1:7), but what set them apart? How did they model for us a life worth imitating? Let’s turn to 1 Thessalonians and find out. They Persevered in Their Faith From the very beginning, the church at Thessalonica encountered opposition and resistance. So much so that Paul feared the Thessalonians wouldn’t be able to resist the lies of the enemy and that his missionary work in Thessalonica would be in vain (1 Thessalonians 3:5). Paul did not have as much time as he would have liked with the Thessalonians. Persecution followed him everywhere he went, and Thessalonica was no different. After three weeks of preaching the Good News, he was pushed out of the city, leaving the newly founded Thessalonian church to fend for itself. It turns out that Paul feared needlessly because, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Thessalonians persevered in their faith despite encountering much persecution and suffering. They Remained Planted When the Thessalonians heard the Good News, they could have been like the seeds in Jesus’ parable of the sower that were sown on rocky ground with little soil. These seeds sprung up quickly but soon withered and died in the sun because they had no roots. Jesus explains that these seeds represent people who receive the Word with joy but immediately fall away when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word. (Matthew 13:5-6,20-21). You’ll notice similarities between the Thessalonians and the fair-weather friends represented by the seeds that fell on rocky ground. Both received the Word joyfully and then experienced great tribulation and persecution because of it. However, the Thessalonians didn’t fall away, unlike the stony ground seeds. They remained planted, growing into a flourishing and generous church. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) So what made them different? Why did they stay planted? Holy Spirit Empowered Them The Thessalonians did not fall away because they received the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Paul knew that it was only because of the power of the Holy Spirit that the Thessalonians could receive the Word with joy amid severe suffering AND hold on to it too! Paul thanked God that when the Thessalonians received the Word, they accepted it not as the word of men but as it really was, the Word of God, which Paul described as “at work in believers.” (1 Thessalonians 1:13) The Holy Spirit worked within the Thessalonian believers, convincing them of the truth of the Word of God. This conviction enabled them to persevere even during persecution. The Thessalonians stood firm in their conviction because they kept their hearts open to the Gospel: they heard the Word, understood it, and put it into practice. They became imitators of Christ and of the Apostles. They Became Imitators Today we often think of the term imitator in a negative sense. People say, “don’t imitate others; just be yourself!” However, in the New Testament context, being an imitator is a positive thing: we are encouraged to imitate godly examples and the ultimate example, Christ. Let’s break the word “imitator” down a bit. In Greek, it is “mimetes,” meaning an imitator, or a follower. It is the root of the English word “mimic,” which means one who imitates or emulates. The HELPS Word-study explains it as “the positive imitation that arises by admiring the pattern set by someone worthy of emulation, i.e., a mentor setting a proper example.” Imitation Empowered by the Word Twice Paul describes the Thessalonians as imitators of the Apostles and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:6, 2:14). Each use of the term “imitator” directly follows Paul’s account of how the Thessalonians received the Word of God. The Thessalonians only became imitators of the Apostles and Jesus in their suffering BECAUSE the Word empowered them. With open hearts, they received the Gospel in power, through Holy Spirit, with conviction and believed it was the Word of God. But the Thessalonians did more than imitate the Apostles and Jesus in their suffering; they also imitated them in their response to their suffering! Their response was one of JOY. Paul and Jesus both knew something about joy in suffering. Paul sums it up this way: Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 Imitators of Paul Throughout the New Testament, Paul repeatedly admonishes believers to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1, Ephesians 5:1). Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to imitate him, the other apostles, and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:6, 3:9). Paul did more than talk the talk. Paul walked the walk. He lived his life as an example to follow. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul’s pattern of living is worth emulating. He set a good example that we can still follow today. Not only should we look to Paul’s godly leadership in Scripture, but we should also look for godly leadership in the church. The key is finding leaders worth imitating. Seek godly leadership like Paul. Get to know their heart. Do they know Christ and put Him before all else? Do they rightly handle the word of truth? (1 Timothy 2:15) Carefully consider the outcomes of their way of life: are they producing the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Do they look like Christ? If so, imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7). I like how Leonardo De Chirico put it in his article “Watch
The Power of Unbelief: Lessons from Nazareth and Beyond
Just as faith is a powerful force, the opposite of faith, unbelief, is also a powerful force. Unbelief produces disastrous consequences and prevents people from receiving God’s blessings.
Finding Jesus in the Book of Joshua: Faith & Victory
God, in the book of Joshua, showed the Israelites their victory before they received it. Their faith and obedience determined their victory.
Walk By Faith Not By Sight
Faith compels you to act in ways that you never would have expected like building a boat to save yourself from a flood when it has never even rained, or fighting a giant that everyone is too scared to fight, or believing a promise that in the natural, just doesn’t make sense.
Walk By Faith Not By Sight
Faith compels you to act in ways that you never would have expected like building a boat to save yourself from a flood when it has never even rained, or fighting a giant that everyone is too scared to fight, or believing a promise that in the natural, just doesn’t make sense.
What is Faith, Really?
Have faith in God. We hear that a lot. But what is faith, really? For Christians, faith is central. Without faith, we are not saved and without faith, it is impossible to please God. For unbelievers, faith in an unseen God is impossible to understand. I remember wondering “how is it possible to be so sure of something I can’t see.” Faith didn’t make sense to me. I thought that only the truly desperate would put all they are into a God they couldn’t see. As I began my journey toward the Truth, my perception began to change. The more convinced I became that the Bible was true, the more I began to desire to possess the same faith that I had once looked down on. But to be honest, deep inside, I doubted that I could ever truly have the faith I now so desired. We all practice faith in one way or another every day. We turn on the tap and drink, knowing that the tap water won’t make us sick; we board an airplane and travel, believing that it won’t crash; and we pile into elevators and ride, knowing the doors will open and let us off. We don’t question these things. We know by experience that the water is regulated, the pilot has been properly trained, and the elevator must meet certain codes in order to operate. We can see and verify all these things. This is an easily explainable type of faith: one that everyone can relate to. Biblical Faith Biblical faith is different. It is not natural, it is supernatural. Unlike the everyday kind of faith, the biblical kind of faith requires that we trust in the unseen. “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” John 1:18 The writer of Hebrews describes the biblical kind of faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Hebrews 11:1 Trusting in the unseen is not something that we, as humans, naturally tend to do. If we cannot perceive something with our senses, then verify it through experience, we question if it is real. God is revealed through the Bible, His Word, but we still can’t see Him. We can intellectually know the Bible to be true, but until our hearts are convinced of its truth, this knowledge is just knowledge, it does not change us. That’s where I was at: intellectually convinced that the Bible was true, but still not truly believing in my heart that it was. I felt just like the father in Mark 9:24 who said: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart. [pullquote]God did not leave me in unbelief. He does not leave anyone there who seeks Him with all of their heart.[/pullquote] “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 Measure of Faith God has given us all a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). It is a gift from Him (Ephesians 2:8). This measure of faith is enough to cause us to believe when we hear the truth of the Gospel. Just because God has given us a measure of faith, doesn’t mean we will respond. God has also given us free will so we can choose whether to respond. I heard the Gospel as a child and as a teenager and for many reasons chose not to respond. But God didn’t give up. He did not leave me there. No matter how far I tried to run, He was there. 2nd Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Thank God for this truth. Thank God that I started seeking His Truth. As I discussed in The Bible: Fact or FantasyTruth or Lie, my intellect kept me from responding to the truth. For me, it was important to find logical arguments that supported the truth of the Bible. These arguments began penetrating the wall of my intellect. At some point while seeking God and the truth, my intellect stepped out of the way and I stepped out in faith. I cannot tell you the exact moment that the measure of faith God gave me was activated and I believed – I just know it was and I did. Jesus describes it like this ” So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 It is supernatural. There is no explanation. We all have faith. It is a gift from God. He makes it available to everyone. It is up to us to choose to accept His gift. Sometimes all it takes is to step out in faith and say “I believe God, help me overcome my belief!” Barlow Girl sings a song called Never Alone. This song is about choosing faith. Choose faith today. “And though I cannot see You And I can’t explain why Such a deep, deep reassurance You’ve placed in my lifeWe cannot separate ‘Cause You’re part of me And though You’re invisibleI’ll trust the unseen If there are obstacles in your path that are keeping you from choosing faith, pray this prayer: Lord, I ask you to move my heart towards you today and to remove any obstacles from my path that are keeping me from choosing faith and choosing You. I choose to believe You today and tomorrow and for the rest of my life.