Visible for God

June 6, 2010

Background Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1
Lesson Passage: 1 Thessalonians 1

“May the works that I have done speak for me” has become an old Christian adage. Truer words could not be uttered. Many will remember our actions long after they have forgotten anything that we might have said. In spite of this, we still tend to talk more than we work. Nevertheless, when someone shares the sum total of our life with someone else, it will undoubtedly reflect more of our actions than our words. This is even more so for Christians. We often become targets for those who are convicted by their own consciences and would rather spend time criticizing others than correcting their own situations or addressing their own problems. There is sometimes an endless comparison of one’s words and works in search of hypocrisy. People can seem relentless in trying to see if we misstep or misspeak so that our humanity can be displayed and somehow used against us. It doesn’t always matter to others that we might misspeak as long as we do not misstep. Perhaps this is even as God would have it to be. After all, Jesus emphasized the importance of actions that flow from a pure heart. Yet we are still human and Christians do misspeak as well as misstep. As we mature in Christ, we learn that our daily struggle involves wrestling with our own flesh and striving to strengthen the spirit man within. Only when the Spirit of Christ in us is allowed to lead and guide our actions do we have the hope of success in our everyday walk. Our actions will never reflect Christ’s directions as long as we attempt to use our own strength to bring it about. It is this faith walk that Christians are called to engage in daily. It is while we walk that God brings us into the work of ministry. These are the works that matter because they serve as visible examples to others of the faith that is within us. That is the subject of our lesson today.

One of the themes of Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica shows Paul’s concern for the faith of the Christians at Thessalonica. Paul was in harmony with James in the belief that a Christian’s faith should be manifest by works rather than words. The Thessalonians’ works did not justify them before God but it did stand as a testimony of their faith before man. This was clearly evidenced in that the Thessalonians’ faith in God was widely known even beyond the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia. This reputation must have come from the observation of people’s lifestyles and not their philosophies. Apparently, the Thessalonians had believed to the point of trusting Christ to direct their lives. They did not have to brag about their belief because it showed up in their actions. Paul recognized that their lifestyle had become their testimony and he commended them for it. In fact, in some regions, Paul and his companions did not have to speak because the reputation of the Thessalonians communicated for them. The Thessalonians were not closet Christians as many were then and still are today. They openly lived what they professed and others saw it and spoke of it throughout the region and beyond.

Robert C. Hudson
May 31, 2010