"...knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7)
Last time we learned how the behaviour of the people in the church in Thessalonica had been transformed and were challenged to look at our own lives to see if we too had been transformed. But Paul's praise of their transformation does not end there. Let us explore further.
Transformation Based on God's Word
In verse 4 we see the cause of their transformation, God Himself. It was not a change based on any works that they had performed. In the same way that God chose Israel to be His people, He chose the believers in the church of Thessalonica to be His. This is a stark reminder that our salvation is entirely God's initiative. We who are believers are not His as a result of anything we have done, our human heritage or status before man, but is solely based on God and His decision to draw us to Him.
And how did He draw us to Him? Well, as Paul points out above, through the Gospel that comes in power, in the Holy Spirit. It is not merely through men preaching the Word itself, for even an Atheist can present the Gospel to you but not bring about change. Rather it comes through a conviction that what the Word says is true, evidenced through what the Holy Spirit does, and Him working in our hearts to bring about true conviction.
Imitators of Christ
The church in Thessalonica became imitators of Paul, and as a result, imitators of Christ Himself. The Christ that they followed, was the same one that Paul followed.
As a result, Paul points out that they then began to suffer for the same Gospel and reasons that Paul suffered. They faced similar persecutions and trials to Paul, simply because of their faith. And like Paul, they endured it with joy. Though the temptation to abandon the faith was probably about them on a daily basis, through the joy that only the Holy Spirit can give, they endured.
Suffering is not fun, but knowing that we are not alone in our suffering, that we share in the persecution with other believers, and that our suffering is a testimony to others, as Paul points out in verse 7, reminds us that our suffering is not meaningless or random. It is serving a purpose, even if it is for others and never for ourselves.
Our Transformation
The questions we now need to ask ourselves are these: though we may be transformed as a result of our involvement in the church, what is that transformation based on? Is it merely because we answered an altar call or because we wanted some "fire-insurance" or a "get out of hell free card"? Is it because we felt guilty and decided that we needed to change? Or is it because God's Word impacted us in such a way that we were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God alone can change us, and needs to change us, in order for us to be reconciled to him?
And has that change brought about any suffering in our lives? We tend to avoid suffering don't we? But Jesus promised us that we would suffer for His name sake (see Matthew 5:11). It is not a maybe, or that He will help us to avoid it, but that we will go through it. Are we trusting Him to pull us through with the joy that the Holy Spirit provides? And are we trusting Him that our suffering will be an encouragement and a testimony to others? That it will be a catalyst for others to see the power of God in our lives that will ultimately lead the lost to Christ? I pray that this is so.
Just a Thought!
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