Everything you say or do is a reflection on multiple people. It is a reflection on you and your parents. If you are a Christian, your words and actions are a reflection on Jesus. This is why we as Christians must be very careful about how we live. In today’s text, Paul is writing to the Thessalonian Christians. They were living in a hostile environment. They received persecution from both the Jews and the Gentiles in the city. Paul was constantly encouraging them to watch how they lived, and to follow the example that they saw in him. As he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, “That you walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Paul knew the power of a strong witness in our life. After all, the disciples were unsure of Paul at first, because of his reputation. Early in the book of Acts, we see Saul (aka Paul) persecuting the church. He even got letters from the authorities to go to other cities, round up Christians, and throw them in jail or worse. Therefore, when they first heard that Paul had become a Christian, they were very leery. But Paul had seen God use his life as a positive witness as well. This is why Paul constantly wrote to the Christians to watch how they lived and spoke. I think Paul’s words to the Thessalonians are important for Christians today.
We live in a hostile environment. Year after year, our culture is becoming more and more hostile towards the message of the Gospel. This shouldn’t surprise us because Jesus said it would happen, and Paul wrote why it happens in 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 1 Corinthians 2:14. The bottom line is this, the message of the Gospel sounds foolish to those who are unsaved. While we may not think of open hostility towards the Gospel as a good thing, I believe that it is. I believe that it is because it helps clearly define our mission field. One of the key points in our verse today I believe is Paul saying that God has called us to His kingdom. We must think, speak, and act like kingdom of God citizens. That means that we cannot be busy trying to build our own kingdom, but we should also not be trying to jockey for position in kingdoms of this world. Everything we say and do should be done with the mindset, how can I honor God in this? The other area that I believe we need to be very conscious about is on social media. Social media can be used for good reasons. You can keep up with family members who may live in another state. You can get some updates on events near you. You can absolutely share the Gospel, prayers, Bible verses, and even invite people to a church service through social media. Yet, more and more, social media is becoming a place where people do nothing but bicker and tear one another down. Social media in many ways has caused many to lose the art of a conversation. We have lost the ability to listen first and speak second, especially amongst those we disagree with. The Bible has much to say on the use of our words, how we treat each other, and what our words say about our relationship with God. Before we try to blame social media, we must understand that social media is amoral, that is, it is neither inherently good nor inherently evil. It is how people use it that it can be used for good or evil. It goes back to what James said in James 3, we can either use our words to bless others or curse them. For the Christian, the choice is very simple, we are to bless and encourage others with our words. How is your walk with God in front of this hostile culture? Is your life pointing others to Jesus and the Gospel? As the hymn says, “Let others see Jesus in you.”
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin