The Word of God at Work

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS

THE WORD OF GOD AT WORK

1 Thess 2:13-16

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.  

NIV

There has to be a difference between the word of God and the word of men, yet it would seem Paul is saying that some men were still telling the story of Jesus or some form of the gospel, but they were not bringing the truth of it, but rather were speaking so as to gain followers. Sharing the gospel message is not about gaining more followers for our own purpose. In fact, even to count the number of people would be prideful. But the point Paul is making is that when he shared the word of God, they accepted as the word of God, not as his words, so they did not follow Paul, but they followed after God. We see people today who are about gathering large crowds to themselves, speaking so as to please the ears and hearts of men, rather than God. It would seem the church as it appears here does the work of God that is if, in fact, God is working in it. That would be the key to a successful church, God working in it. Then the body of Christ would be the body of Christ, with each member serving the other members in some way. It would seem those false teachers are just interesting in gather listeners and not members of the body of Christ. The real church acts as a body does, all members of the body acting in concert together for the singular purpose of life. This is what Paul is referring to when he says that the word of God is at work in us who believe. Paul also makes reference to those religious men, who were most likely the Pharisees, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, the ones who killed Jesus, who were driving hard against the new believers in Jesus. Paul may also be speaking about those Jews who did believe, but were still entangled in the law and thought Jesus only came to the Jews, and the Gentiles were not to be included unless that first became a Jew. There is a danger for whoever stands in the way of the word of God working in someone. We know from other scripture that we are to work together as the body of Christ and that we are to encourage each other, lift each other up, so that we all function as one part of the whole, doing our part, as the word of God works in us, until we all reach the unity in the faith. Paul strains toward that mark in all his letters reminding them of his always praying for them, always thanking God for them, always building them up, and correcting them when they are wrong, but always in love. This is the true church, which is filled with people who the word of God is at work in.