A Life Worthy of God

In 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, Paul’s great concern is to maintain the relationship he has forged with his readers by reminding them about the time he spent with them in the past.  To this end, he gave them concrete examples as proofs that demonstrate he and his companions came as God’s emissaries and were not seeking their own glory (2:4).  In doing so, he focuses on his integrity in his relationship to them.  But he also shifts the focus to them by encouraging them to live their own lives of integrity in relationship with God.  He calls this integrity “a life worthy of God” (2:12).  If God is a trustworthy God, then our response should be likewise.  Living a life worthy of God can obviously mean many things, but in the next verse there is a clear connection with how the Word of God is received.  He says, “when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers” (2:13).  No integrity is possible without allowing the Word of God to transform your life as the true Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Power of the Word

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 gives us an exposition of the power of God’s Word.  There are at least three dynamics to this powerful Gospel.  First, it comes to us from other people (1:4-5).  We receive God’s Word in community with other believers.  The power of the Word is in fact the power of community.  We may think there is a neutral, objective meaning of the Word, but our understanding of God’s Word is always shaped by particular interpretive communities.  Second, it comes to us “with the Holy Spirit” (1:5).  When we read the Bible, we don’t just read any book.  We read God’s Word to us.  It has the power to form and transform, because it comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit uses the Gospel to reveal God to us.  Third, the Word does not belong to us (1:7-8).  It is meant to pass on to others.  It is God’s Word intended for the world.  Unfortunately, many believers treat the Word as private possession for their individual well-being.  But a domesticated Word that only stays within the community that interprets it is a powerless Word not reaching its destination.  Say a prayer of thanks today for the gift of God’s Word, and ask yourself what you do to pass it on.

Living According to God’s Word

Reading the Bible is not necessarily the same thing as reading Scripture.  Reading the Bible as Scripture is reading the Bible as the Word of God that shapes our identities so decisively as to transform them.  Too many read the words of the Bible and then walk away from it unchanged and uninspired.  For them the gap between an ancient text and faithful contemporary life is too big.  How can we commit ourselves to the Bible with the expectation to be transformed by it as God’s relevant Word for our lives?  Psalm 119:9-16 draws a picture of someone who seeks God with all his heart because he wants to live according to God’s word. The purpose of seeking God in God’s word is “that I might not sin against you” (119:11).  Hearing the Word leads to meditating the Word, and ultimately becomes an integrated source for a life full of joy and delight (119:13-16).  Our formation as God’s people who live faithful lives every day starts with the Word of God that shapes our patterns of thinking, feeling, believing, and acting.  How serious do you take God’s Word?