2 CORINTHIANS 10:1 – I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!”
THEME OF THE DAY: CHRIST PROCLAIMED. CHRIST AFFIRMED. As Christians, we are people of truth. Truth as it is revealed in the Written Word of God. Jesus prayed to His Father in His High Priestly prayer for His people, “Sanctify them in the truth. Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). And truth as it is revealed in the Living Word of God, Jesus, Himself – “I am the way, the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
We also are a people given the privilege and responsibility to “go into the world” proclaiming the truth as it is in Jesus. This was not a mission reserved just for the Apostles in the founding and growth of the church. It is a commission given to all of God’s people through history. A wonderful example for us of obedience to this privilege and responsibility is the believers in Thessalonica. Ponder the life in this church. Wouldn’t it have been exciting to be a part of that community? And would it not be exciting to have our churches modeling them? Let’s enter the church of the Thessalonians . . .
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10).
As we observe the church at Thessalonica, their labor in spreading the truth of the Lord Jesus is clear. But make sure we see what characterized and motivated that labor – love. They obeyed the truth of Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians – speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15a). And this is so important for if labor for the Lord is not motivated, energized, and sustained by love for both the truth and the people we are sharing the truth with, it is worthless and will not pass judgment on Judgment Day.
The truth of Christ proclaimed without the love of Christ harms people. His truth becomes a weapon that hurts not heals. The truth of Christ proclaimed under the control of His love in meekness and gentleness is truth that heals both sin-weary sinners and downcast believers. Many people testify they came to Christ because they heard the gospel of truth in love through words and saw the gospel of truth in love validated through action and attitude. Take time and think about how we handle truth. Are we handling truth modeling the wonderful character of Him who is the truth?
PRAYER: “Father, may I not only proclaim Your Son with my words but affirm Him by my life.”
QUOTE: “Truth without love hurts. Truth in love heals.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim