The Wondrous Work of the Holy Spirit in a Genuine Believer

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.



Their Good Example

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
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Paul had much to thank God for here with the Thessalonian church.

The church's beginning is seen in Acts 17:1-10. The time period was about AD 51. We see in Acts that Paul spent three Sabbaths "reasoning with them from the scriptures". Some scholars hold that that is all the time Paul had spent in Thessalonica. Others claim that Paul must have spent additional time in Thessalonica due to the amount of doctrine that is covered in these two letters. Either way, Paul had to move on and preach elsewhere; That meant that this young church had to live the Christian life on its own.

Note the hardships faced: "having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,". We would see later in the letter that they received much persecution from their own countrymen, as did the church in Jerusalem. See 1 Thess. 2:14.

But, notice the wonderfull work of God the Holy Spirit in these lives: "3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,".

"Faith, love, and patience of hope". Brings 1 Corinthians 13 to mind, eh? Ah! the great and marvelous workings of the Holy Spirit! He is the One Who regenerates us, inparting new life within, the very life of Jesus.

Note also that Paul said of these folks: "6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."

"You became followers of us and of the Lord". Their faith was volitional and resolute. They followed Paul as he was an example of how Jesus would have them walk. Keep in mind, they did so while suffering heavy persecution.

Genuine faith is seen in turning to God, in order to serve Him. Observe:"and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." What is seen here is evidence of the workings of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. His mission is to reproduce the image of Christ in the life of that person, or, in this case, the Thessalonian church. A genuine believer is going to exhibit the results of the Spirit's workings.

Over all, the Spirit does a marvelous thing, taking a sinner and turning them into a mighty and fearless servant of Christ.

Dear reader, how about you? Do you wish to repent from your life of sin to serve Jesus? He died on the cross that your sins might be washed away by His blood. Do you wish to wait for Him to come and take you to be with Him for all eternity? All you need do is believe, believe that you are a sinner and that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is your only hope of being saved. His is the only sacrifice that God has accepted. Only His blood can wash away your sin. Three days later He rose from the dead, The Father had accepted His sacrifice, the only true sacrifice for sin.