To Encourage You

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2 “For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.”

Jesus likened His followers to branches on a vine in John 15.  With that metaphor, He emphasized God’s intent that our lives bear fruit unto His kingdom. He intends for our lives to matter. He wants us to bring glory to Him in how we live and in the things we do in service to Him.  Throughout John 15 He calls the believer to the importance of abiding in Him – staying in close relationship to Him – drawing our strength from Him.  It is in that love relationship, which is demonstrated by faithful obedience to His commands, that this abiding occurs.  And in that abiding, there is fruit. 

An example of just such a life is demonstrated in the Bible in the life of the apostle Paul.  In the verses above, He states that his ministry to the Thessalonian church had not been in vain.  His time with them and his efforts to minister to them had not been empty.  It had born much fruit, as was evident in their transformed lives which he had described throughout 1 Thessalonians 1.  So, what were the characteristics of his ministry? What were the marks of this abiding saint that resulted in such wonderful fruit? Beyond that, what will be the marks in our lives if we, too, would bear fruit in the vine, which is Christ?

One aspect of such a life is to have realistic expectations.  To the natural mind, it would seem that if someone was sincerely serving the God of the universe, things would usually turn out well for them.  To hear some TV preachers, a life lived for God will mean health, wealth, and all kinds of worldly success.   One such preacher has even written a book that sums this idea up as “Your Best Life Now.” So, is that what we should expect?  Is that what the fruit-bearing Christian life is all about?  Is the “fruit” of our lives an expectation of good health, lots of money, that sort of thing? Is it a life where if we “plant a seed,” a term many TV preachers use to talk about giving money to their ministry, we will reap a harvest of lots of money coming back to us?  Is that what we should expect?   

Well, in contrast to that message, one of the messages of the Bible is that those who live with a purpose to glorify God should expect conflict, hardship, opposition, and other forms of suffering.  2 Timothy 3:12 tells us that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” When’s the last time you heard that message from a TV preacher?  Jesus said the following words immediately after He spoke about bearing fruit as branches in the vine: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18-20). 

You see, the Bible tells us that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).  And the evil one, the devil, hates God, hates Christ, and hates Christians.  It is those who are faithful in advancing the gospel that He will oppose as they invade his territory and share the message which frees his servants from the bondage that he binds them in.  That’s at the heart of the persecution of believers, be it in the form of external opposition from people and governments and religions and institutions run by people, or in the form of internal opposition in the form of accusing thoughts about past sins and temptations to doubt God and to fear the future.  Be assured that such thoughts come not from God but from “the accuser of the brothers,” the archenemy of God. Nevertheless, it is in such conflict that God supernaturally works to prune our lives and make us more fruitful (John 15:2). 

So, are you doing everything in your power to live a life that glorifies God, yet you find yourself in difficulty right now?  Then it may be good to remind yourself of such words as these from God’s Word: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).  Difficulty, hardship, opposition: these things are to be expected for those who would have their labor for the Lord not be in vain. That’s what Paul experienced. But in the end, he would say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Do you hear that little phrase – “not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing?”  That all certainly includes you and me, if loving the appearing of Christ is something that describes us.  It’s what we can expect if our desire is to live life to the glory of God, come what may, and to have our labors for Him not be in vain.