The Thessalonian church was commended by Apostle Paul for their faith. They were an example for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and thereby, an example for all believers today to imitate. What are the characteristics of this model church?

Confidence in the gospel. 
The Thessalonians were formerly idol-worshippers, but upon hearing the gospel, the Holy Spirit worked in their hearts to convict and transform them. They personally knew the power of the gospel and their love for God compelled them to evangelize, even as they were under persecution for their faith. The Thessalonian church deeply knew the sinfulness of sin and its damnation. Only by the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit were they able to overcome sin. Because of their personal experience with the gospel, they were gospel-confident to share the good news wherever they went. 

Faith in Jesus Christ.
The Thessalonian believers were ordinary people, but their faith was extraordinary. Through the gospel, they were forgiven as they put their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They responded to all circumstances by faith, understanding that their faith in God enabled them to withstand any earthly situation. Their faith was practical, as they were confident in the Lord’s constant presence and lordship. Their faith was biblical because it was based on God’s Word. 

The Thessalonian believers were confident in the gospel and faithful to God because they experienced true conversion. Because of their love for God, the gospel went forth from them and they became examples to believers everywhere. All believers are spiritually gifted to share the gospel. Like the Thessalonian church, we must remember how we have been elected by God to be saved by grace and confidently go forth and fulfill the Great Commission.

In last week’s message, the Thessalonian church was genuine and wonderful in the eyes of the Lord. Although imperfect, their desire and conduct were enough for the Apostle Paul to think of it as the ideal church. However, what is vital to a thriving mighty church begins with the mind of Christ and God’s election (v 4). Without God’s plan and election, church is not possible. The church was thought of and built from the perfect mind of God before the foundation of the earth.

The church of Christ is distinct, not only as God’s elect but in their conviction of the gospel of Jesus Christ through repentance and faith; thereby, imitating Christ through obedience. In the case of the church in Thessalonica, they were a church that stood firm in the midst of constant persecution. Not only is the church of Christ vital to its community and world, but it is equally important to be a model to other churches and all those around it. Jesus Christ builds every true church and provides sufficient grace to be a mighty church.

How can a church be a model? Every member of the church must be healthy. Unbelievers often justify their unbelief because of one church member’s hypocrisy. The church is a model to its community as they are the only light in the midst of darkness.

How did the Thessalonian church become a model church? A model church is not born but made. The members of the church “became imitators of the Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus” (v 5b). Paul was included because he himself imitated Christ and him only (1 Cor. 11:1; Gal. 4:19). It takes God’s election and grace to turn idolators to become imitators of Christ. This was evident in the lives of the members of the Thessalonian church. In the same manner, Christians today must love Christ supremely and only. Conversion causes the sinner to repent from the idolatrous heart and to be made alive to God. Therefore, those that love Christ and imitate him have been truly converted.

To imitate means to be grafted into the likeness of. As the world thrives to imitate or be like its idols, the church must all the more strive to imitate Christ. Those that have been made new by the grace of God truly realize and recognize Christ Jesus as their lifeline and source of everything good. In other words, they will give up everything else to have Christ.

Why must Christ Jesus be the ultimate object of our imitation? Christians’ desire to be like Christ begins with hearing the word of Christ at conversion (Jn. 5:24-25). Christians sometimes referred to as sheep in Scripture (Jn. 10:3), are the only ones allowed to hear his voice, not only leading to life but to live in obedience to be more like him. And under any circumstance, suffering, or tribulation, the sheep are able to hear his voice and live according to God’s will.

There are many outside the church seeking truth and salvation. Therefore, the church must be a model and exemplary in its faith and love for Christ. May each member thrive to be healthy for the sake of attaining the status of being a model church before the eyes of God and man.

What does the real church look like? Over the centuries, through all the trials and persecution the church has faced, Apostle Paul explains what the true church looks like. First, the church is not a building, but a people who have been called out of this world, from death to life. The church starts in the mind of God with his ‘choice’, His election. Because of God’s choosing, the church is able to march on continuously, miraculously, against all odds. None of those in the church are perfect, none of us deserve to be chosen, we had nothing good to offer, we were all dead, yet by God’s grace, we are loved and chosen. God has loved you before you were even born and in His foreknowledge, though He knows our past, present, and future, and loves us faithfully without end (Romans 5:8). Our genuine response to His faithful love is holiness and obedience.

The true church has its source in God’s election. How then is the church formed? In all generations and in all places, the true church starts with the Gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:4). If a church is truly chosen by God, then it would start with the gospel. A church without the gospel is not a true church. Unfortunately, there are many churches and preachers out there who never proclaim the gospel and falsely claim to be a church. The gospel is the true biblical message of the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became a man, to save wretched sinners from the judgment of Holy God, by dying on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice, rising again on the third day, so that sinners who believe in Him might be saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This is the good news of the church. This is the only message by which a sinner will be saved (Romans 10:9). Every person is a hopeless sinner under the wrath of God, condemned to death and judgment (Romans 1:18, 6:23). The gospel explains the man’s damned plight and tells them to repent and believe to receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. This is the gospel that has never changed and which people need to hear (Romans 10:14).

The true church must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. After hearing the gospel, they are empowered by the Holy Spirit and they feel their need of salvation and receive the gospel in their hearts (Acts 2:37). The non-elect will hear the gospel and not think much of it. There was a crowd that saw Jesus raise the dead Lazarus, but only a few believed. Even today many hear the gospel, and some even proclaim the gospel and are not truly saved. Charles Templeton was a famous evangelist alongside Billy Graham who eventually denied God’s creation and Jesus Christ. What is the difference between those who are saved and not? They did not feel their sinfulness and need of a Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only by the Holy Spirit empowering the gospel message in the heart of the elect is a person truly saved. Salvation is a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6).

The true church has full conviction, true confidence in the gospel. They have full confidence in Jesus Christ and trust that Jesus is the solution to all their needs. This is because the church is full of people who were once sinners but are now saved by Jesus Christ. Jerry Bridges said, “A conviction is a determinative belief: something you believe so strongly that it affects the way you live.” (John 4:39). Those saved by the gospel have a singular heart for that gospel that saves them. Like Apostle Paul, ‘my goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death’ (Philippians 3:10). Supreme and devoted love for Jesus is the mark of the true believer. We must not be stained by other loves, but love Christ first and foremost. This love is demonstrated as faith and obedience to Christ. Whenever something happens, the Christian lives by faith. Thirdly, we share the gospel and know the suffering Jesus. We experience fellowship with Christ as we suffer like Him by living for the gospel and living a holy life.

The true church is chosen by God, formed through the Gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and full of conviction to live for Jesus Christ continually.

The church in Thessalonica was a genuine church built on Jesus Christ. The members of the church came from various backgrounds, but they were united as brethren in Jesus.

Of the many churches that stand today, how many are truly biblical? As Jesus had warned His disciples, there are false leaders with false gospels who mislead many. How can we- like the Thessalonians- finish well as a true and genuine church? To answer this, we look closer into Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to first learn of the origin of a genuine church. 

Knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you…(v. 4)

The true church begins in heaven. It begins with God’s choice and plan. In other words, it is by God’s election.

The doctrine of election says that God chose some people to be saved. This doctrine is biblical- from Genesis to Revelation, God chooses those who receive His grace. It is also confirmed by Jesus, that the elect will surely be saved by Him. (Jn 6:37, 39) Despite this, the doctrine of election is controversial and very often hated. Many say that it is unfair that God would choose some, and not others. Those who think this way do not know much about man’s sin and God’s holiness. What would be fair? Fairness would send everyone to hell. No one is righteous, not even one. As sinners who deserve God’s wrath, we don’t want fairness- we want mercy. Others say that the doctrine of election imposes on man’s free will. But is man’s will truly free, in the same sense as God’s free will? Our will is tied to our mind and the judgments we make. As fallen people, our mind is wrong in its judgment of what is good for us- this is why people reject the gospel that would save them. If we do only that which we want to do, then our will is not free- it is enslaved to our sinful understanding and desires. Without God’s election, no one would choose God and believe the gospel.

The doctrine of election is essential- without it, there would be no salvation because we can not save ourselves. As we believe in the gospel and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, we know we are elect. This doctrine is precious because it gives believers the certainty of salvation since salvation does not depend on our own works, but by our standing in Jesus Christ which was predetermined by God. Election is the root of all blessings that we have in our Lord, salvation being the first and foremost. It is the starting point of the genuine church.

NASA had spent years and a fortune sending a spacecraft to Mars in hope of finding signs of life. After successfully landing the Pathfinder, they were unable to confirm any signs. Some people might be disappointed. Some might doubt the evidence or still have hope. However, one thing that we can be sure of is that Jesus was resurrected. We don’t have to doubt the evidence or hope for it’s true. It is most certainly true that Jesus was resurrected bodily and historically. Thankfully so because without Jesus’ resurrection, our situation would be worse than any natural disaster the human race has seen.

Background

In John 20:19 the disciples were hiding from the Roman soldiers in fear when suddenly Jesus appeared before the disciples. John 21:13 shows that His appearance wasn’t as a ghost or spirit but physical. He ate bread and fish. Jesus has a glorified body, which is also a preview of what sort of resurrection we will have. Jesus’ resurrection is our living hope. 

Within 20 years later, some people in the church, like the Corinthians, started to doubt the resurrection. We must realize that without the resurrection everything in the Christian faith collapses. It is dangerous teaching and Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 to clarify and explain why the resurrection is true and must be trusted. 

False claims against Christ

Denying the resurrection is not new. From the beginning, those who hate Christ have tried to spread false rumors denying the resurrection. Some people deny that He actually died but they are wrong because He was speared on the cross and then he was sealed in a tomb without food, water, or air. How could he have possibly survived, opened the tomb, and fought off 50 to 60 Roman guards? 

Still, others say there are discrepancies in the four gospel accounts so they cannot be trusted. Each gospel does have a different author with a different perspective and purpose but their Jesus is the same Jesus and the differences are not factual but personal. 

People also claim that the story of Jesus is similar to other religions and Christians made it all up and copied them. However, there is no true parallel between Jesus’ resurrection and other prior religions. None of the other religions have a god who died as a man and was bodily resurrected. More so, other similar stories all originate after Jesus, which means they most likely copied the Bible rather than the other way around.

How do we know Jesus was resurrected?

His tomb is empty. Everyone else’s grave still has their bodies. Only Jesus has an empty tomb.

His disciples all died like Him. Out of the many disciples surely one of them would have caved to the torture and suffering. One of them would have either changed the message or denied it. Chuck Colson was part of the Watergate scandal where twelve of the world’s most powerful men could not keep a lie for 3 weeks. He realized the resurrection was true because the disciples were faithful to the gospel for over 40 years under the most difficult persecution. 

There were eyewitness accounts. Actually, there were hundreds of people that saw the resurrected Jesus who were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing (1 Corinthians 15:4-6). One of those was Paul who initially hated Jesus but now professed Jesus to be alive. Why would someone who wanted to kill all Christians all of the sudden write to share that he saw Jesus and explain that Jesus is alive? In Acts 1:3, Jesus stayed with his disciples, continuing His ministry, setting a righteous and loving pattern for His disciples. They are the ones who testify to Jesus’ resurrection. 

Other considerations that support the historical resurrection.

1. Women are the first witnesses. In ancient times when women were second-class citizens, this would be a terrible way to convince people and build credibility if you made up a story. 

2. Many people had experiences with the resurrected Christ

3. The disciples believed despite the resurrection being contradictory to their traditions and expectations

Ultimately, Jesus showed He overcame sin and death. Sin is almost almighty causing every loss, every tragedy, every hurt, every wrong. Death listens to no man. A man’s death cannot be delayed forever no matter how hard he may try. Once you are dead, there is no coming back. Yet Jesus conquered both sin and death.

‘If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain.’

We know Christianity is true because it has the true message that truly saves. The God you believe is based on the message you heard. The God of the Bible proved through Elijah that He is the one true God and that the idols were false. There was no response from the idols to the false prophets but Jehovah heard Elijah’s prayer and sent fire down from heaven (1 Kings 18:37-38). Through Elijah God showed He is true. The message God wants to convey through Jesus is that He can raise the dead to life. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 is the Gospel of Jesus that we believe. We believe in Jesus who died and rose again. God is good and His gospel is good. Through Jesus and the resurrection, a sinner can know how powerful and good God is. 

If Jesus did not resurrect, not just the gospel, but the whole Bible would not be true. For example, we know what happened to Jonah is true because it also happened to Jesus (Matthew 12:40). The Bible affirms Jesus and Jesus’ resurrection affirms the Bible. Since the Bible says all are sinners in need of a savior. If the Bible is not true, then we wouldn’t need a savior. But we know we are sinners and therefore can conclude that the Bible is true and our Savior is true also. So we can be free from the despair and darkness of our sin and the world because the Bible is true and Jesus saves.

If you do not believe Jesus has risen, then your faith is not saving faith. You live without Jesus. How can you walk with Him if He has not risen from the dead? Why would you experience a transformed life if He was not alive today? If Jesus is not raised to life, not only our faith but the entire church is also false. The church is an assembly of true believers who have the life of Christ. If Jesus is not alive then what the church confesses is false and we have no reason to gather and worship.

Thankfully, there is overwhelming evidence and reasons for Jesus’ resurrection. This is the truth and it is the good news of God. We believe and proclaim Christ is risen.

The Thessalonian church was a mighty church. It was the ideal church to Apostle Paul, who constantly prayed for the church and thought of their faith, love, and hope in Jesus. In our current age where many are confused about what the church is, it is essential that we look to this type of biblical example of a mighty church that is built on faith in Jesus Christ. 

What is biblical faith?

Biblical faith comes from Jesus Christ alone, who is the object of that faith. Faith involves the conviction of forgiveness, the fact Jesus Christ, as well as His lordship. In faith, we steadfastly look to Jesus Christ and live before God, knowing that everything happens in His presence and under His sovereignty. Faith is not an instinct or a feeling, but it is an act of will based on God’s unfailing word. Faith turns to Christ and trusts in Him through any circumstance. 

What would extinguish biblical faith? Formalism

Formalists have no substance. They understand Bible teaching, but their hearts are not transformed by truth. Formalists are still worldly in their affections and ways with no power of godliness in their hearts.

Not being centered on Jesus’ resurrection. 

How you regard Jesus’ resurrection will determine your sanctification. To be living in faith, the risen Christ must be living in your heart. Without Him, your faith is pretentious.

What are the results of faith?

• Faith bears fruit. Good works do not save, but when we are saved, we are transformed and bear fruit. 

• Faith takes risks. The faithful are willing to take risks because they have the heart of Christ. This includes relationships- without faith, you can not love your enemies.

• Faith brings about spiritual experiences. Without faith there is no obedience, and without obedience there are no spiritual experiences of God’s love. Faith leads you to experience God’s love.

• Faith glorifies God. Glorifying God in your faith can affect others to glorify God in theirs. One of the simplest ways to glorify God is to have faith in His promises, expressed by saying “Amen” as a confession of your trust in Jesus.

The Apostle Paul, directly and indirectly, participated in the planting of about twenty churches. One of those churches was the church in Thessalonica. The true church is called by God to gather as kingdom citizens to fulfill the Great Commission. The church in Thessalonica was aligned with these marks of a true church called by Christ. In today’s text, the Apostle Paul addresses in his letter that he and others always give thanks to God.  The Thessalonian church was characterized as a sanctifying, genuine, and better church.

God worked to sanctify the Thessalonian church even in the midst of persecution. The response of this church in their circumstance was through the work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ (v 3). This church was a constantly transforming church bearing much fruit.

The Thessalonian church was a genuine church elected and beloved by God (v 4). As God chose them before the foundation of the world, this church was passionate and focused to the will of God. It is the real church that loves God and hates sin.

The church in Thessalonica was also the model church to other believers in Macedonia and Achaia (v 7). They were better than other churches. Jesus, Himself makes mention of good and bad churches in the Book of Revelation. What makes one church better than others is its commitment and imitation of Christ and the apostles (v 6). With an honest heart, they held firmly to the apostle’s teachings by bearing fruit even in severe persecution. Moreover, they fixed their eyes on the joy of the Holy Spirit that continued steadily.

 The Apostle Paul also mentions giving thanks and praying for all of them; that is, all the members of the church. Each believer is appointed by God thereby making all of them important to pray and be thankful for. No one is to be left behind and remind each other of the importance of every member for the life of the church.

Gratitude is demonstrated in prayer. The Apostle Paul had an unceasing self-interest in the church of Christ.  In the same manner, intercessory prayer is vital to the life of the members of the church. Putting on God’s mind and his perspective allows each believer to understand his love and sacrifice for the church. Therefore, every believer is to pray for their brothers and sisters in intercessory prayer as Jesus continues to do so at the right hand of the Father.

As a Christian, you have an identity that we cannot deny. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, Peter calls the Christians ‘aliens’ who are chosen by God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This is their identity. One of the key ways to identify a true believer is love and trust in God’s word. We love His Word because we love Him. It is by His word that we are saved and by His word anyone can be saved. The parable of the soils distinguishes between the unsaved and the saved by their response to God’s word, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The first soil is hard and outright rejects God’s word from the beginning. They could be saved if they just listened and believed but they don’t want to hear. The gospel is available to anyone if they would only listen and believe.

The rocky soil receives the seed but falls away after facing some hardship or suffering. An example is Demas who sought the comforts of the world rather than the difficulties of faith. The true believer remains faithful through all circumstances. They persevere not because they are strong but because they are held fast by Jesus. The Lord by His grace will not lose a single one of his sheep.

Luke 8:14 Thorny Soil – Thirdly we have the thorny soil. Thorns are a bad sign. In farming, thorns are a menace that ruins a crop. This is because weeds and thorns are usually stronger than crops and grow easier and more abundantly. A farm field requires constant attention, removing the weeds continually, so they don’t overtake the crop.

To put it spiritually, a soil with thorns is a worldly heart. Jesus says, “As they go on their way”. A thorny heart does not go in the Lord’s way but in its own way. They hear the word and interpret it in their own way. The word does not truly pierce or break their heart, meaning they do not fully surrender and submit to God. They have two masters in their hearts, the old with the new. They did not deny themselves and take up their cross. Richard Baxter insightfully shares, “The self is the most treacherous enemy and the most insinuating deceiver in the world.” If it is not removed, then there is no salvation.

Those who pursue self are like the prodigal son who left his father and went his own way (Luke 15:2-3). Judas also took his own way as he betrayed Jesus for money (Luke 22:3-4). The worldly are eventually choked by three things: worries, money, and pleasure. The Christian must forsake these things if we are to know Christ. Why would we seek these terrible idols when we know God and His glory?

• Worry: We do not need to worry because we have a Heavenly Father who knows our needs and He has given us His Son Jesus who fully satisfies us (Matthew 6:31-32, Phil 4:12-13). Worries belong to non-believers while Christians possess the gift of trusting in God above.
• Money: It is dangerous to love money. In Luke 12:15,11 Jesus warns against greed and its folly of empty promises. Dear saint, we are rich and have all that we need in Christ (2 Cor 8:9). Be satisfied with Christ for He is ours and we have unending blessings which no amount of money could ever buy.
• Pleasure: Pleasure, lust, or sensuality is another dangerous idol rooted in the wicked world (Romans 14:17). Our hope is for believers to find their joy in the Lord rather than the superficial and destructive pleasures of the world.

What is the result of worldliness? They do not bear fruit. “Is not every fruitless professor of Christianity in dreadful danger of becoming a withered fig tree? There can be no doubt of it. So long as a man is content with the leaves of religion–with a name to live while he is dead, and a form of godliness without the power–so long his soul is in great peril. So long as he is satisfied with going to church or chapel, and receiving the Lord’s supper, and being called a Christian, while his heart is not changed, and his sins not forsaken–then he is daily provoking God to cut him off without remedy. Fruit, fruit–the fruit of the Spirit, is the only sure proof that we are savingly united to Christ, and on our way to heaven. May this sink down into our hearts, and never be forgotten!” – J. C. Ryle

Luke 8:15 – The Good Soil No one is born as good soil. Scripture clearly says that no one is good and no one seeks after God. Only God is good. So how does the hard, rocky, or thorny soil become good soil? When God comes and works in a man’s heart, the soil is prepared for receiving the seed and bearing fruit (Exodus 15:16-17). Apostle Paul’s heart is an example of a bad soil turned good (Acts 25:19).

The good soil hears like all the other soils but they hear with an honest and good heart and hold it fast. They understand that the message is God’s living and holy word and respond by believing (Acts 17:11). Regardless of their circumstances, even though obedience might be tough and detrimental, the believer knows it is better to obey God’s word. A good and honest heart recognizes the true divine nature of the gospel message.

What kind of fruit? The fruit is an acceptable attitude towards the Lord followed by acceptable action. Some display very obviously and some might not. However, there is always a sign of fruit. The fruit must be there if the soil is good. A concluding suggestion to bear fruit more clearly: First read the Bible every day and examine yourself. Also, ask those close to you if they see the signs of fruit. Ask yourself which soil are you? If you are a hard, rocky, or thorny soil, then thankfully God’s word is still available for you to receive through repentance. If you are good soil, then continue to immerse yourself in God’s word so that you may bear more fruit.

We continue to identify hallmarks of God’s kingdom citizens in the Parable of the Sower. 

In this parable, Jesus describes four types of soil on which the sower’s seeds fall. The seed represents the word of God; the soil represents the heart. The first three soils show the marks of unregenerate hearts that all men are born with- the Wayside Heart, the Rocky Heart, and the Thorny Heart. Though they vary in their responses to God’s Word, they all ultimately fail to bear fruit. The last soil represents the Good Heart. This soil is the heart made good not by man’s deeds, but by regeneration through God’s mercy. (Titus 3:5) This is the only soil that represents the heart of a true Christian.

As we delve into the characteristics of the first two soils in this parable, we are called to examine our own hearts through God’s Word. Do you recognize in your own heart these traits of those who are not kingdom citizens?

Wayside Heart

The soil of the well-trodden path represents a heart that is as hard as stone. Just as a packed and hardened dirt path is unable to allow a seed to penetrate its soil, this wayside heart is of a stiff-necked person who will not listen and hear the gospel with faith. When the Word of God comes to him, Satan comes and snatches it away so he wouldn’t be saved. He confuses them with lies that misrepresent the severity of sin, God’s wrath against sin, and man’s futile pursuit of truth apart from God’s Word.

How should we deal with these people who reject the gospel? As long as they are alive, we must pray for them to repent as they hear the gospel. 

Rocky Heart

The rocky soil represents the hearts of those who are shallow and superficial. They may seem like believers, but there is no depth to their confession. These individuals respond quickly to what they hear, but their joyful response is merely an emotional reaction. They view the gospel as the key to solving all their problems, but their problem is never about sin but is merely psychological and circumstantial.

It is difficult for the gospel to take root in a rocky heart because these types of people do not count the cost of Christianity. They claim salvation on their own terms, wanting God’s grace but rejecting His lordship. Their faith is not genuine, and because of this, they fall away when they are tested with persecution or suffering.

These soils exist within the church. They exist among those who may be falsely assured of their salvation. Salvation is a gift of God, who shed His blood on the cross to save us. As we examine ourselves to see that the Holy Spirit is truly working in our hearts, we can appreciate this matchless gift and give glory to our merciful God.

The kingdom of God abides and operates in all believers. There are internal and external marks of kingdom evidence in Christians. These marks are seen in producing fruit up to a hundredfold as the gospel takes root and bears fruit.

The distinct feature of kingdom people is they are able to hear the voice of God (v 8). Hearing is better than seeing (Ro. 10:14, 17). Thus, hearing the gospel and the Word of God is what is most important for anyone, whether to believe in Christ Jesus for salvation or continue to grow in spiritual understanding.

The Spirit of God is who regenerates our heart, allows someone to have spiritual understanding in the first place that leads to repentance and faith. And it is through Scripture that God speaks personally before someone believes. Sanctification, then, occurs through continual understanding until glorification.

As Jesus says, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear”, a person can only hear God through the Bible. The Bible is the only right source. Reading coupled with the Holy Spirit enables Christians to gain an understanding of God’s intending meaning. More importantly, prayer to God for understanding is so vital as God is the author of sacred Scripture.

Trust in God results in having confidence in what we hear and understand from the Bible. Naturally, trust leads to obedience (Phil. 2:8; Mk. 4:10). In other words, hearers delight in the word of God. Kingdom citizens take pleasure in His word and find joy in it. What distinguishes believers and unbelievers is the heart attitude towards the word of God. The disciple of God loves God and His word. Mere knowledge does not make one a kingdom citizen nor can it lead to obedience, but heart transformation leads to obedience.

To reiterate, God is the only one that is able to grant divine understanding to a sinner to hear and delight in Him and His word. Without God’s grace, there is no life or understanding. Transformation can only take place through the supernatural work of God by His grace through faith (Gal. 2:20). If we are granted grace, we must genuinely and sincerely repent as we see the love of God on the cross. Repentance, faith, and humility follow upon being given grace as we understand what Jesus has done for us.

Therefore, the spiritual understanding given by the Holy Spirit to the Christian leads to delighting in Him and His word, which is evidenced in a life of obedience and bearing fruit for His glory.