Sin and Repentance
In Genesis 3:7-13, we see the effects of sin on Adam and Eve as their minds have been corrupted by sin. They no longer have the blessed union with Holy God but are ashamed and hide from Him while perpetuating their sin by trying to deal with sin in a sinful way.

God is holy
He is pure, free from any stain, perfect, immaculate. When we usually define God’s holiness we mean God is separate. The word holy itself means separate, derived from a word that means ‘to cut’ or ‘to separate’. R. C. Sproul explains “God’s holiness is more than just separateness. His holiness is also transcendent… When the Bible calls God holy, it means primarily that God is transcendentally separate. He is so far above and beyond us that He seems almost totally foreign to us.” God is holy also means he is pure and without sin. All that He is and does is holy. The angels in heaven cry out ‘Holy, holy, holy’ in worship because God is primarily and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 4:8). God’s holiness cannot tolerate sin and so sinners are unable to stand or even look upon God without terror and shame (Exodus 33:20, Isaiah 6:5)

What is sin?
R. C. Sproul helps explain that “first, sin is a debt; second, it is an expression of enmity; third, it is depicted as a crime.” Sin is a moral debt to God because we are His creatures created for a purpose. It is our duty and work to give glory to God and keep His commands but when we disobey, we incur a spiritual debt. That debt for even a single sin is more than we can pay.

Sin is also hatred towards God. Every sin begins in our hearts and minds as an attitude of hatred against God and a love for something else. Sin is not merely an action but thoughts and words which will be held accountable for.

Sin is also a crime against God’s law. When we transgress God’s commands we are criminals against the righteous and holy of God. A crime deserves judgment and punishment and we are sinners guilty before God the Judge. Not only do we commit crimes but as sinners, we enjoy and encourage those crimes in ourselves and others. Therefore our sins should not be taken lightly as they are serious violations of God’s law. God hates sin because sin is evil and deserves to be hated. One day it will be punished unless we repent and receive forgiveness.

The sinful response to sin
Adam and Eve took from the tree and ate the fruit that God forbid. Immediately their eyes were opened and they saw they were naked. They felt ashamed and covered themselves with leaves. But their coverings could not hide their sin and guilt. They hid from God out of fear of His holiness.

God is so patient towards sinners for He desires repentance. He calls to us like He called to Adam, “Where are you?” and “Did you disobey me?” He is merciful to withhold immediate judgment, giving us an opportunity to confess and repent. Yet, like Adam and Eve, we avoid repentance and excuse our sin. We avoid confession and even blame others. Even when we know that God knows all our sins, we still refuse to confess. Sin breaks our relationship with the Lord. We are no longer seeking Him in a loving obedient relationship but instead run away and desire to escape Him.

Repentance
However all attempts to avoid the reality and consequences of our sin are futile. There is only one way to be rid of our sin, and that is repentance. God promises that if we repent we will be forgiven and saved (Acts 2:36-38). It is not works, it is not payment or tribute that God requires of us. It is simply and mercifully the act of repentance in faith. Sinner and Christian alike, turn from your sin, stop defending or excusing your sinful ways, but repent! It is much more joyful and wonderful to repent before Holy God than to enter the trial in judgment.

Remember the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). See how miserable that son was while he faced the consequences of his sinful actions. When the pitiful son returns, the father only has love and blessing for the repentant son. Not a hint of scorn or rebuke. It was complete forgiveness and full restoration. Our heavenly Father is waiting for our repentance also, promising to pour out his grace and mercy. It is unexpected and unbelievable that God would love the sinner as much as He does. Why should you reject repentance when repentance leads to the wonderful grace of God? Instead, do not delay but quickly repent and believe and be saved.

Today’s text shows the significant importance of remaining in Christ, who is the true vine, resulting in bearing good fruit. The branches that abide and bear fruit demonstrate true Christians whereas those that do not remain represent the apostates who followed Christ superficially. In the context of the text, Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room when he warns there would be one among them that will not abide in him, namely Judas Iscariot. This is said to expose his separation from Christ and fruitlessness and as a warning to all those that claim to abide in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ begins by remaining in his word. Abiding in his word means to read it, study it, meditate on it, and obey it. In other words, the one that abides in God’s word approaches it with a purpose to absorb it and live by it and therefore bear much fruit.

Abiding faithfully in Christ is not passive, but active. Scripture has many commands to be active. In today’s text, Jesus gives an imperative because he personally called out his disciples and warns against not remaining in him. Passivity leads many to be tempted to remain in the things of the world rather than Christ. Jesus is not begging people to remain and not walk away. Rather, he commands his disciples to abide in him by actively enduring through the pruning process (i.e., suffering, persecution, trials) so that they might bear more fruit (v. 2). God works through the lives of his people to refine them and help them overcome all things as they faithfully abide in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ bears fruit. As true disciples of Christ cannot be carnal Christians, they also cannot lack fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:18-20). So, those that bear fruit are evidence of remaining in Christ as he abides in them (v. 5).

Bearing fruit is produced through action (i.e., good works) and heart attitude. Attitude fruit will lead to action fruit as the Holy Spirit transforms the hearts of the Christian. The attitude fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Loving Christ results in abiding in him, which produces both attitude and action fruit.

Abiding faithfully in Christ means loving him. Jesus Christ demonstrated his own love toward us by laying down his life for his disciples. Christian, do you love Christ in the same manner? Do you continue in your love for Christ by abiding in him? There is no middle ground. People will love or hate Christ. They will abide or not remain in him.

Abiding faithfully in Christ comes with many blessings. God blesses those that remain in Christ the gift of eternal life, answered prayers, and complete joy (v. 11).

To love Christ is to continue to remain in him. In all things, Christians are commanded to be faithful as he is faithful. Are we abiding in Christ? There is always room to grow in our love and faith in Christ; therefore, let us examine our hearts to abide in him.

Introduction

Genesis is the beginning of the Bible and also the beginning of history. Genesis 1 is one of the most important chapters in the Bible and also at the center of much controversy. Many of the central and foundational truths about God and the world we live in are established in the first few chapters. One aspect of God that is highlighted repeatedly in the creation account is, God is good and what He does is good. After each day, God looks at what He made and He saw that it was good. God’s goodness flows into all He does and especially in making Adam and Eve, He took great care to make sure it was good, and after all was made, it was very good. What the Bible establishes most strongly in the beginning is God’s goodness. We are to know absolutely and most assuredly that God is good.

God alone is good

One thing that confuses us is that good can mean many things. Biblically speaking ‘good’ is that which is wholesome, virtuous, beneficial and beautiful. It is impossible to define what is good without God. This is because God alone is good. (Mark 10:18) In contrast, none of us are good and have a broken understanding of good (Psalm 14:3). Our understanding of God must be centered around God. God is good, all attributes of God are good and all that He does and says is good. He is the sum of all that is wholesome, virtuous, beneficial and beautiful. Therefore, nothing good can come from a source outside of God. He has a monopoly on goodness and all that is good in this world has come from Him. (James 1:17)

God is good all the time

Psalm 100:5 declares “the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations”. God never stops being good because it is His nature. God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is always good. This is really important and beneficial for us because life is not always pleasant (Romans 8:28). We go through ups and downs. Every day is a struggle. Yet what we can be sure of, no matter what we face or go through, God is always good.

If God alone is good and God is always good, then that helps us define what good is. We just have to think about God, who He is and what He does and what He gives and those things are good (Philippians 4:8).

God is good to us

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them;” (Genesis 1:27-28) In the Garden of Eden, before man sinned, man was blessed perfectly. They lacked nothing, had never experienced any pain or sorrow and had a delegated authority over all other living things. What God made good was very good for us.

Many people misunderstand God as some harsh overlord who is only happy when we are miserable. God is not wicked or petty, His goodness is good for us and for our benefit. It is true that now in our broken state, we cannot experience God’s goodness fully, and we have to forsake our sins and the things of this world that rob us of our experience of God’s goodness. On the outside, it may seem that Christians are miserable and it deters many from following Christ, but it is the exact opposite. Knowing God is good and good for us because God is good. This is also demonstrated by creation. We experience God’s goodness through obedience. Obedience is giving glory to God and enjoying His goodness to us (Psalm 34:8). In fact, we can have the most satisfying joy in Christ, when we obey and love Him and He loves us (John 15:10-11).

The Gospel is God’s greatest goodness

In the gospel we experience God’s greatest good work through Jesus and it is the best thing for us. In the gospel we have the forgiveness of our sin, salvation from hell, adoption into God’s family, a new spiritual life, and eternal life with Him in glory. The gospel is God showing the greatest love and sacrifice redeeming sinners through His coming to earth, ministering to us, dying on the cross in our place, conquering our sin and death by resurrecting from the grave, and ascending to heaven where He will one day return to call us into His presence for all eternity. This was not a reaction to man’s sin, it was planned from the beginning of time. In Genesis 3, we see that God’s response to man’s sin, which completely ruined His good creation, is anger and wrath but is patient mercy and hope for salvation. That’s how good God is, He repays evil with good.

Therefore, there is no greater good than the gospel. It is THE GOOD NEWS. It is the goodness of God lavishly poured out on us, the most wonderful gift from heaven. That is why we must repent and believe. To refuse the gospel is to refuse the goodness of God. Turn from your wicked ways, confess your utter lack of good and receive the love and mercy of God. Believe in Jesus who is God’s salvation for us.

Disobedience severs us from God and His goodness.

Even as Christians, it seems we don’t experience the goodness of God in our lives. This is because we are disobedient. We listen to lies and deception of Satan and this world. It starts with a question, “Is God good?” (Genesis 3:1). Then we slowly make God out to be what He is not. We start to doubt God’s goodness and make Him harsh, by turning His laws into restrictions instead of blessings (Genesis 3:2-3, Matthew 25:24-25). Then the world presents their own truth to us. It tempts us with superficial goodness (Genesis 3:4). Because we doubt God, the world and its poisonous attraction look appealing to us (Genesis 3:6). We forgot God’s goodness and seek our own. Finally, we disobey God’s commands, which results in our guilt and shame, covering ourselves and hiding from God (Genesis 3:7-9)

Sin and disobedience start with a doubt of God’s goodness and end with complete denial and rejection of God and succumbing to the lies of the world. That is why we fail to know how good God is even though it is obvious (Romans 1:19-21).

Conclusion

We have every reason to obey God who is good. He alone is good, He is good all the time and He is good to us. When we obey, we can know and experience God’s goodness. The gospel is God’s greatest good to us. One thing the Bible says, ‘It is better to give than to receive`. We have received the gospel but how much better it is to share the goodness of God with others. We have received, let us also give, for it is much better. God is good.

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.