Trusting The Word Of God Series

1 Thess 2:13-16 Trusting the Word of God

Paul came to the Thessalonians with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• He thanked God constantly for this – that they received the Gospel with faith and believed it to be the Word from God.

• Not as words of Paul or of men but the very Word of God - the truth that God has revealed.

Acts 17 tells us how Paul spoke to them when he first came to Thessalonica.

• He reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3)

Three observations we can see in the conversion of the Thessalonians:

(1) THEY BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES

God has spoken through the Scriptures.

• Their study of the Scriptures and its prophecies revealed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and they believed.

• Paul did not come with his own message but the Gospel which he has been entrusted with (2:4). He simply proclaimed what God had said.

• And he thanked God that the Thessalonians believed.

Why thank God? Because it is the work of God.

• The GOSPEL is a work of God. To be able to BELIEVE it - is a work of God.

• The Holy Spirit enlightened them and gave them the faith to put their TRUST in Jesus.

• 1:5 “… the Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.”

• They experienced a life change and that is the work of God.

Hence Paul says “we thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the Word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (2:13)

Observation no. 2:

(2) THEY TRUST IT IS THE WORD OF GOD

They knew that the Gospel was not the words of Paul or any man. God has spoken.

• The message of the Gospel is not just another philosophy or human idea—it is a divine revelation, and it has the power to transform their lives.

• If you are a Christian today, I think you can identify with this. We know Jesus is real and He is with us. We experienced His love, grace and presence.

• We are grateful that someone shared the Gospel with us but we thank God because it is the work of God.

The good news of Jesus Christ is a message from God, not from man. No man came up with it; God revealed it.

• 2 Pet 1:20-21, “…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

• Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came and died for the sins of the world.

• The punishment that we deserve for ignoring and rebelling against God has been paid for by Jesus Christ.

• When we put our trust in Jesus and what He has done for us, we are forgiven and justified.

• We are reconciled to God and this relationship changes us and the way we live. Jesus Christ is our only hope of a relationship with God.

Paul tells the Thessalonians that they had believed the Word of God “which is at work in you believers.” (2:13)

• Their faith is evidenced by the change Paul saw in them.

• He mentioned in 1:3 that he saw their work of faith, labour of love and their steadfastness of hope in Jesus Christ.

• Paul was giving evidence that God’s Word has been at work in them because WHAT they believe changed HOW they live.

And that’s true of us too. If you are a Christian today, you know.

• It is true of anyone willing to believe the Gospel and trust Jesus Christ as his or her Saviour.

The proof of the Thessalonians’ faith was seen, not only in their changed lives but also in the fact that they were prepared to face persecution because of it.

• They did not compromise or return to their old ways because of the opposition that came from the enemies of the Gospel.

• We know they were facing much persecution because Paul mentioned it many times in this letter - 1:6, 2:2, 2:14 and 3:2-3.

2:14 “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews…”