Baptism Service

2 Thessalonians 1v11-12: Our Worthiness, Our Walk, Our Witness

These two short verses in the first letter to the Thessalonians capture the essence of the message which I want to bring to James – and to all who love and serve Jesus – today. They are very densely constructed, so I want to go through them slowly and carefully, explaining each part of it under the three headings: Worthiness – Walk – Witness

Our Worthiness

"That our God may count you worthy of his calling"

Firstly, I want to remind you that you are called. It is an expression commonly used of Christians throughout the epistles (the called of Jesus Christ: Rom 1v6, called to be saints: Rom 1v7, 1 Cor 1v2, called ones: 1 Cor 7, Eph 4 and others). Although we often use the term ‘a calling’ to refer to particular vocations, it is not just missionaries and ministers who hear the call of God. It is everyone who chooses to follow the Lord Jesus.

Then there is the interesting clause. That God may count you worthy of his calling. It brings to mind the exhortation in Eph 4v1 which says “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”. The best illustration I can think of for this subject is the parable of the talents which Jesus tells in Matthew 25. Both the servant who had 5 talents and the servant who had 10 talents did the best they could with the resources they had been given, and when they finally stood before their master he said “well done, good and faithful servant!”. They were found worthy.

So what should we do to be counted worthy of his calling? We should consider our resources: our time, our natural gifts and spiritual gifts... and use them in Gods service, to the best of our abilities. If you were arrested for being a Christian, would they have enough evidence to convict you? If we are called to be Christians, let us live as Christians!
And that brings us to our walk before God.

Our Walk

"And that by his power He may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith"

I just wanted to say a word here about the extent of the power of God. Sure, we know that God is ‘all knowing’ and ‘all powerful’, but is there anything that can help us to get our heads around that better? I find Job 26v6-14 particularly useful in this respect.

“Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.  He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

The most astonishing things that we can think of about God are still only hearing a faint whisper of him – less than nothing compared to the thunder of his power! (for the scientifically inclined, I discovered that a whisper is rated at 10dB, while thunder is rated at up to 110dB... which is 10 billion times greater power. Or the difference between a match (103 joules) and the Nagasaki H-Bomb (1013 joules)

Isn’t it amazing that there can be an expectation that some fraction of this divine power will be turned towards you, to enable you to fulfil “every good purpose and every act prompted by your faith”.

Why can we have confidence that God wants to use his power to fulfil these things in you? Well, Philippians 2v13 says “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose”

When we purpose in our heart to do good, when we choose to try to live out our Christian faith, we are actually responding to God’s promptings. When the thought occurs to us to share Jesus with someone, when we are prompted to take compassionate action, we are actually responding to God’s promptings.

The famous missionary Hudson Taylor once said “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply”.
As we try to live worthy of our calling as Christians, God prompts us and empowers us in our Christian walk.

Our Witness

"We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him"

Jesus’ reputation today stands and falls on the quality of his disciples. I know that I’ve used the following poem before, but it’s relevance demands that I use it again.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Are read by more than a few
But the gospel most read and commented on
Is the gospel according to you.

You’re writing a gospel, a chapter each day
By the things that you do and the words that you say
So come tell me, come tell me do
What is the gospel according to you?

The vast majority of people in this world are going to form an opinion of Jesus based upon what they see in the life of Christians. There are people that you know for whom you are the only reference point about Jesus.

Do we want our lives to glorify Jesus? Of course we do! And this positive witness of our lives comes as a result of our desire to live worthy of our calling and our desire to walk in step with Gods prompting. If we are living as Christians, taking acts prompted by our faith, then the natural result will be that Jesus’ name, his reputation, will be “glorified in us”. Glorified in you.

And you know what? While this is taking place on earth, up in heaven we are being glorified in him.

 In conclusion

Don’t settle for a mediocre life which you will look back on with disappointment!

  1. You have been called by God! Live a life worthy of that calling!
  2. God is prompting you to action. Dare to walk in step with those promptings!
  3. Jesus is on display in your life. You have the potential to be an amazing witness for him!

 

 

Alex White