If you look up the word testimony you may find different applications. It may refer to an eyewitness account in a court of law. There it is a solemn declaration by a witness under oath. In the world of Christianity, it usually refers to someone sharing what God has done in their life. However, the greatest testimony in the Christian world is one that is lived out in daily living. It is observing people and seeing if what they say matches what they do. When you come across someone who is genuinely sold out to Christ your response may be “What A Testimony.”
In I Thessalonians we find Paul recounting the wonderful testimony of those in the church at Thessalonica. He starts verse two by giving thanks to those who have stayed faithful. Faithfulness must be a chief character trait of a Christian if they are to please Christ. Unfortunately, our modern idea of faithfulness is not God’s. We segment our lives, give God a portion, and think we are faithful. We allow other things to keep us from church and studying His word and think it is ok. We use the excuse we don’t have enough time, or someone else scheduled something that we were involved in, and we think it is ok. We remark that God understands, and we are correct. He understands perfectly that we choose something or someone over obeying Him.
I Thessalonians 1:2 “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;”
In verse 3 Paul the testimony of their faithfulness. They are showing their faith by their acts of duty. Certain things are the duties of a Christian. That may give you the idea that their labor was simply a chore to be done to please the Lord but he goes on to tell us the things they did were a labor of love. Whether it is cleaning the facilities at church, mowing the grass, visiting the sick, witnessing to a neighbor, studying His word, praying, or any other acts that honor Christ, they are tp be done out of a heart of love.
Paul then commends them for their patience in their trials. Their patience was a demonstration that their hope was in Jesus. They pushed forward for Him because they knew that at the end of their lives, there would be a joyous entrance into eternal life in Heaven. They kept their focus on the prize. Paul was pleased as he remembered their testimony.
I Thessalonians 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”
Next Paul reminds them of the testimony of himself and his fellow workers. It is a great testimony when a person is so in tune with God that they can say as in verse 5, “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” It should be a wake-up call for all of us to ask ourselves if we truly have a biblical testimony. We need to examine our activities. What am I doing that could be misunderstood as worldly or sinful? Am I immodest in my attire? This would be calling attention to areas of our bodies that are the sensual areas. Are my priorities in line with scripture? Do I go to ballgames, family gatherings, concerts, or sleep in instead of regular church services? All of these situations put a mark on our testimony and give others an excuse to do the same or even worse because disobeying God in what we deem as “little things” is ok.
Paul continues encouraging them by telling them they were examples to those who believed in Macedonia and Achaia. He says that their testimony had spread abroad. They had proven their love for God by the way they lived. It was not by keeping a set of rules or doing what they thought Paul would approve of, but by following God with their whole hearts. They had served idols in the past, but now all that was put away because they knew the true and living God. They were commended for their testimony. They were determined to continue until Christ’s return or the end of their earthly lives. As you read through I and II Thessalonians, you will see that these people were anxious to please God and were expecting His return.
I Thessalonians 1:7-10 “So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
I long for my testimony to be like those of Thessalonica. What about you?
