1 Thessalonians 2:13 – For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Hello readers, what a chapter, and what a book 1 Thessalonians is… it’s truly worth your time, and it’s great to read books of the Bible in one go to really get a sense of what’s being said.

But I just want to focus on this one verse today, because Paul  said something in 1 Thessalonians 2 which really rings true and with utmost relevance in the day in which we live.

So many Christians I speak to or know of or whatever… they just do not believe the Bible is the word of God. They flunk out here. They are not what Paul said and commended in this verse, because they don’t receive God’s word as the word of God.

We are so used to monkeying around with God’s word, chopping and changing it, revising and editing it, telling God what he means, saying what he really meant to say because he is too stupid and powerless to communicate effectively himself apparently… that we’ve forgotten that we have been given the word of God.

The Bible, my Bible, the Authorized King James Bible is THE word of God. This book isn’t just a decent representation of what we think God said… it is “thus saith the Lord”. And it has a legacy of faith, saving souls, building lives, setting alight a righteous flame and judgment individually and corporately. It is a life builder, a family builder… a nation builder. There is none that match it, and all others find common enmity against it, because it is supreme, just as the God who gave it to us is supreme.

And this is how the Thessalonian church received the gospel that Paul preached to them. It wasn’t Paul’s take on what God meant. It wasn’t Paul’s best understanding of what God said. Paul preached God’s word to them, and they received it as that. They listened and received the preaching of Paul as the word of God.

And in this verse we see a wonderful nugget of truth “effectually worketh”. You see, the Bible proves itself, and it proves who you are. It works in those that believe. It produces repentance, faith, honesty, righteousness, holiness, wisdom, understanding, knowledge… it has the power to change lives… just as it changed and framed the lives of the Thessalonian church.

God’s word founded the Thessalonian church. It saved their souls. It changed their lives. It got them through trials and troubles and tribulations. It caused them to be giving. It caused them to also preach the gospel. All because they received the word of God as it is… the word of God.

There is a lot of word of man out there today, but still just one word of God… because there is just one God. Please note, there have always been many different versions of what God has said out there. Just read Jeremiah, you’ll find a lot of prophets in there with their own version of what God had said, and they sowed their corrupt seed through the whole country making them ripe for judgment and destruction.

New Bibles are nothing new, they were corrupting and perverting and twisting God’s word back in Paul’s day… and no marvel, it happened back in Eden and that’s how we got in this right royal mess.

God’s word stands alone, and it stands up for itself. God can fight his battles people. Our job isn’t to apologize for what God’s word says, our job is to stand by it, and live it and declare it to our generation.

We don’t just have “a” word or our word… we have The Word. Think about why Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. There’s the word of man and everyone’s got their own opinions, beliefs, theories, ideas, blah blah… then there is the Word of God. That’s the only word that matters at the end of the day. It is the truth, he is the truth. He is the Word and the Bible is what he has said. And it is perfect, just like he is.

Would Paul commend you today? Paul gave thanks to God without ceasing (!) because they received the word of God as the word of God. And that changed their lives. Maybe your life hasn’t been changed yet because you’re not at this point. You are yet to humble yourself before God’s word.

Paul preached truth, but they took it, and it produced a church which impacted the world… just read the book. You can be part of a great work, remember Nehemiah’s great work? You can be part of the best work in the world… the Lord’s work… but you’re not going to start any great work if you don’t believe yea God hath indeed said. Satan asked yea hath God said? YES, he has said! And it is written.

God’s word will save your soul. God’s word will change your life. We need to stop this take it or leave it approach to God’s word. We’ve got so flippant with it, because it has been reduced to nothing by those who have chopped it and changed it so much it is barely recognizable. Perverted Bibles produce a perverted faith and a perverted Christianity. If you don’t believe it, just look around you.

Please note, they didn’t receive the word of God as the word of God just to make themselves sleep better at night. They weren’t playing games, just read about this church, they weren’t playing church… these guys suffered big time for their faith. But they received it because that’s what it was and is. It is the truth. Try it, test it for yourself. God’s not afraid of you proving him. God’s not afraid of the analysis of man. God’s word is forever, it’ll still be what it is when the heavens and the earth are on fire. It’s the only permanent thing we’ve got. And it’s where our salvation hangs on, because if God’s word is no good, our salvation is no good.

Wake up! Read this book, read the context around this verse, find out what Paul was writing to them, and what was waiting for them. Read about the glory that was awaiting this church because they believe the word of God. Rather than questioning it, doubting it, disputing it, denying it, changing it, altering it… BELIEVE it. It is the word of God. Get in the word of God and acquaint yourself not with a truth, or someone’s truth… with THE truth. It will change your life.

Blog Bible Christian Faith God Gospel Jesus KJV Salvation