For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 1 Thessalonians 1:5
In this passage, Paul was simply telling the brethren in Thessalonica that the Holy Spirit confirmed in their hearts that what he and his team told them was the truth of God and not only that, but that their lives, the way they lived amongst them also verified their claim to be God's servants.
In this passage, Paul was simply telling the brethren in Thessalonica that the Holy Spirit confirmed in their hearts that what he and his team told them was the truth of God and not only that, but that their lives, the way they lived amongst them also verified their claim to be God's servants.
It is important that, as servants of God, we go beyond words to convey the message of the gospel. The Holy Spirit does not only use our words, He also uses our lives to affirm that what we say is true. It's not enough that we say the right thing; our lives must also line up with what we say of the Lord to verify it. Our life is part of the gospel that we preach.
A presentation of the gospel without a verifiable lifestyle is vain and unacceptable to our hearers. Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, told us that we should let our light so shine that the world will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Apostle Paul could tell the believers in Corinth that they should imitate him, even as he imitated Christ. His gospel was not just in spoken words, it was verifiable by a lifestyle of godliness.
Yes, it is true that it is the Holy Spirit that gives the world the full assurance that what we say is true, yet, part of what we bring to the sinner is a life that is not a contradiction of what we tell them about Jesus. In conclusion, we must affirm that the preachers lives matter if the message of the gospel is to be effectively communicated to the world.
Toni
