About Face - December 6

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how

you 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, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Reflect

What did you turn to God from? Who were you serving before you served Him?

Before we became believers, we were all serving something or someone. I’d venture to guess that some of us served the gods of money, success, and personal pleasure. But ultimately, most of us were serving the “god” of ourselves.

In Paul’s day, many people in Thessalonica worshiped idols. There was a synagogue where Paul preached for three Sabbaths and some Jews were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 17:1-4). But it seems that many more Greeks than Jews became believers there, especially many prominent Greek women in the city. We don’t know exactly which pagan gods the Thessalonians worshiped but they were a polytheistic and pluralistic society. It’s likely that they engaged in the cult worship practices of gods in the Greek and Roman pantheons as well as gods from other cultures.

The Roman empire usually didn’t take issue with adding additional gods to the repertoire. Their issue with the Gospel of Jesus Christ was its exclusivity. Christianity doesn’t say that the Lord is one god among many others. Christianity says He is the one true God. We worship one God in three persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Christianity, worshiping idols is a sin and pagan gods are not regarded as real deities at all. In fact, the Bible exposed them as false gods who are completely powerless (see 1 Kings 18, for example). Besides that, idolatrous cults usually required immoral acts of “worship” that are also deemed sinful by the Lord.

Therefore, in order for Gentiles to accept the Gospel and convert to Christianity, they had to do a complete about face. They couldn’t merely add Jesus to their list of deities. They couldn’t convert to Christianity but continue to dabble in their cults. The Gospel required that they “turn to God from idols”—a 180-degree turn. And, according to the report that Paul had received, the Gentile believers in Thessalonica had done just that.

In fact, that was one indicator to Paul that the Thessalonian believers were truly chosen by God and they were truly saved. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8, Paul wrote that he knew they were God’s elect because of the powerful way the Gospel came to them and was received by them. The Holy Spirit was definitely at work in both the delivery and the acceptance of their preaching.

In addition, once the Thessalonians became believers, they became imitators of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. In doing so, they became role models themselves for other believers in the region. They went from being hearers of the Gospel to proclaimers of the Gospel. Now, as additional evidence of their sovereign election, they report a complete transformation in their lives. The idols they used to worship didn’t just take a backseat to Jesus, they were kicked out of the car! They no longer live as pagans, they live as Christians who are expectantly waiting for Christ’s imminent return.

If you are looking for evidence of salvation, that is what you are looking for! When we become believers in Christ, we are called to true repentance and a complete turnaround—an about face with a forward march toward the one true God and away from any idol.

Respond

Lord, thank You for Your saving work in my life and for the complete transformation that has occurred as a result. And yet, I am still a work in progress. Continue to sanctify me. Keep my feet marching toward You and away from any false imitation that tries to take Your place in my life. I want to give You my total allegiance. Amen.

Reveal

How can your story of transformation reveal God’s handiwork to others?