CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE STUDY ON YOUTUBE
1 Thessalonians 2:4
The Apostle Paul makes a very profound statement in that the gospel that he and his ministry team are preaching has been entrusted to them by God, and it is God whom they are aiming to please through their teachings; that God would be pleased with them for what they are doing for Him. They have seen persecution and suffering throughout their travels for sharing the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the kingdom of heaven, but they are not seeking to please their hearers with smooth talk that is pleasing to the ears.
This is a command and example to preach the word of God as it is given by God to the minister.
The ministry group of the Apostle Paul is preaching the true gospel that has some hard truths to bear as is contrary to the ways of the earthly nature which is at work in us all. The hopeful outcome is that the truth of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His kingdom of heaven will break the chains of the earthly nature on his hearers and set them free from the bonds that it holds them in, releasing them into a new forgiven life of grace and mercy through salvation in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dear LORD,
Please help us to realize and understand that Your word was not given to simply be encouragement, but that in the encouragement is an obedience to following Your word as our guideline to being the people You have designed us to be; each individually perfected in Christ. Please help us to not change Your word into what we want it to be, but that it would change us into what You want us to be – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.