“So you say you’re a Christian? Give me some proof!” How would you respond to such a challenge? To what sort of evidence would you point? Regular attendance at worship? Daily prayer and Bible reading? Giving help to the needy? Well, when giving thanks to God for the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul doesn’t point to any of these things.

Instead, he points to the Thessalonians’ repentance – how they turned away from the false idols that they used to revere so that they could worship the living and true God (1:9). And their devotion was even more impressive because it was so difficult – it caused them all sorts of affliction (1:6) and suffering at the hands of their countrymen who continued to believe in all those false gods (2:14).

And perhaps because of the difficulties they were experiencing in this life, the Thessalonians demonstrated yet more evidence of their trust in God. For they were placing all their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3), looking for Him to come again from Heaven, not only to bring justice to all His enemies in this world, but to save those who trust in Him from “the wrath to come” (1:10).

So, why is such a God-centered outlook clear evidence that anyone is a follower of Christ? Because maintaining such faith and hope even in the face of suffering and affliction makes us imitators, not only of Paul, but of Jesus Himself (1:6). For if Paul suffered and was treated shamefully for the sake of Christ on so many occasions (2:2), Jesus experienced much worse. For He was not only despised and rejected even by the people He came to save. No, as He went to the cross, He submitted Himself completely to the Father, even though such devotion cost Him His life. And He did this in the hope that many would trust in Him and be saved from their sins, a hope that the Thessalonians demonstrated was not in vain.

So, will you imitate Christ today, trusting in Him and hoping in Him no matter what happens? For what better way could there be to demonstrate that He lives within you?

I Thessalonians 1:1-10 (ESV)

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
9 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,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.