“We have perceived, brothers beloved of God, your calling; because our gospel did not come to you in word only but also in power” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5).
How did Paul perceive this? The answer is in what follows in Paul’s letter; where the Word has been received with power it will be seen; the evidence of power is a changed life brought about through obedience. Where the word is received without power it is just received; there is no transformation because there is no obedience.
The Thessalonians saw the life of Christ in Paul; they became imitators of him and received the word in much tribulation but with joy of the Holy Spirit; they became examples of true faith to the surrounding communities; their faith spoke for itself because it was evident in their lives (1 Thessalonians 1:5-9). They didn’t talk about it; they lived it!
All this came about because Paul was bold enough to speak the truth in the midst of much conflict and opposition; he spoke not to please men, but God; there was no flattery in his speech nor was there any false motives such as covetousness or self glorification (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6).
So to the Thessalonians, the gospel was indeed the “power of God to salvation” (Romans 1:9) because they received it in power and lived it in faithfulness; the power was evident in the results the gospel produced, which was their faithfulness to it.
What is missing in today’s Christianity is power; the power to transform lives; the power to transform the nation; the power to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt is for purification and preservation; it is to make a dish palatable and savoury; but it works on the basis of cellular infiltration; that is, it is sprinkled over the whole of a dish rather than in one lump where it is unpleasant. The allegory points to the need for believers to be sprinkled throughout the world and take the salt of the gospel of Christ in their daily lives in the world, rather than gathering together in lumps, where the salt will soon lose its saltiness and will be good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled under the feet of men. Isn’t this what has happened?
Light, on the other hand, only works if it is connected to the source of power and that is Christ Jesus Himself, of Whom it was written; “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).
There is no other place to get the light, except from Christ Jesus personally. “Life was in Him and the life was the light of mankind” (John 1:4).
For the power of God to be released into the world, there must be a response of faithfulness and obedience from God’s people. The unfaithfulness of the believers even inhibited the power of Jesus:
“And He was not able to work there with any power, except that, laying hands on a few, He healed them. And He was amazed because of their unfaithfulness” (Mark 6:5-6).
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