Character

“You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.”  (1 Thessalonians 2:10)

When I read verse 10 I am in awe of the confidence and boldness Paul has in his conduct and faith.  I came across this quote, “If the best sermon is a holy life, Paul was a great preacher.”  As a Pastor (or maybe I should say, “as a Christian”) I have the great joy and burden of not only proclaiming the Gospel but also living a godly life through the power of the Holy Spirit.  However it not just the “job” of a Pastor to live a holy and upright life.  A holy and upright life is the call for every follower of Jesus.  A few years ago I preached a sermon from the Gospel of John about the way we act speaks volumes about the God we serve.  Jesus says, in John 13, “People will know you are disciples of me by the love you have for one another.”  Here is an example of what Jesus is saying...A selfish, unloving, and greedy person shows that he serves self.  A selfless, loving and giving person points to the Jesus she serves.  (*Note, I am not stating that all selfless, loving and giving people are Christians, just if you are a follower of Christ this should be the image you bear because Jesus is all of these). 

Paul lived a life that was honorable among the people he ministered to and the God he served.  I pray one day I will be able to stand before the people I serve and say, “As you and God are my witnesses I have lived a holy, righteous and blameless life.”  Notice I did not nor does Paul say “sinless”.  To live a holy life means to live your life set apart for God.  You aim to please the Father and you live with him as your God and King.  To be righteous means you live a just life or aim to be in right standing with God.  To live a blameless life means you have lived a life (or strived to live a life) where nobody can make accusations of you living contrary to what you believe.  In other words as Christians we must live our lives to please God.  We cannot live to please God in our own power.  Each one of us must depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live holy, righteous and blameless lives.  This is why I make it a point to pray often “Lord help me to live the life that will bring honor and glory to your name.  I can’t do it in my own power so I depend on your Spirit to live it through me.” 

Random thought of the day:  Would you join with me and pray for the Spirit of God to live in me (and you) and help me (us) live holy, righteous and blameless lives before God and before one another?