Good Monday morning to you. I pray that your weekend was refreshing and fruitful and that you have been inwardly recharged for the workweek ahead of you. Lord willing, I will finish this short blog series this week from First Thessalonians chapter two.
Today’s post is number eight in the Ten Marks Of A Faithful Life. So far we have looked at Boldness In Difficulty; Focus On Priorities; Honesty; Loyalty To God; Servanthood; Appreciation Of Others and, last time, Hard Work. Today we will focus on something that takes a lifetime to build and only a moment to lose
“You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.” – 1 Thess. 2:10 {ESV}
Integrity
Paul had the unfortunate and awkward task of defending his ministry from time to time. People who were either ignorant or malicious had maligned the Apostle and, only when it threatened the credibility of the Gospel, Paul was occasionally forced to give a rebuttal. He was able to write to the Thessalonians without a shred of hesitancy to remind them that they would be unable to deny his impeccable testimony among them. Listen to these words which flowed from his heart as he described his interaction with them: Holy, Righteous and Blameless.
- Holy – the Greek word used here by Paul is found nowhere else in the New Testament. Whereas the normal word translated holy in the NT emphasizes the act of being set apart for God’s use, this word encompasses the result of that act. Paul is stating here that his behavior was unable to be accused as he was pure from evil conduct and acting within God’s will.
- Righteous – this term that Paul uses to describe himself in his relationship with them carries the aroma of a judicial fairness. Paul, simply put, did what was right when he was among them. His determination was to be fair, equitable and just in his dealings with them. It could not be said of Paul that he ever sought to take advantage of others for selfish purposes.
- Blameless – here Paul stresses the description of his lifestyle among them. He lived in such a way that was able to blamelessly pass any scrutiny placed upon him. This is a strong word for one to use of himself because it denotes a purity of life and interaction with others that is a result of both God’s grace and Paul’s commitment.
Knowing now a little more about what Paul wrote, let’s take an inventory of our own hearts: If our life was to be placed under Heaven’s microscope today, what would be magnified under the lens of omniscience? Are we free from possible accusation concerning our interrelating with others? Has our position in Jesus Christ well-resulted in a life that subsides in God’s will and freedom from evil conduct with others? This is what we seek after from what Paul meant from the word ‘holy’. We must also look within to learn if we can proclaim that we are being fair to others. Is our behavior just and equitable as we determine not to make merchandise of others’ time, abilities or material goods? To live in such a determined manner is to aspire for what Paul described as ‘righteous’. It may be concluded that, if we excel by God’s grace in the first two areas, then the third arena will be the normal result. We will be clear in our conscience and unbothered about the scrutiny which may be placed upon us. Our lives will be open books for others to examine and they will have to conclude that we are ‘blameless’.
Truth be known, we all have much work to do in these areas. The more complicated and pressured your life is, the more tempted you will be to minimize these aspects. Taking shortcuts around them to reach a desired end may start to sneak upon you as a viable option. Please don’t succumb. Treasure your testimony because, if it is lost, it is incredibly difficult to rebuild. Our integrity is paramount and I long to be able to say with this great Apostle, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8 {ESV}