Strong Church: Serve the Living and True God (1 Thess 1:7–10)

It is important to consider that when Paul uses the phrase “Turning to God from idols”, it wasn’t a full sentence, but is followed with a second related clause - “to serve the living and true God”. Responding to God, is not just matter of “turning from idols” but must be followed by a devotion to serve Him.

There are two points of reflection for us.

1. It’s not enough to repent, we need to devote

Jesus warning to the leadership of Israel is pertinent for us.

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” (Matthew 12:43–45 ESV)

Jesus ministry was characterized by two important things - firstly, the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom and secondly, the casting out of demons and healing of the sick (Matt 4:23-24, Mark 1:34). Exorcism and healing were not permanent aspects of his ministry, but signs and wonders to confirm his identity and message - “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”.

In the context of his ministry, Jesus warns - the House is made clean, in order for it to be filled with God. The House was made to be devoted to God and if it is not, it will be filled with things that are not of God. His final words are haunting “and the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

2. It’s not enough to devote ourselves to God, we must serve Him.

This truth is reflected in yet another teaching of Jesus.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 ESV)

The choice of the word “Master” is not accident. There is no choice about whether we will serve - the only choice we have is who? Who is our Master? Paul follows Jesus’ way of thinking in his writings. He employs the language of slavery either to sin or to righteousness in his letter to the Romans (Romans 6); and to the Galatians, he writes about living either according to the Spirit or to the Flesh - the both are contrary to one another (Galatians 5).

Both Jesus and Paul reflect the theology of the Moses in the book of Exodus - we are either serving Pharaoh, or we are serving God. And at this point, we can hear the call of Joshua -

“… choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”” (Joshua 24:14–15 ESV)

As with Joshua, and the church at Thessalonica, may we and our families, not only “turn from our idols”, but also “serve the living and true God”.