1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 • Perspective on Spreading the Light

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Did you know that every human being born on this planet is born into bondage to the kingdom of darkness? It does not matter where you live or how much money and status you have. You were born into bondage. But our God has done something to rescue us from that darkness. He sent Jesus as the light to overcome the darkness. And He uses us to spread that light. In the last article, we learned that gaining biblical perspective starts with knowing and trusting God and leads to thankfulness. This is post #3 in the Thessalonians series. In this post, we will look at what the light of the Gospel does for people and how we can spread that light.

Listen to this blog as a similar podcast from the Perspective Bible Study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians:

Called Out of Darkness

There is a line in one of my favorite praise songs that says, “Though darkness fills the night, it cannot hide the light; Whom shall I fear?” Darkness is one of those things that can cause fear. Think of a time when you were in a really dark place. With not even a glimmer of light. Was it in a cave? Or on a dark street? How do you feel in total darkness? Afraid. Lonely. You look for light from any source, don’t you? You see that light, and you follow it to get out of the darkness.

That is what God does for us—He calls us out of darkness into His wonderful light. And, He uses us as light-bearers to declare His faithfulness and lead other people to Him. We are God’s dearly loved children who can be light-bearers to anyone still living in darkness.

Paul was such a light-bearer to the Thessalonians who were living in darkness. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, we read this…

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

The Thessalonians had turned from idols to serve the living and true God. They were called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light.

Unbelievers Live in the Kingdom of Darkness

Born into bondage

On his missionary journeys, Paul recognized many people who were living in darkness. The truth is that every human being born on this planet is born into bondage to the kingdom of darkness. It does not matter where you live or how much money and status you have. You were born into bondage.

And we have an enemy who likes to keep us in that bondage. Paul described it this way in 2 Corinthians chapter 4,

the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4).

You may remember a time when your mind was blinded like that.

God’s rescue plan

But our God has done something to rescue us from that darkness. He sent Jesus. Jesus declared this about Himself in John chapter 8,

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

He is the light to overcome the darkness.

Jesus had given Paul the instructions to carry this light to everyone. In Acts chapter 26, Paul recounted that message from the Lord saying,

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. (Acts 26:17-18)

Our God wanted to open our eyes and turn us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Light reaches into the kingdom of darkness. Paul described it again in 2 Corinthians chapter 4,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

That is what God did for the Thessalonians, and that is what God does for us. He makes His light shine in our hearts so that we can know Him, really know Him through Jesus Christ.

But there is more…

Including us in the plan

You and I are chosen to be God’s mouthpiece to the world around us. I love how Peter words it in his letter,

you [Christians] are … a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

We are to share with the world that the light has come to rescue people from the one who wants everyone to stay blind, living in the kingdom of darkness. The Thessalonians spread the message of God’s wonderful light.

The Lord’s Message Rings Out

Receiving the message

This is how it happened:

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7)

The gospel came to the Thessalonians with power, as it does to us today. They welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit and became a model of transformed lives in the midst of suffering to all the other believers in Greece. What did Paul mean by the word “model?”

Relaying the message

Paul’s next words are these…

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. (1 Thessalonians 1:8)

The Lord’s message rang out. Another translation says the word of the Lord “sounded forth.” I found out that the Greek word translated “rang out” carried the idea of something that reverberated like an echo that keeps on going.

Have you ever been in a place like that, where a sound just kept echoing back and forth for a long time?

The word picture used there is like a relay station that not only received the gospel message but sent it farther on its way with increased power and scope. Or you can picture relay runners who took the gospel they had heard and passed it on to farther places.

A glorious sound reverberating

Outside of the Bible, the same Greek word was used of the sound of a loud trumpet. That reminded me of my time in the Louisiana State University band. Bands, of course, have trumpets and many other instruments that play together in unity. I remember times when we were performing in the LSU football stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. As we turned from one side to another, we could hear our music echo throughout the stadium. It was a glorious sound.

In the early 1970s, the Holy Spirit began sweeping through the LSU campus with His power. The gospel began infiltrating the band. Many turned from idols and darkness to the living God and His wonderful light. And, starting there, the gospel music rang out to many parts of the world through those LSU band members, including my trumpet-playing husband and myself.

Ron and I moved to Dallas where he attended Dallas Theological Seminary. Then, he founded a wilderness camp ministry to youth that shared the love of Christ with 6000 church youth and 1200 troubled youth in a wilderness setting. I began teaching women’s Bible Studies and have not stopped in nearly 50 years. Our three children love the Lord and have shared the message of God’s wonderful light with many others. The word of the Lord has sounded forth from us.

But not only us. God used other LSU band members as well to ring out His message. Danny and Frances married and went to Cameroon in Africa for many years to share the gospel with the people there. I have pictures of my sisters in one small community who are the recipients of that relayed music. Jeff and Cheryl married, attended DTS as well, and pastored several churches in America. Those churches heard the gospel and grew in abundance, relaying that music throughout those communities and elsewhere as people moved. There were many others who did the same.

The Lord’s message rang out. Many people were rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into God’s wonderful light through the gospel. Our purpose is to declare God’s gospel message and what He has done in our own lives to those who cannot see the light.

Declare What He Has Done

Recognize the bondage

Evidence of human distress is everywhere around us. Women are in bondage to guilt, fear, self-centeredness, fatigue, and disappointment. Any wrong views they have about God leave them feeling empty, confused, and without meaning and purpose. Failure in relationships leaves women with a sense of rejection, worthlessness and extreme loneliness.

As people walk around in their blindness-darkness, they are groping along the walls to find their way to a door that will free them from their fear and give them purpose in life. God’s plan to meet that need for every woman and every man is a relationship with Himself through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Be the light-bearer

Our God sent His Son Jesus into the world to lead the way out of the darkness. But He chooses to use us—frail, faltering, headstrong, often self-centered humans. He chooses messy people to be His light-bearers to the blind and to ring out His message of love to fearful people on this earth. That amazes me!

We are called to say this…

The light is this way. Let me help you find the light. God is waiting to rescue you from your prison of fear and darkness and bring you into His wonderful light. You will find warmth and peace and enjoy a life of freedom and joy with Him.”

We are the light-bearers. We communicate to those around us who are enshrouded in darkness that God is real and available to anyone who wants Him. That is the good news. That is “The Gospel.”

Tell about Jesus

The Gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ coming to earth to save us from our sins. Christianity is Christ! It is all about a relationship with Him. Someone once said,

Jesus Christ laid down His life for you so that He could give His life to you so that He could live His life through you. (Major Ian Thomas, The Saving Life of Christ)

If you have opportunity to tell someone one thing, tell her about Jesus.

• Tell her that God loves her and wants a relationship with her. But, sin separates her from having a relationship with God.
• Tell her that Jesus is God, who came to earth as a man, and died for her sins.
• Tell her that she can be completely forgiven of her sins and receive eternal life with God simply by believing in Jesus as her Savior.

That is the gospel. It is a treasure that we have. And it is too powerful and valuable to keep to ourselves. We must share it! We must communicate what God has done in our lives. Let the music of the gospel sound forth from you. Spread its light.

Here is the promise in John chapter 1…

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)

Nope. It has not. No matter how bad our world looks. The light will overcome the darkness. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

The next article looks at gaining the biblical perspective on leadership in the family of God.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with His perspective on life in the present and in the future. Then, live securely in Him during this time of waiting.

The above information is covered in our Perspective Bible Study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

Related Resources:

• Satisfied Series 13 Podcasts on 1 and 2 Thessalonians
• The Gospel: God’s Cure for Our Fatal Sin Disease

AI was not used to generate this post.