"More than Saved from Hell"
During the three weeks at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul saw some Jews and a great multitude of Greeks get saved; but because the unbelieving Jews put the entire city into an uproar he and Silas were forced to leave earlier than they would have wanted. His first epistle to the Thessalonians clearly expresses the anguish of spirit, which Paul felt from having to leave his young converts in the midst of persecution, not knowing whether they would continue in the faith. In fact, in I Thessalonians 3:5 he writes of his concern as to whether his labor had been in vain. Why would Paul be concerned that his labor in Thessalonica could have been for nothing?
I do not believe he was worried about whether these people had really gotten saved because he testifies in I Thessalonians 2:13 that they had indeed received the word of God. I think Paul understood a simple truth that we really need to have firmly implanted in our understanding. Our salvation is more than just being saved from going to Hell. Salvation involves both Justification and Sanctification - being saved from our corrupt sin nature. Paul was not satisfied in just knowing that these Thessalonian believers had escaped the Lake of Fire. He wanted to see them continue in the faith to become perfected saints, and he would have considered his labor to have been in vain otherwise. Oh how we need to grasp this lest we be satisfied with less than we ought:
BELIEVERS, don't be satisfied with a life that does not bring you closer to the image of Christ. In sending Jesus to die for your sins, God had greater plans for you than just clearing your guilt and delivering you from the flames of Hell. He wants to make you righteous and impart to you His nature. Why is it that so many believers remain content to have escaped the condemnation of Hell having little or no interest in being conformed to the character of Christ, that is the other part of their salvation? Have you left some sin in your life that could have been overcome through Christ? Can others hear the bleating of sheep when you are around? Are there yet some great obstacles left in the way preventing you from complete victory? Von need to utterly destroy all of the Canaanites in your life, slay the Agags, and behead the giants. Don't be content with just your citizenship in the Promised Land - your inheritance is at stake.
CHURCH MEMBERS, don't be satisfied with vain membership. If you think by coming to a few Church services a week that you have done God a great favor, you are very mistaken.
The purpose of a Church is not to have a few services of preaching every week so that people can feel they have satisfied some obligation to God. A Church is a called out assembly of believers who have united together in order to build the body of Christ by adding those who get saved and edify one another (Ephesians 4:11-16). A Church meets together, as often as the Pastor leads, to bear as a group what they need from God in order to carrv out the purpose given above. The Church meets together as well to fellowship with one another, bringing encouragement and exhortation. If salvation is more than being saved from Hell, but your Church is doing nothing to perfect the saints, is it really a Church? If you are not doing your part in the work, are you really a member?
SOUL WINNERS, don't be satisfied with only the first part of the Great Commission. I do not want to lessen the thrill that comes from seeing some lost sinner come to know Christ, but that ought not be the limit of our goal. We need to ensure that they get baptized, but we shouldn't be satisfied with just that. We need to see them added to the Church and involved in the work, but we shouldn't be satisfied after that either. We need to help them learn about God and grow in grace, but then can we be satisfied? Even towards the end of his life, Paul was still concerned about his labor being in vain. From prison he exhorted the Philippians to live like sons of God because he wanted to be able to rejoice at the return of Christ knowing that his labor had not been for nothing (Philippians 2:14-16). If salvation is more than being saved from Hell, we will never remain completely satisfied with the condition of souls won to Christ until we meet the Lord in the air. I wonder what Paul would say to you folks who like to include in your 'counts" people who never come to Church, don't get baptized, or show any other sign of true conversion!
PASTORS, don't be satisfied with preaching less than the full counsel of God. I know in part what a heavy load it is to care and watch for the souls of others. I know some of the discouragement when people in whom you have invested a portion of your life go astray. I can comprehend a little the great struggle when it seems like you have to continuously pull people along to get them to do right. I can relate to the cry Moses made to God, 'Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them?" (Numbers 11:11-12). Certainly there is the temptation to lighten the preaching, lift some of the standards, and lessen the coastline. Please, don't give in to such temptation. Would you have all or your hard work come to nothing? If salvation is more than being saved from Hell, then preach the Word and fight the good fight of faith until your course is finished!
Greg Allgood - Deacon, Faith Baptist Church