One of Paul’s convictions was that the Christian life is lived by God’s power. We see this in the prayers Paul prays for the Thessalonians and in the assurances that he gives them (1 Thessalonians 3:11–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24). It was this power that the Thessalonians needed to strengthen them in the face of persecution. How was this power to become theirs?
To illustrate this point, we might think of a large power station which generates several hundred megawatts of electricity. There are a few such power stations not too far from where I live, and their output is more than enough to light my study, power my computer, and keep my family warm during the cold winter. But I will only experience the benefit of that power if it can be brought from the power station into my house. Thankfully this is possible! The power stations feed the electricity into a network of cables known as the grid.
Cables from the grid run from pole to pole outside my house, and from one of the poles there is a cable which feeds electrical power into my house. This cable is wired into a distribution board, from where the electricity is distributed throughout the house—to the lights, the stove, the geyser, the plugs, etc. The distribution board is the point of contact between the power on the grid and the various devices in the house which require that power.
Let’s now apply the illustration to the Christian life. As James Dunn notes, faith is the human response to all divine grace, the junction box, as it were, through which the transforming power of God flows into and through the life of individual and church.
1 Just as the distribution board connects the appliances in my house to the power from the power stations, so faith connects every aspect of the Christian life to the power of God’s grace. This is why Paul was concerned that Timothy should strengthen and encourage the Thessalonian believers in their faith. Without faith they would not be able to experience God’s power in the midst of their temptations.
We too need to remember that—whatever issues we may face in our own walk with God—we can only live lives pleasing to him through the power of his grace. He freely offers his power to us in the gospel, in which he tells us of Christ and the salvation that comes through him. But the offer on its own is not enough. We can only experience God’s power if we take hold of it in faith.
What does this mean in practical terms? Let’s say that you are struggling with a particular sin; or you are facing persecution like the Thessalonians; or you have to deal with difficult conflicts in the workplace. First of all, you need to understand how God’s power is revealed in the gospel. It will help to think about the lordship of Christ and how he relates to the situation you are dealing with. He has conquered sin (Romans 6:8–11). He has power over your persecutors and your fears (Matthew 10:26–33). He is the Prince of Peace and is able to subdue the aggression of self-centred people (Proverbs 16:7). By meditating on these gospel truths in the context of your own circumstances, you become convinced of their truth and their applicability to your own struggles. Then you can go forward, trusting God that he will do through Christ as he has promised.
1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone,