And for this reason, we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the Word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. I Thessalonians 2:13
I don’t think I could ever single out one verse from all of Scripture as my favorite but this certainly has to be ONE of them!
That one little phrase “performs its work in you who believe” is what makes it a treasure to me. The Greek word for “performs its work” is “energeo”, which means active and energetic, accomplishing action, and proving strong. We get our English word “energy” from it. This is what God’s Word does in us – it is active (LIVING and active, Hebrews 4:12 tells us!), not static. It is always at work within us, accomplishing what God wants to do in us. And through us. God calls the process “sanctification” – making saints out of sinners, transforming us, working out salvation out from our spirit to our behavior. Changing how we think, how we act, how we feel…and who we are.
So, how do we tap into this energy, this active and accomplishing power? Can we just “claim” a few lines from the Bible each day and expect God to work His magic? Can we recite a bunch of verses from time to time and watch ourselves turn into superheroes? NO. That’s where the remainder of the verse comes in. That phrase “in you who believe”. God’s Word does indeed perform its work…in you who believe.
What is belief? FAITH. And what is faith? Mental assent? Understanding, even accepting facts? No. God says “By faith, Abraham obeyed” in Hebrews 11:8. So “you who believe” means “you who obey”, because if we believe what God’s Word says, we will obey it. And when we obey it, we are demonstrating faith, and faith pleases God. In fact, without it, it is impossible to please God. And it is His pleasure that works in us to transform us (Philippians 2:13)
If I want to see more of God’s energy and power and transformation in my life, then I need to get His Word in me. I need to read it regularly, to meditate on it, to memorize it, to treasure it. I need to believe it, to obey it,to live by it, to arrange my life around it.
And then I can watch it perform its work in me. Amen!