“You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe…“
we behaved ourselves among you who believe
The word “behaved” literally means to become. The gospel team came on the scene in Thessalonian with the three points of integrity listed earlier in this verse.
Principle:
Our lips and our lives must match if we are going to have an impact on people.
Application:
Obstetrics is one thing and pediatrics another. It is one thing to give people spiritual birth, but it is another to bring them up in the Lord.
Talk is cheap. How we live is more important than what we say. If our lives do not back up what we say, what we say has a hollow ring. If we talk, we must walk. What we say must match how we live.
Consistency in testimony brings credibility to the ministry. This is especially true for Christians. If followers criticize their leaders, they undermine the office of the leader. If parents constantly criticize their church, their children will feel that the whole thing is a fraud. No wonder so many children drop out of church when they get old enough.
There is a big difference between learning how to live and how to make a living. Many people know how to make a living, but they do not know how to live. Christians have a different viewpoint on life because the Bible molds their outlook on life.
“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…” (Philippians 1:27).
Does your belief match your behavior? Do people belittle the gospel because of your “testimony?” God expects our testimony to be strong among our Christian friends.
“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you [Christians]” (2 Corinthians 1:12).
How do you rate among the Christian community? What is your testimony to Christians? Everyone has some estimation of how we live our Christian life. Knowingly or unknowingly, people rate us spiritually. They can tell if we genuinely share our faith or have a prayer life. They can tell the extent of our spirituality by how we react when serving on boards or committees.
