TUESDAY/THURSDAY BIBLE STUDIES
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Reality in Christ by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson must constantly be asking the question, how does my being a Christian affect this relationship or that action? A new convert must begin to practice the presence of God, to take God into part nership with himself, to consider his will in all that he does. One may be a real person without sham, hypocrisy, and pretense and still be a true Chris tian. A new convert should seek such sincerity.” Paul declared, “Brethren, pray for us” (I Thess. 5:25). How much Paul had prayed for them and how much he was in constant prayer for all of his churches and converts is very evi dent from his constant affirmations of this practice in his epistles. This very epistle began with the words, “We give thanks to God always for you all, mak ing mention of you in our prayers; re membering without ceasing your work of faith . . .” (I Thess. 1:2, 3). The converse of ministers praying for their people is for people to pray for their ministers. Paul desired pray er for himself and his companions as servants of Christ, as ministers of the gospel, as missionaries of the cross, as teachers of thé Word of God. Prayer must form a basic part of the Chris tian’s life. A Christian cannot live with out prayer. It is his very breath, it is the channel of divine blessing to his soul, it is his contact to the eternal and the invisible, and part of that prayer ought to be expressed on behalf of the ministers of the church, especially those who have brought and still bring spir itual blessing and life to the believers. When a convert prays for the minister who teaches and serves him, he is ul timately praying for blessing upon his own life. 34
I t h a s well been said that, “The test of evangelism may well be cen tered on the permanence and the qual ity of life of its converts. To lead men to a decision to follow Christ is not enough unless it results in a total change of their lives. Decision is only the beginning of a Christian life. The validity of a conversion depends upon the regeneration of the whole disposi tion of one’s nature. It must involve his understanding, his affections, and his volition. All else is but a temporary conversion. True conversion involves the entire man.” The travail of soul through which St. Paul passed until his converts were established is evidence of the impor tance he placed upon this matter. Ear lier in this epistle he declared that they prayed night and day exceedingly that they might see the faces of their converts and perfect what was lacking in their faith (I Thess. 3:10). The teaching which St. Paul so in formally imparted in this epistle was intended to deal with the condition of these new converts. He presented the most simple, direct, courageous an swers to the questions which they were asking and which had been relayed to him by Timothy. Hence, there is great value of this epistle to us. The topics we have used emphasize the basic nature of the epistle’s teaching. Anyone who observes such teaching will immediately become different from non-Christians. Morris, “In these concluding verses of his epistle, St. Paul is stressing the reality of Christian life. Men who be come Christians must seriously relate their Christian faith to all thought and life. One cannot live in a vacuum. He
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