August 28, 2016

My college physics professor began every class in the same way: “Class, I’m going to tell you what I told you yesterday. Then I’ll tell you what I’m going to tell you today. Then I’ll tell you. Then I’ll tell you what I told you. Then I’ll review.” He knew that repetition is the key to learning. So he’d go over and over the same content until it was drilled into our heads.

The apostle Paul also repeated himself, which he does in our text. My message today is very similar to last week’s message because Paul makes the same points again. He wanted to equip these new believers to be solid disciples of the Lord so that they could disciple others. He holds up his example as a model for the Thessalonians and us to follow. Every Christian is a disciple, a follower of Christ. And every Christian is to be involved in the process of making other disciples, which means, deliberately helping others to be more like Christ.

Greg Beale (1-2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 76) gives a helpful overview of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12:

Paul’s witness among the Thessalonians was effective (2:1) because it was based on his bold proclamation of the truth of the gospel (2:2). The two motives undergirding and inspiring this testimony were that Paul wanted to please God (2:3-4) and wanted others to please God in order to glorify him (2:5-12).

Keep in mind that in chapters 2 & 3, Paul is defending himself against critics who were attacking his motives. During his time in Thessalonica, these enemies of the gospel had stormed the house of Jason, a new believer, trying to find Paul. When they couldn’t find him, they dragged Jason before the city authorities, accusing him of harboring a man who was proclaiming another king than Caesar. Jason had to post a bond, but then the believers thought it best to send Paul and Silas away by night (Acts 17:5-10).

Now these critics were saying things like, “This religious huckster ran away suddenly and hasn’t been heard from since. He’s just like many others in the religion business, a charlatan who uses religion as a cover so that he can get your money, seduce your women, and exalt himself in power over you. He’s not sincere. When he thought he’d be exposed, he ran away, showing that he doesn’t care about you.” (Modified from John Stott, The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 46.)

So Paul is defending his motives and objectives, not so that he would look good, but because he knew that if these critics succeeded in undermining his integrity, they would also undermine the gospel that he proclaimed. Last week we saw that effective discipleship is built on a godly message: the gospel of God; a godly manner: evident love for others; and, a godly motive: pleasing God from the heart. Those same themes are woven through our text for today. We can sum it up:

Effective discipleship is founded on the gospel proclaimed in love through people of godly integrity with the goal of disciples who walk worthily of God and His glory.

In verses 7-8 Paul pictured himself as a nursing mother, tenderly and affectionately caring for her own children. Now he shifts the metaphor to that of a loving father who trains his children.

1. Effective discipleship is founded on the faithful proclamation of the gospel of God.

Paul keeps emphasizing the gospel of God (1 Thess. 1:5; 2:2, 4, 8, 9; 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:8; 2:14) because the gospel is the foundation for everything in the Christian life. If a person’s life is built on a faulty gospel, like the house built on the sand, it will not stand up when the flood waters hit (Matt. 7:26-27).

Paul says that he “proclaimed” to them “the gospel of God.” “Proclaimed” means to proclaim or announce as a herald. The job of a herald in that day was to go from city to city with the king’s message and tell people exactly what the king wanted them to know. He wasn’t free to modify the message or to add to it. If it was an unpopular message, he might get attacked, even though he didn’t originate the message. But he couldn’t soften the king’s message. He had to proclaim it just as the king had given it to him.

As we’ve seen, by calling it “the gospel of God,” Paul is emphasizing that the gospel comes from God. It wasn’t a message that Paul thought up on his own. It doesn’t come to us from the collective wisdom of religious thinkers down through the centuries. It comes to us from God Himself. It is the good news that God has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him, to know Him, and to spend eternity with Him after we die.

But that good news invariably stirs up opposition wherever it goes because to accept the good news, you’ve also got to accept the bad news. The bad news is that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). We all love the darkness rather than the light, because our deeds are evil (John 3:19-20). We all would like to think that our good deeds will qualify us for heaven (Luke 18:11-12). But God has to open our eyes to see that all our righteousness is worthless in His sight. We need perfect righteousness to live in God’s holy presence and that perfect righteousness can only come to us when we put our trust in Jesus Christ as the one who died and rose again in our place (Rom. 3:21-26; Phil. 3:4-9).

Satan has always attacked the gospel, because it is foundational for the entire Christian life. During my 39 years as a pastor, I’ve seen the gospel attacked by the health and wealth heresy, which teaches that believing in Christ will cure you of every disease and bring you financial prosperity. Robert Schuller’s Self-Esteem: the New Reformation [Word] redefined the gospel by saying that we should not fear pride, we should trust in ourselves, and we should stop thinking of ourselves as sinners. He said (p. 68), “To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image—from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust.” Hint: That’s not what the new birth is!

On another front, the so-called “free grace” movement came out of the seminary where I studied. It redefines repentance to mean merely a change of mind with regard to Christ, not to a change of behavior where we turn from our sin. It teaches that saving faith is a decision to agree with the facts of the gospel, not a reliance on Christ that stems from God changing our hearts. John MacArthur has confronted this error in several of his books, such as The Gospel According to Jesus [Zondervan] and Faith Works [Word]. I have heard him say that when he began in the ministry, he never expected that he would spend a large part of his time defending the gospel; but in fact, that’s what he has done.

So make sure that your gospel is the gospel that comes from God as revealed in His Word of truth. Proclaim that gospel to others and make sure that they are clear on it. It’s the only solid foundation for effective discipleship.

2. Effective discipleship takes place through people of godly integrity.

We saw this last week, but Paul continues to emphasize his godly motives and behavior when he was in Thessalonica. We learn three things about godly integrity here:

A. Godly integrity is handed off through our example.

Note how Paul repeats, “For you recall, brethren” (2:9); “You are witnesses” (2:10); “just as you know” (2:11; cf. also, 2:1, 2, 5). He is appealing to his own example. We mainly influence both our physical children and our spiritual children through our example. As James Baldwin wrote (Reader’s Digest [1/86]), “Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”

There is a story (author unknown) about four pastors who were discussing the pros and cons of various Bible translations and paraphrases. The first minister said that he uses the King James Bible because the old English is beautiful and produces the most reverent picture of the Holy Scriptures. Another man said he prefers the New American Standard Bible because he feels it comes nearer to the original Greek and Hebrew texts. The third pastor said his favorite is the paraphrased Living Bible, because his congregation is young and it relates to them in a most practical way. The fourth pastor was silent for a time as he thought about it. Then he said, I guess when it comes to translations of the Bible, I like my Dad’s translation the best. He put the Word of God into practice every day. It was the most convincing translation that I’ve seen.”

Paul already referred to his example of not being deceitful or impure. His motive was not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts. He said that he never came with flattering speech to manipulate people for his advantage. He was not motivated by greed or personal glory. Rather, as a gentle, loving spiritual mother, he showed his tender affection for these spiritual children. Now he compares himself to a loving father who trains his children by example and by verbal instruction. So godly integrity is passed on both at home and in the church by our example.

B. Godly integrity means not taking advantage of people in any way, including financially.

Paul says (1 Thess. 1:9), “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” He is referring to the fact that he worked hard making tents so that he didn’t have to take any support from the Thessalonians while he was planting the church there. He didn’t even eat anyone’s food without paying for it (2 Thess. 3:8). He didn’t want to give his enemies any occasion to accuse him of preaching the gospel so that he could make money off of his converts.

Elsewhere Paul taught that it is legitimate for the person who labors in the gospel to be supported by the gospel (1 Cor. 9:1-15; Gal. 6:6). In the local church, he instructed (1 Tim. 5:17-18), “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” “Double honor” refers both to the respect that is due to faithful pastors who teach the Word, and also to financial support, as the Scripture citations show.

As an apostle, Paul had a right to be supported by the gospel, but he chose to give up that right so as not to cause a hindrance to the gospel (1 Cor. 9:1-15). While he was ministering in Thessalonica, more than once Timothy brought financial support to Paul from the Philippian believers (Phil. 4:16). So he would take support from other churches, but to avoid the appearance of taking advantage of new believers, Paul wouldn’t take support from the church where he was currently serving.

If you’re a Christian businessman and you’re discipling a younger man, be very careful about any business dealings with him that might make you a profit. In the church I served in California, one of our members got involved in Amway, where you work your way up the pyramid by getting others under you to sell Amway. He told me that he had a goal of meeting five new people at church each week. But the reason for his goal was not so that he could help these people grow in Christ, but rather to recruit them for Amway. When I confronted him about this, he insisted that he was helping these people spiritually because he was helping them become financially independent. He refused to admit that he was being friendly to them so that he could make a profit through their joining his organization. But getting people signed up to sell Amway is not discipling them!

C. Godly integrity means moral integrity, beginning on the heart level.

Paul is repeating what he has already said (2:3-4) when he adds (1 Thess. 2:10), “You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers.” He calls the Thessalonians as witnesses because they had observed his outward behavior. But he calls God as witness because God examines our hearts (2:4). In other words, we need to walk with reality toward God beginning on the heart or thought level if we want to disciple others effectively. We can’t live one way in secret and then put on our godly mask in front of others.

Paul may pile up these three adverbs (“devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly”) to show the necessity of right conduct for believers (Leon Morris (The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians [Eerdmans], p. 82). These words are somewhat synonymous, but “devout” may refer to being pleasing to God; “righteous” to dealing rightly with others; and “blameless” to our reputation in the world (Stott, p. 53).

Almost 30 years ago, Leadership [Winter, 1988, p. 24], a journal for pastors, reported that 20 percent of pastors admitted to viewing pornography in some form at least once a month! And that was before the internet and smart phones made that filth easily available! How can such men disciple others when they themselves are not “devout, righteous, and blameless”? Jesus wasn’t subtle in His warning about this. He said (Matt. 5:27-30):

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Integrity before God has to begin on the heart or thought level. If you don’t kill your lust on that level, Jesus says that you are headed for hell! I wouldn’t have said it so strongly, but Jesus did! You can’t effectively disciple others unless you have moral integrity before God on the heart level. Effective discipleship is founded on the gospel and takes place through people of godly integrity.

3. Effective discipleship requires loving, personal exhortation and encouragement.

1 Thess. 2:11: “just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children ….” Paul taught the entire church publicly, but he also met individually or in small groups for further instruction with the men he was discipling. “Exhorting, encouraging, and imploring” are somewhat overlapping, but there are nuances of difference. There is not a “one size fits all” approach. Rather, a wise spiritual father discerns where each spiritual child is at and tailors his approach accordingly.

Some need exhortation, which refers to challenging or appealing to others to live as they should as Christians. Encouraging has the nuance of comfort and consolation. Paul uses this word in 1 Thess. 5:14 when he encourages the church leaders, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” The fainthearted don’t need to be admonished; they need encouragement. Perhaps they were discouraged because of the persecution that they had come under as Christians. To them, Paul spoke tender words to comfort them, while urging them to be faithful. The third word, imploring, means “testifying.” It’s the strongest of the three words, implying a loving warning that a course correction is needed.

Paul uses the analogy of a loving father to convey how he used these different approaches. Every sensitive father knows that his children are different. Some need a stern word or they won’t even hear you. But if you give that same stern word to a more sensitive child, she will dissolve in tears. But every father should be loving and tender (Ps. 103:13), seeking to help each child become all that God wants that child to be. Effective discipleship requires loving, personal exhortation and encouragement.

So effective discipleship is founded on the gospel proclaimed in love through people of godly integrity. But note the goal:

4. Effective discipleship aims at disciples who walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls us into His kingdom and glory.

1 Thess. 2:12: “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” Note four things:

First, a worthy walk requires walking. (Duh!) Paul often uses “walk” to refer to our way of life (it’s in the Greek text of 1 Thess. 4:1, 12; 2 Thess. 3:6, 11). It’s an apt metaphor for the Christian life. A walk is a step by step process of making steady progress toward a goal or destination. Day by day a believer is to walk with God, even as Enoch of old did (Gen. 5:22, 24). Our goal is to make progress in godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). If you’re not spending frequent time alone with God, you’re not walking with Him.

Second, a worthy walk is the highest conceivable standard. There can’t be any higher goal than to walk worthy of God, who is absolutely perfect and holy! Elsewhere Paul exhorts us to walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1), worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27), and worthy of the Lord (Col. 1:10). We represent God to others!

Third, a worthy walk is a response to God’s effectual call. God’s call refers to His effectual call to salvation. It happened in the past (Gal. 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:9), but Paul here describes God as the one who calls us in a timeless sense (1 Thess. 5:24; F. F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Thomas Nelson], p. 37). This verse shows us that God takes the initiative in saving us, but we are responsible to walk with Him. We don’t earn salvation by a worthy walk, but a worthy walk is evidence that we are truly saved.

Fourth, a worthy walk takes place in the sphere of God’s kingdom and glory. God’s kingdom is His rule, which begins now and is culminated when Jesus returns. We walk in submission to our King now. When He returns, we will see His glory and share it with Him. As Paul writes (2 Thess. 2:14), “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” John explains and applies this (1 John 3:2-3), “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Conclusion

So in this repeated lesson, Paul shows that effective discipleship is founded on the gospel proclaimed in love through people of godly integrity with the goal of disciples who walk worthily of God and His glory. I conclude with the two questions that I began with last week: Are you a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ? If not, that is your main need! Trust in Him as your Savior and Lord before you face His wrath! He offers you mercy, forgiveness of all your sins, and eternal life as a free gift. Take it now! Are you discipling others (deliberately helping them to become followers of Christ)? If not, make that your aim! Ask the Lord where you should begin. That is the culture or climate that we want to cultivate in this church.

Application Questions

1. Can you state the gospel clearly in sixty seconds or less? If not, write it out succinctly with the necessary Scriptures.
2. Where is your major battle with godly integrity on the heart level? Devise a biblical plan to win the war.
3. How can we discern whether a person needs exhortation, encouragement, or imploring (v. 11)? What guidelines apply?
4. How would you help a new Christian begin a daily walk with God? What are the essentials?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Here is a message on politics in the Book of Proverbs which I (Bob) unearthed recently from the study "The Way of the Wise." It was written over thirty years ago. You won't find either Republican or Democratic propaganda, and you won't find the name Trump or Clinton. This message focuses our attention on the things which should be paramount in our thinking as we approach the coming elections in our nation. These eternal truths and principles are just as relevant today as they were 30 years ago, or nearly 3,000 years ago, when Proverbs was written.

Click here to read Proverbs and Politics

Imagine a woman telling you, “I’m transgender. Please call me Michael.” It’s obvious she’s female, but she’s asking you to call her by a man’s name. What do you do?

Many people today reject the notion that gender is a fixed trait based on biology. Rather, they believe gender is a flexible trait based on society. As feminist and social theorist Simone de Beauvoir wrote, “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman.” ¹ Anatomy, therefore, is not destiny. One can choose what gender one wants to be.

Though this sounds counterintuitive, the culture is buying it. They are sympathetic to the plight of transgender people. They believe “Michael” is a man trapped in a woman’s body and they’re willing to accommodate the transgender perception.

Recently, a woman complained to the management of a fitness gym after she was startled to see a man in the women’s locker room. The public relations department responded by saying, “Guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity.”  ² In other words, if you’re a man but believe you’re a woman, you can use the women’s locker room. Concerned by the gym’s policy, the woman warned other women at the gym about the transgender person. Management asked her to stop. When she refused, the gym cancelled her membership.

It’s not surprising, then, that Time magazine called transgender the next civil rights movement.  ³ They predict a cultural shift as significant as that toward African-Americans and (though not parallel) homosexuals.

Christians, then, face another great challenge. The culture thinks they’re backward-thinking on moral issues, bigoted about homosexuality, and probably biased against transgender people. How do we respond?

We need to move forward with truth and grace, the way Jesus did. This requires becoming a new kind of apologist. We can’t simply quote what Scripture says because most of our culture rejects biblical authority. Instead, science is king in today’s world. Apologists need to be savvy enough to know the truth revealed in Scripture (special revelation) and in science (general revelation). Both sources of knowledge come from God and, as a result, conform to each other.

As you learn the truth about transgender people from both Scripture and science, it will help you have compassion for them. Jesus knew that those around Him were lost and hurting. That’s what led Him to act with kindness and good will towards them.

Following in the footsteps of Christ, the new kind of apologist integrates both truth and compassion in his response. Knowing truth requires knowing what Scripture says, what science says, and understanding the experience of transgender people. If we are steeped in this truth, it will change the way we feel about transgender people and it will change the way we treat them.

Know the Truth

Although Scripture is largely silent about transgender, it does speak directly to the broader question of the created order, gender, and sexual behavior. It turns out we have a biblical grounding for the gender roles we intuitively know to be true.

In the beginning, God followed a pattern of creating and separating. He created the universe and separated the heavens from the earth. He created the light and separated it from the night. He created the waters and separated it from the ground. He created creatures and separated humans from animals.

When God made humanity, He made two sexes: male and female. Though separate, they come together to create something more whole than by themselves. That’s why God ordained a man to leave his parents and join his wife in a one-flesh union (Gen. 2:24). By following the gender role that correlates with your biological sex, a man and a woman can begin a family, the fundamental unit of society.

There’s no scriptural indication that a person’s perceived gender should differ from his biological sex. Anatomy is intended to denote gender identity.

Though gender complementarity is explicitly taught in Scripture, it is also evident from science. Even a non-Christian is hard-pressed to deny the obvious anatomical and physiological reality. Men and women are, by virtue of their anatomy, physiological complements to one another. The male and female sex organs not only fit together, they function together. Their shape, size, fluids, tissue type—everything about their anatomy and physiology—tells us they are made to work together. Simply put, men and women are fashioned by God for each other.

What evidence do we have that humans are made for heterosexual sex? When a couple engages in a conjugal act, they can create another human being. In fact, the sex organ is the only body part that requires another human being of the opposite sex to fulfill its ultimate function. Sperm and egg never actualize their full potential until they unite. The only way that’s possible is through male-female sex. Biology and gender identity go together. Male-female complementarity is the only way humans can achieve their reproductive purpose.

What Is Transgender?

In order to understand the transgender person, it’s critical to understand the relationship between biology and gender identity. Your biological sex is a physical trait that’s determined at conception. Gender identity is a nonphysical trait that develops from birth through young adulthood. It’s the part of your personality that contains your beliefs about whether you are male or female. A person has both a conscious and subconscious gender identity.

In most cases, your gender identity follows your biological sex. A boy usually develops a conscious and a subconscious male gender identity. A girl usually develops a female gender identity. When gender identity matches biology, this results in heterosexuality.

It is possible, though, for a person to develop a gender identity that is different from his or her biological sex. Male homosexuals have a conscious gender identity that’s male, but most (though not all) have a subconscious gender identity that’s female.

A transgender man has a female subconscious gender identity too, similar to a homosexual, but also consciously thinks of himself as female. That’s why (unlike a homosexual man) he might say he feels like a woman trapped in a man’s body. The converse would be true with a female transgender person. The reality is more nuanced than this, but these charts summarize this concept.

Transgender people feel like they are trapped inside a body that is the opposite of their perceived gender. As you can imagine, this leads to a tremendous amount of psychological and emotional distress. Many of them are also stigmatized by society. Sadly, 41 percent of transgender people attempt suicide (compared to 1.6 percent of the general population).  ⁴

They are deeply hurting inside. That’s why many of them attempt to change their bodies with hormones, drugs, and sex-change surgery. Instead of working to change their gender identity to match their biology, they want to change their biology to match their gender identity. An obvious concern with the latter approach is that while it’s not possible to mistake your biological sex, it is possible to mistake your perceived gender.

The notable exception is someone who is born intersex (formerly called hermaphrodite). They have malformed or sexually ambiguous genitals, and it’s not immediately clear whether they are male or female. Doctors encourage the parents to decide on a gender, with their counsel, but it’s possible the choice they make leads to gender confusion in later life.

For example, a genetically male child can be born with a severe phallic defect. The doctors surgically resect what’s left of the male sex organs and attempt to make his genitals look more female. The doctors and parents hope that by raising the child as a girl, the child will become one.

This approach assumes that gender is wholly a social construction. You can’t make a girl, though, by altering a boy’s body, infusing him with female hormones, and treating him like a girl. Genetically male children who are born intersex still have a Y chromosome that drives their development into a male child. They also lack ovaries and the accompanying female hormones.

One study followed boys who were “reassigned” as girls shortly after birth. Years later, they all engaged in male-typical behaviors including aggressiveness, rough-and-tumble play, and sexual arousal by females. Despite being surgically, socially, and legally reassigned as females, the fact is they were still boys. Most of them who learned later in life that they were genetically male wished to become men again.  ⁵ Why? Because gender is not merely a social construct, but innately tied to one’s biological sex.

Transgender adults who get sex-change operations (transsexuals) fare no better. Although some will say they are content with their new gender, most still have the same emotional and psychological problems they had prior to surgery.  ⁶ Dr. Paul McHugh, former director of the department of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital, candidly regrets his institution’s complicity with sex-change surgeries. He believes, as the field of medicine has known for a century, that being transgender is not a healthy state. “We psychiatrists… would do better to concentrate on trying to fix their minds and not their genitalia,” he writes. “We have wasted scientific and technical resources and damaged our professional credibility by collaborating with madness rather than trying to study, cure, and ultimately prevent it.”  ⁷

Though Dr. McHugh and others recognize the problem with transgender people is not with their bodies, but with their minds, many health professionals still don’t. According to modern medicine, it’s inaccurate (and politically incorrect) to say something is wrong with a transgender person. Therefore, their psychological problems are left untreated. They think sex reassignment surgery will solve their psychological problems, but they are mystified when their symptoms persist.

That’s why many transsexuals regret their surgeries.  ⁸ They have irreversibly changed their bodies, yet their psychological distress is not relieved. This is an indication that the transgender impulse and subsequent surgery are mistakes. That, however, doesn’t fit the cultural narrative that you are whatever gender you believe yourself to be. The LGBT community that once supported those who have transition surgery no longer accepts those who regret it. They vilify and intimidate transsexuals who speak out and warn others.  ⁹ So, whether the person becomes transsexual by surgically changing their sex, or does not have surgery and stays transgender, either way they still remain broken and hurt, longing for hope and healing.

As a result, many transgender people believe they will secure some comfort by behaving according to their perceived gender. To secure that end, our culture is now demanding we allow transgender people access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms that correspond to their perceived gender identity. If a man identifies as a woman, for example, he should be allowed to use a women’s facility. Let me offer three quick thoughts about this idea.

First, every public policy should consider both its immediate and secondary effect. Allowing a biological male who perceives he’s female to use a women’s facility has the immediate effect of providing satisfaction to a transgender individual. The problem, though, is the secondary effect, which allows men with malicious intent to exploit this policy. They can disrobe in the presence of women and girls who are also disrobing or simply gain access to locations where females undress. In other words, this policy jeopardizes the safety of women and children. We should find a solution that considers everyone’s best interest, not just a minority’s.

Second, we need to lower our expectations, but not our standards. We shouldn’t be surprised when the world denies common-sense notions like the belief that men shouldn’t be allowed in women’s facilities. People are blind to the truth and are driven by politically correct ideologies. If we expect or hope that secular culture will make sound decisions, we’ll often be disappointed.

Although lowering our expectations can prepare us for this fallen world, we should not lower our standards. Never compromise biblical truth to go along with cultural trends. The Bible is clear that God created man and woman and made them to be sexual complements to each other. No matter the pressure to deny this simple truth, we should remain faithful to what God says.

Third, do what is necessary to protect yourself and your family. If you feel unsafe about using a bathroom or changing room, then avoid it. Use good judgment and common sense. Don’t be pressured into making an unwise decision in order to go along with the culture or accommodate the world’s values.

Remember, the enemies are the ideas of the world, not transgender people who need compassion.

Treat Them with Compassion

The new kind of apologist who is aware of the transgender person’s brokenness finds that this knowledge changes the way he responds. He’s touched by compassion for transgender people, and his kindness towards them tempers his apologetic approach.  ¹⁰ If not, what he says will not matter or, worse, will come off callous and harsh.

The truth and compassion approach is the one Jesus, the perfect apologist, took. He understood people better than anyone else. His knowledge was perfect and, consequently, His compassion flowed freely.

The truth we’ve learned about transgender people is a sober reminder that we live in a fallen world. These people have been hurt. The culture has lied to them and medical professionals have been complicit in their gender-identity confusion. We need to speak truth to them, but it must be motivated by compassion. Here’s what we can do.

First, make your relationship with transgender people a top priority. It doesn’t have to be the top priority, but put it high on the list. Relationships are the bridge we use to communicate with each other, especially about things that are difficult to say. Your ability to speak the truth in love will be a function of your relationship with them. By knowing them personally, you’ll discover their unique situation. This should evoke the compassion so you can speak with precision and care. Therefore, build your friendship first and make your arguments second.

If you’re not close to them, consider that you might not be the right person to speak frankly about their life. This chapter began with a hypothetical conversation with a transgender person, a woman whose gender identity is male. How would you respond if she asks you to call her Michael? The answer depends on your relationship with her. If you’re a friend or family member, then speak the truth with compassion. If she is a casual acquaintance or you just met, speaking truth will seem presumptive or out of place. It might be better to choose the language she prefers so you don’t come across mean-spirited.

Second, Christian family rules apply only to those inside the Christian family.  ¹¹ It’s possible you have a transgender friend who claims to be Christian. Scripture calls them to live according to the commands of Christ. It also authorizes believers to oversee each other’s behavior to see if it lines up with the biblical standard (1 Cor. 5:12-13). That means your relationship with them should be similar to relationships with other Christians. You’re not making special rules for your transgender friend. You’re holding all people who identify as Christian to the same Christ-like standard. In this case, their pursuit of a transgender identity rejects their God-given identity. Your prayer and goal is to “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1-2 nasb). You would expect them to do the same for you. That’s because Christian friends spur one another on toward godly living (Heb. 10:24).

On the other hand, if your transgender friend doesn’t claim to be a Christian, family rules don’t apply. We can’t expect non-Christians to live like Christians. Of course we want transgender people to recognize their perceived gender is not correct. We also want them to make safe choices. That means we should set proper expectations for ourselves about them. Even though we might ask someone to change how they live because we know their lives will be better in the long run, we have to realize they are not motivated to act according to God’s commands. If we want them to live like Christ, they need Christ to live in them first.

Third, focus on the Gospel. Though apologists can craft clever arguments in defense of their views, a wise Christian recognizes that apologetics is a means to an end and not an end in itself. My initial motivation with a nonbeliever is to present the Gospel of Jesus—an offer of pardon for their crimes against God. Only when they reject it or want clarification do I offer an apologetic response.

That’s the approach I take with everyone: a Muslim, an atheist, a homosexual, or a transgender. In most cases where a nonbeliever has changed how he lived, it was because he first committed his life to Christ. Then the Holy Spirit transformed him from the inside out. The Spirit changed his heart and his desires, and then changed his life. As the saying goes, God catches His fish first, and then He cleans them. We want our transgender friend or family member to turn to God first. Then, the other changes come more easily over time.

Transformed

Transgender people are beguiled by a false belief. They don’t think their biology determines their gender. The culture is complicit in this deception. Like the emperor’s new clothes, the truth is obvious, but few people are willing to point it out.

The challenge transgender people face is not with their bodies. That’s why a physical solution will not be able to resolve their problem. Their only hope for lasting satisfaction and peace is not by mutilating perfectly healthy bodies, but a transformation of their broken souls. Only the Great Physician can do that.

¹ Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (New York: Vintage Books, 2011), 283.

² William Bigelow, “Planet Fitness Bans Woman for Protesting Man in Locker Room,” Breitbart, March 8, 2015, www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/08/planet-fitness-bans-woman-for-protesting-man-in-locker-room/. Accessed April 1, 2015.

³ Katy Steinmetz, “The Transgender Tipping Point: America’s Next Civil Rights Frontier,” Time, June 9, 2014.

⁴ Jaime Grant et al, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011.

⁵ William G. Reiner and John P. Gearhart, “Discordant Sexual Identity in Some Genetic Males with Cloacal Exstrophy Assigned to Female Sex at Birth,” New England Journal of Medicine 350 (2004): 333-41.

⁶ John Meyer and Donna Reter, “Sex Reassignment. Follow-up,” Archives of General Psychiatry 36 (1979): 1010-1015.

⁷ Paul McHugh, “Surgical Sex,” First Things 147 (2004): 34-38.

⁸ Stella Morabito, “Trouble in Transtopia: Murmurs of Sex Change Regret,” The Federalist, November 11, 2014, http://thefederalist.com/2014/11/11/trouble-in-transtopia-murmurs-of-sex-change-regret/. Accessed April 1, 2015.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ I’m referring to the classical sense of an “argument,” a point of view with reasons to back it up. I don’t mean being argumentative.

¹¹ I owe this way of putting this principle to my pastor, Larry Osborne.

September 11, 2016

Elie Wiesel observed (goodreads.com), “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” When we don’t care about someone, we do not love that person. We hear it in the phrase, “I couldn’t care less!” The more recent expression is, “Whatever!” Someone shares a problem; you shrug and say, “Whatever!” You don’t care about that person or what he’s going through. Years ago, I read about a woman in New York City who got up and closed her window because the screams of someone being attacked in the street below was annoying her. Someone is being beaten or raped or murdered outside? “Whatever!” She only cared about herself.

As Christians, we should be characterized by the phrase, “I couldn’t care more,” not by, “I couldn’t care less.” We should truly care for one another and for all people. In our text, we see the apostle Paul’s heart for these new converts in Thessalonica: He couldn’t care more! He expresses his care for his new children in the faith in very emotional language. He wants them to know how deeply he feels about them and how painful his forced separation from them has been. This theme runs through the end of chapter 3, but in this message we can only cover through verse 5. Paul’s example teaches us that if we want to impact people for eternity, we must care for them deeply. How?

If we truly care for one another, we will want to be together to strengthen and encourage one another spiritually.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, we see Paul’s deep desire to be with these people who had become very dear to him. But due to reasons beyond his control, he couldn’t come to them. So he did the next best thing: he sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them in their faith, even though it meant that Paul had to be left alone in Athens. After Timothy returned to Paul with good news about the Thessalonians’ faith and love, Paul rejoiced and wrote this letter to deal with some of the issues that Timothy had reported to him.

One concern that Timothy reported was that Paul’s enemies in Thessalonica, who had forced him to leave town, were attacking his motives with these new converts. They were saying things like, “We understand how you got carried away by these smooth-talking foreigners. They really seemed concerned about you and led you to believe that they had your best interests at heart. But their sudden departure and failure to return shows that they really didn’t care about you. They’re probably relaxing in some luxury hotel and chuckling about how easy it was to dupe you into following them. Now you’re suffering and being publicly ridiculed because you believe these silly myths that these foreigners foisted on you. Why don’t you just forget about this Jesus thing and go back to leading a normal life?”

So Paul shares his heart to let these people know how much he cared about them and how he would come back and be with them at a moment’s notice, if he could. First, we learn…

1. If we truly care for one another, we will want to be together.

Note three things:

A. The desire to be together stems from our genuine caring for one another.

1 Thess. 2:17: “But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.”

Because of intense opposition that had dragged Jason, one of the new believers, before the civil authorities, Paul, Silas, and Timothy had been forced to leave town quickly under the cover of darkness (Acts 17:10). The Greek word translated, “taken away from you,” was used to refer to children who had lost their parents or of parents who were separated from their children (G. K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 90). It was an emotionally painful ordeal! Paul assures the Thessalonians that although they were out of sight, they were not out of mind, or heart.

He piles up words to express his deep feelings: We “were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.” The word translated “desire” is used most frequently in the New Testament to refer to lust. Here it’s used in a pure sense to refer to strong emotional desire. We can also hear his feelings for these spiritual children when he tells them (1 Thess. 3:10), “we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face.” He uses different words, but equally emotional, to tell the Philippians that he has them in his heart, adding (Phil. 1:8), “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” On a personal level, he later tells Timothy, his son in the faith (2 Tim. 1:3-4), “I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.”

Luke gives us a moving picture not only of how much Paul cared for those he ministered to, but also how much they cared for Paul. After he told the Ephesian elders that they probably would no longer see his face (Acts 20:25), we read (Acts 20:36-38),

When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.

In our text, Paul calls the Thessalonians “brethren,” or, “brothers and sisters.” When the Holy Spirit causes people to be born again, they become our brothers and sisters in the faith. We’re family! And families should want to get together often. I know, there are usually difficult members in the family whom you’d rather not have to interact with! Families aren’t perfect. But God has designed the family as the basic unit of society. Your family should be the place where you’re accepted just because of who you are, not because of anything deserving that you’ve done. And the church is the family of God.

I’ve never understood why some people attend church and leave quickly after the service is over without hanging out with the family of God. They don’t know their brothers and sisters and they never get together with them during the week. Nor have I understood why out of over 300 people who come on Sunday mornings, when we have an evening meeting for prayer or a mission report or teaching, we rarely have 30 people show up. If we truly care about one another, we should want to get together often. Why doesn’t it happen?

B. Our enemy works to hinder our getting together.

1 Thess. 2:18: “For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.” Although we may not think about it much or recognize his sinister schemes, we wrestle against the unseen spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Like a wolf preying on a flock of sheep, Satan knows that it’s easier to pick off the sheep that is not staying with the flock. If he can keep us from being together, we’re more vulnerable to his temptations and those that come at us from the world and the flesh. The word that Paul uses for “hindered” was used of an army cutting through a road so that the other army could not easily get through.

But how did Paul know that Satan was behind this roadblock? In Acts 16:6-10, we read of Paul, Silas, and Timothy:

They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

We’re not told how the Holy Spirit did not permit the missionaries from preaching in Asia or Bithynia. It could have been a direct voice from God. Or, perhaps it was an inner feeling of unrest about going that way (2 Cor. 2:12-13). Or perhaps circumstances blocked the way. We don’t know. Nor do we know how Paul knew that it was Satan hindering him from returning to Thessalonica, not the Holy Spirit.

Paul knew from the Old Testament that while Satan can harm God’s people, he can only go as far as God, in His wise purpose, permits. God gave Satan permission to inflict great suffering on Job, but not to take his life (Job 1:6-12; 2:6). There is also an interesting glimpse into the spirit world when Daniel was fasting and praying for three weeks for enlightenment (Dan. 10:2-14). Finally, an angel appeared to Daniel and said, in effect, “I would have been here sooner, but the prince of Persia withstood me for three weeks until Michael the archangel came to help me.”

Here, the hindrance could have been the bond that Jason was forced to post guaranteeing that Paul wouldn’t return (Acts 17:9). Or, it may have been Paul’s recurring health problem, which he elsewhere refers to as “a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan” (2 Cor. 12:7). We just don’t know. But, we do know that in spite of Paul’s fervent desire to return to see these dear people again and in spite of his repeated earnest prayers (1 Thess. 3:10), Satan blocked the way.

Some Bible teachers tell Christians that they have authority over the devil and they can command him around as if he were their “trained poodle” (the phrase is from Gary Shogren, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Zondervan], p. 134). While James 4:7 assures us, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” the actual process isn’t always easy! Sometimes the Lord has a purpose that we don’t understand where He uses the devil to oppose us or hinder our way. He may use the devil to keep us humble, as He did with Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” He may want us to wait on Him in prayer for a period of time, as happened with Daniel. But we should remember that our unseen enemy doesn’t want us to be together with other believers, where we would be spiritually encouraged and strengthened. Separation may be necessary at times, but it shouldn’t be a regular thing.

C. The final result of our being together will be overflowing joy in the presence of the Lord Jesus at His coming.

1 Thess. 2:19-20: “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” We learn here that Jesus is Lord and He is coming again bodily to be with us. When He comes, He will reward each one according to his deeds (Rom. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:10). Because of that, Paul lived daily with a view to the final judgment, when he hoped that he would not have run in vain (Phil. 2:16; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 15:2, 58; Gal. 2:2; 4:11; 1 Thess. 3:5).

Paul again piles up words to emphasize how much the Thessalonians meant to him. He calls them “our hope or joy or crown of exultation.” He adds (1 Thess. 2:20), “For you are our glory and joy.” In like manner, he tells the Philippians (4:1) that they are his “joy and crown.” “Crown” refers to the wreath or garland that was awarded to the victors in sporting competition (1 Cor. 9:25, where “wreath” is the same Greek word). “Exultation” is the word for “boasting.” “Glory” sometimes refers to the same thing. Sometimes these words may refer to sinful pride (Rom. 3:27; 1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 6:13); but at other times they refer legitimately to what God has accomplished through us (Rom. 15:17; 1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 7:4; 11:10, 17; Gal. 6:14; Phil. 3:3). Neither Paul nor the Thessalonians could boast in their own spiritual achievements. Everything was due to God’s grace alone, seen supremely in the cross (Gal. 6:14).

So the point here is that if we care for one another, we should deeply desire to be with one another often. And the point of being together is not just to talk about sports and the weather (although there’s nothing wrong with small talk, per se), but rather to strengthen and encourage one another spiritually so that in the day of Christ, we may have reason to glory because we did not labor in vain (1 Thess. 3:5).

2. If we truly care for one another, we will strengthen and encourage one another spiritually when we’re together.

Again, note three things:

A. To see others strengthened and encouraged in their faith is often costly.

1 Thess. 3:1-2: “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, …” The account in Acts doesn’t include all the details, but we do learn that Paul first went to Athens alone, while Silas and Timothy remained in Berea (Acts 17:14). They joined him in Athens as soon as they were able, but Paul’s intense anguish in wondering how the Thessalonians were doing led him to send Timothy, who could slip into town without the notice that Paul would have drawn. Also, Silas went somewhere else in Macedonia, perhaps to Philippi (Acts 18:5). But that meant that Paul was left alone in Athens and then in Corinth, for several months, until these faithful workers were able to rejoin him in Corinth.

We see how much of a sacrifice this was for Paul by the way that he describes Timothy: “our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ.” Timothy was like a faithful son to Paul in his labors in the Lord (Phil. 2:19-22). To refer to him as “God’s fellow worker” (some manuscripts read “servant”) is a startling truth (see 1 Cor. 3:9). God uses “earthen vessels” like us to accomplish His eternal purpose in the lives of others (2 Cor. 4:7)! It was painful for Paul to send Timothy on this mission, but he did it because he was more concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Thessalonians than he was for his own comfort. In the same way, showing genuine care for one another means putting others’ needs ahead of our own. But love is willing to sacrifice to help others spiritually.

B. The main area where we need to be strengthened and encouraged is our faith.

Paul refers to faith (or, “believe”) in 1:3, 8; 2:13 (“believe”); 3:2, 5, 6, 7, & 10; 2 Thess. 1:3, 10 (“believed”), 11; 2:12 (“not believe”), 13; 3:2; so it is a major theme in these letters. It may be roughly equivalent to “being a Christian” (Gene L. Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 164). Or it may refer to believing the gospel (1 Thess. 1:8), or to trusting God to work through us (1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:11). In our text (1 Thess. 3:2, 5), it especially focuses on trusting God in the midst of trials.

Faith is never some nebulous or undefined optimism, but rather trusting in the truth of God about Jesus Christ as revealed in His word (2 Thess. 2:13; John 1:14, 17; 14:6). In Romans 10:17, Paul says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” In Romans 14:23 he adds, “whatever is not from faith is sin.” Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” So ongoing faith in God and the promises of His word, especially centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ, is essential. But…

C. Trials are a main hindrance to being strengthened and encouraged in our faith.

Paul sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them in their faith (1 Thess. 3:3-5), “so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.”

Paul didn’t teach these new believers that miraculous healing and financial success were their right as “King’s kids”! He taught them, rather, that as Christians, we are destined or appointed for trials. The godly Simeon used this word when he told Mary concerning the baby Jesus (Luke 2:34), “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed.” Paul used it of himself when he said (Phil. 1:16) that he had been “appointed for the defense of the gospel.”

Jesus plainly told His disciples (John 15:20), “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” He added (John 16:33), “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Paul taught (Rom. 8:17) that we must suffer with Christ “so that we may also be glorified with Him.” What Paul sent Timothy to do in Thessalonica, he also had done with new converts in Asia (Acts 14:21-22): “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’” He plainly told Timothy (2 Tim. 3:12), “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” How so many professing Christians could be led astray by the false “health and wealth gospel” can only be attributed to satanic deception!

We need to teach new believers early on to expect trials and how to handle them by trusting in the Lord. Trials will come as a test of the genuineness our faith. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said that the seed sown on the rocky soil (thin soil with a hard layer just underneath) received the word immediately with joy, but they had no roots. So when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately fall away (Mark 4:3-20). That’s what Paul refers to when he feared that his labor might have been in vain. Many may make a profession of faith in Christ, but only those who persevere and bear fruit for eternity are truly saved.

Paul’s anxiety or fear for the Thessalonians here was not the sinful anxiety that comes from a lack of prayer (Phil. 4:7). He was constantly praying for these new converts (1 Thess. 1:2-3; 3:10). Rather, this was his godly concern for all the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). It was the concern of a spiritual parent for his children in the faith. It was the godly care that we all should feel for one another. If you see a believer going through trials, care enough to come alongside to strengthen and encourage him in his faith.

Conclusion

Frank Reed spent from 1986 to 1990 as a hostage in Lebanon. For months at a time he was blindfolded or chained to a wall and kept in absolute silence. Although he was beaten, made ill, and tortured, Reed felt most the lack of anyone caring. In an interview with Time, he said, “Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]…. I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone.” (Leadership [Winter, 1991], p. 49.)

As Christians, we’re encouraged (1 Pet. 5:7) to be, “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” But the Lord has put us into His family where we should care for one another. If we truly care for one another, we will want to be together to strengthen and encourage one another spiritually.

Application Questions

1. Why do so many Christians think that attending a church service without getting to know other believers is sufficient?
2. How can we know whether a hindrance is from the Lord or from the enemy? What principles apply?
3. How have you been strengthened and encouraged spiritually by other believers when you were in a trial? Pass it on!
4. When does genuine concern spill over into sinful anxiety?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation