Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: September 23rd

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord. - 1 Thessalonians 1:6.

LET us view these Thessalonians as followers or imitators, for so is the word rendered in the margin. Observe, they “became followers of us,” says the apostle; that is, of himself, and his fellow-labourers, and his fellow-Christians; that is, they resembled them in their faith, their hope, their love, their patience, their holiness, and their good works. Let us enter a little into this. Man, as we all know, is an imitative creature. The first voluntary efforts that are made by children are always endeavours to mimic something which they have seen. But as man is a depraved creature, and as he is exposed to bad examples in this world as well as good, and more to bad examples than good, he naturally follows “the multitude to do evil;” and the question with him, therefore, concerning any thing, is not, Is it true? or, Is this reasonable? or, Is this righteous? but, “What will people think or say of me? shall I not be seen? Why, all the Lord’s people are “a peculiar people,” and it argues much more dignity of principle and purity of motive to advance alone than under the applause of thousands.

This disposition, we see, was in the case of the Thessalonians sanctified, for it was turned another way. For the men whom they now followed, or imitated, or copied, were few compared with the rest, and had nothing of a worldly kind to recommend them. No, they were esteemed as the very filth and offscouring of all things. Yet, with Moses, these Thessalonians “chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” With David they could say, “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, of them that keep thy statutes.” So it always is when persons are made “wise unto salvation:” then they immediately see that “the righteous is more excellent than his neighbours,” and that of them “the world is not worthy.” They pray, “Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.” Then they forsake the sons and daughters of folly and vice, and run and take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” But this is not all: “Ye became,” says the apostle, “imitators of us and of the Lord,” adding this, “and of the Lord,” for two reasons.

First, to show us their confidence, that they were persuaded that they were fully conformed unto Christ, and that those who followed them thus far would be followers of him. Therefore says the apostle to the Corinthians, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Did he mean to place himself upon a level, then, with Christ? By no means; but to assert that he knew he was walking in the same way, that he was influenced by the same principles, that he felt the same sentiments. And we must be conscious of this too; yes, we must remember that “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.”

Secondly, To teach us that no men are to be our examples, any further than they resemble him; that we are not to give up ourselves absolutely to any leaders, however distinguished by gifts or graces. We are not to pin our faith upon their sleeve, nor to determine our actions by their practice invariably. No, they are all fallible. The wisest of men have their follies, the best of men have their faults: the wisest and the best of men, therefore, may lead us astray. Abraham denied his wife at Gerah. Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips. Job cursed the day of his birth. Peter said, with an oath, “I know not the man.” But here we have, in the Lord Jesus, an infallible pattern, and therefore we should give up ourselves entirely to his direction and influence, that it may be said of us also, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. - Colossians 3:23-24.

IT is impossible a Christian can ever serve God for nought. Even Satan admitted the principle that “godliness is great gain,” although he attributed a mercenary Spirit to the patriarch, “Doth Job serve God for nought?” In this insinuation falsehood and fact were strikingly blended. “Verily there is a reward for the righteous.”

Oh, say some, but it is a reward of grace. Who would deny this? This renders it the surer and the sweeter-this renders it the greater. This enables us, since it is a reward of grace, to believe in its greatness. “Great is your reward in heaven.” But there is not only a recompense after the service, but even in it: “In keeping his commandments there is great reward.” If the Queen of Sheba envied Solomon’s domestics and said, “Happy are these thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom,” how much more should we hail those servants of the King of kings and Lord of lords, “who dwell in his house,” and” are still praising “ him, each of whom can say with David, “On thee do I wait all the day.”

Oh, as surely as he is our Lord and Master, he will support us; he, like a wise and good master, will consider all the injuries done to us as done to himself; he will not lay more upon us as his servants than he will enable us to bear. He will make our strength equal to our day. His grace shall be sufficient for us. He will not “cast us off in the time of old age, nor forsake us when our strength faileth.” No; he regards the “hoary head as a crown of glory when found in the way of righteousness.” And he beholds such with pleasure, and says, “I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth.”

Yes, in eternity, in time, in life, in death, in prosperity, in adversity, in all lively frames, and in all gloomy ones even, every servant of the Lord Jesus will be able to say, “Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord.”