God’s Word is Effective. 1st Thessalonians 2:13 It's common for us to stay silent when we meet people who have affected us in our lives. It's not that we don't talk, but sometimes, we don't open our hearts to show appreciation for the blessing they've been to us. Our hesitation often comes from fear of feeling vulnerable or being patronized. In some cases, it might also be pride, as we avoid showing our emotions to prevent appearing less masculine or even childish. A strong person who knows who they are and recognizes all they are because of God's grace and mercy will likely have no problem opening their heart to those they care about.
In the epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul openly and specifically expressed his appreciation. He was thankful because they accepted the message of the Gospel he delivered to them [v.13-16], and he longed to be physically present with them as a parent longs to be with their children [v.17-20]. The Thessalonian believers were constantly on Paul’s mind because he knew they had received the word of God personally when he preached it to them.
The word of God is a light and a lamp to those in darkness. It is a mirror that reveals who we truly are. As the sword of the Spirit, it has the power to continue working in overcoming the enemies— the world, the flesh, and the devil. Through the word of God comes the necessary understanding of ourselves and the awakening to what the Lord has done for us. By the power of the word of God, we are brought to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a good reason to thank God when we realize that what has been preached is accepted as the truth and personally received by those who hear it. There is a physical way in which we hear the word of God with our ears, but more importantly, we internalize the message through the hearing of the soul and spirit.
“Words of men” are not necessarily wrong when we hear them, but the transforming power of the word of God becomes effective when we believe that what we hear is also the truth of God. For it to be real to me, it cannot be shaped to fit what is popularly accepted just because it pleases others. Mere human knowledge does not change hearts, minds, or lives. God’s word works effectively in us when we believe it to be the word of God, leading us to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word of God does what no human preacher or teacher can. When it works in the soul and spirit, a life-changing action occurs inside a believer that quickly becomes evident outwardly. “Doers of the word” live what they believe, and that evidence may encourage others to seek the Lord, who saves them by His grace and cleanses them from all sin. The new life in Christ is not a life of ease and peace but a life of meaningful service, purposeful activity, and lasting blessing, giving us inner peace. Living with purpose and lasting goals helps us endure trials and suffering, find joy in tribulation, and be free from guilt and the effects of a self-centered life.
The Gentile believers in Thessalonica were genuinely transformed from practicing the immoral religions of idolatry. The Jews in the assembly, who had been bound by religious legalism and personal and national pride, were truly changed by God's grace and love into humble, faithful followers of the Lord.
The word of God has the transforming power to work in the lives of believers who received it in their ears as objective truth and accepted it in their hearts as subjective truth. By the Spirit of God using the word of God, we received the Son of God as our Lord and Savior and became children of God who have been born of God. Now we live by faith in the Son of God as servants of God, proclaiming through the word of God the truth of the kingdom of God. No wonder the people of God appreciate each other, because we are in the family of God.
Thankful people whom the word of God has blessed prioritize God's word in their teaching and preaching. The servants of God who do that are successful in their work because it "effectually" works in those who hear, believe, and then live out what God has worked in. There are also qualities that distinguish a true servant of God as he labors in the word for the benefit of others.