1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV)
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
I’m intrigued by the words, “For from you.”
I’ve met many in our day who seem to believe that if our faith is genuine—real, confident—then we won’t need to speak about it. People will just know. In the early days of my faith, this was called “lifestyle evangelism.” It was often set in contrast to—and in many circles, in opposition to—what was called “confrontational evangelism.”
My circles advocate for the more confrontational style, sometimes even militant. We view lifestyle evangelism as no evangelism at all. The other group would accuse us of being offensive and turning off the would-be seeker.
But our view is that no one seeks the Lord; they must be sought out.
Paul said of the believers in Thessalonica, “from you sounded out the word of the Lord.” Albert Barnes notes that this must have been both involuntary and unintentional (the natural result of faith—we talk about the things that matter to us), as well as voluntary and purposeful—there were “decided efforts” to send the Word abroad.
Barnes writes further:
“There is no improbability in the supposition that they sent out members of their church—messengers of salvation—to other parts of Macedonia and Greece, that they might communicate the same gospel to others.”
This, I believe, ought to be a decided effort of every church—to organize members to go out into the community with the gospel, and to purposefully commission and finance those called of the Lord as missionaries to the regions beyond our own.
#SoundOutTheWord #FaithInAction #RealEvangelism #GoYeTherefore #FromYouToTheWorld
Faith That Speaks—Not Just Shows: Why Lifestyle Alone Isn’t Evangelism
📢 Is your faith heard or just seen?
Paul said of the Thessalonian believers, “From you sounded out the word of the Lord.” Their faith didn’t sit silent—it moved, spoke, and spread.
Too many today rely on passive “lifestyle evangelism” and never speak a word. But the Bible commands us to go, tell, and proclaim.
👉 Take action today: Share the gospel with one person—face-to-face, over the phone, or through a message. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
💬 Question: Do you believe people can truly be saved without someone actively telling them how? Answer in the comments!
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