Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: What if the most powerful testimony you could offer the world required no words at all? No rehearsed speech, no theological argument, no polished presentation. Just you, living your life, going about your day.

The apostle Paul closes his second letter to the Thessalonians with just three verses, but tucked inside them is a truth so simple, so penetrating, it has the power to change the way you see yourself forever. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll points to these verses to identify what he calls your distinguishing mark.

Guest (Male): What is in a name? Sometimes everything. Reputations are attached to our names, as well as expectations. I can still remember when I was younger and a lot more rambunctious, I recalled my parents giving me a warning that went something like this: "Remember who you are, son. You're a Swindoll."

And you might do that with your own family name. Remember you're a, whatever your name may be. "Conduct yourself accordingly," they would add. Reminding yourself of who you are can keep you on the straight path when you're tempted to stray. It can also bring you comfort when you hurt.

Think of the name you bear if you've placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. You're a Christian, which means one who belongs to Christ, one who is a follower of Jesus. What a precious reassurance when you feel wounded and harassed, like those Thessalonian believers. You don't belong to this world and its hateful ways; you belong to Jesus. Jesus Christ has your life in His hands.

You're a Christian. According to 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 3, not only do you belong to Christ, you and I are also a letter of Christ. Perhaps you've never considered that title before. Christ claims you as His own, so your actions need to reflect His character. In a very real sense, you are the pen and ink that communicate Christ to a watching world.

We've been studying a letter from Paul to the Thessalonian, actually his second letter to them. So it's fitting to focus on our lives as being living letters in our day and age. Today we're going to take a closer look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, 16 through 18, the last three verses of this wonderful little letter. Here Paul makes a comment about one of his distinguishing marks.

There are no clones in the body of Christ, no two believers exactly alike. God has graced each of us with our own unique qualities and abilities. We need to understand these and what we can contribute to the body of Christ. Today we want to talk about your distinguishing mark.

Let me read these verses for you. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, 16 through 18. Paul writes, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter. This is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."

Bill Meyer: You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into 2 Thessalonians on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook by going to insight.org/offer. Chuck titled today's message: "Your Distinguishing Mark."

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: Knowing who you are is what keeps you going. And sometime if the going is tough, it's all the more important to know who you are. That's where security comes from. That's where confidence is gained, in knowing who you are. And the opposite is also true. It's relieving to know who you're not, who you're not expected to be. It helps to know who you're not so you don't have to worry about filling that role. But it helps much more to know who you are.

I remember as a little lad being raised at my father's knee with the words, "Son, you're a Swindoll. And that is a name that you uphold. You represent our family." Who knows over the years that followed how many times that little repeated lecture kept me out of serious trouble, or on the positive side, caused me to set my sights even higher than I would have. You represent this family, now conduct yourself accordingly.

It's my pleasure to say to you today, you who are in the Lord: you belong to Christ. Listen to your identity in case you have forgotten. You are saints of God, sheep in His pasture. You are brethren, beloved of God. But that's not all. You are God's children. You are members of Christ's body. You are the bride of Christ. You are branches on the vine.

And that's not all. You are people of faith. You are followers of the Way. You are partakers of the divine nature. You are pilgrims and strangers, people of the kingdom, those born from above, disciples of the King. You are the ones granted precious and magnificent promises. And I could go on for another minute or two, just from the titles in Scripture that identify who you and I are.

When we forget that, we get into trouble. We begin to feel intimidated in a world that whips us and kicks us and outshouts us and outvotes us. We begin to wonder if we're on the right side. We begin to wonder if there is really any clout in this business of the faith.

Let me show you in Scripture the most common name we bear. Turn to the book of Acts chapter 11. Yes, Acts 11 and locate verse 26. It is a rather historical verse because the outworking of it has gone on through the centuries. Let me show you who you are in the eyes of our Lord as well as in the eyes of the world.

The context of Acts 11 has to do with Paul and Barnabas, men who knew each other but had been separated by many miles. A new ministry had broken out in the city of Antioch, and so the pronouns here, rather than he and him, I'll change to Barnabas and Paul. Verse 26 of Acts 11, "And when Barnabas had found Paul, Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers. Now mark this: and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."

That ending -ian in the first century referred to being in the party of someone. There was a group known as the Caesarians, those in the party of Caesar. It was sort of a backhanded slam of a nickname. The people of Antioch were rather notorious for that. In fact, on one occasion, one of the emperors visited Antioch. He happened to be wearing a small goatee, a small little beard on his chin, and the people of Antioch spoke of him in jest as "the goat." They were notorious for nicknames.

They saw these people meeting in groups, singing their songs and hugging and kissing one another in affection, and can you imagine the rumor that spread? Eating the body and blood of the Lord Jesus at the table. And they talked about them as the Christians. Oh, those are followers of that Christ cult.

Isn't it interesting that the other titles we bear are not nearly as well-known as this one? We were first called Christians in Antioch. Now you're going to be surprised at this, but let me show you the least known title we bear. And it's over in the book of 2 Corinthians. I think if I'd given you a piece of paper before I began speaking and then started by saying, "Write on the piece of paper your title as a believer," I don't think anybody would have thought to write this one. I certainly wouldn't have.

2 Corinthians chapter 3. The context is taking us back into chapter 2. Sounds defensive. And as a matter of fact, this chapter break is most unfortunate. The people of Corinth had been saying about Paul, "He has no authority. He writes big, bold, strong letters, but in presence he's rather weak and powerless. In fact, we don't even know if he's one of authority."

Paul begins his thought in verse 1 with the previous verse, 17 of chapter 2. "We're not like many peddling the Word of God." There were many in that day just as there are today. "We are not among the charlatans that fake our faith. We're not peddling the Word of God, but we are those who come from sincerity. In fact, we come from God. We speak in Christ in the sight of God. Now are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Are we bragging? Am I walking around like a human peacock, impressing people with who I am?"

Verse 1 continues, "Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?" What he meant by that was a common scene in that day. There were many itinerant preachers and evangelists and prophets. And in order for them to make themselves known as authentic ministers of the Gospel, they would carry letters of reference with them.

Now, the charlatans did that as well. In fact, they were known for their lengthy resume, and they would come into a group and they would have these many letters of references that were supposedly giving them authority to speak for God. That's what people did in Paul's day with letters of reference. The problem was that they weren't authorities for Christ.

Paul says in verse 1, "Do I need a letter like that? No, I don't need that." Verse 2: "You are our letter. If people want to know the effectiveness of my ministry, I point them to Corinth and I say, 'Look at the Christians over in Corinth. They will tell you something of my ministry.'" He continues, "You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men." Now what's the title? Verse 3: "Being manifested that you are a letter of Christ."

I doubt that anybody would have written that down. Christian? Yes. Child of God? Yes. Born from above? I'm sure many would have written that. A disciple? A representative of the King? Yes, all of those things are true. But how seldom we think of ourselves as a letter of Christ. "Cared for by us," says the apostle, "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. Not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts."

Now, I have great news for you who are believers in Christ. You are a living letter. Isn't that terrific? Nobody's written on you with ink. No tablets of stone to be carried around in your briefcase. No public letter to display saying, "This is your background and this is your testimony." All you have to do is what? Live. Live! Live freely, live purely, live as an authentic representative of the King, and you'll have no problem.

In fact, it's rather frightening to think that many people are drawn to the Savior because of the letters they read among the followers of the Savior, isn't it? Now, I think that what this means is that we are an advertisement of Christianity wherever we go. That's what that means. You are a letter. I've got those words blocked out in my New Testament. You are a letter of Christ. I have a circle around that. You are a letter of Christ.

Wherever I live, wherever I work, wherever I play, wherever I am, I am a living letter, and so are you, of the person of Christ. We are Christians. We are members of the party. We are loyal followers of the Savior. In case you wonder if it makes any difference, turn from Acts chapter 11, where we were earlier, to Acts chapter 26. Then I'll show you why it matters.

Acts 26. This is a great passage. The contrast is remarkable. We have a king who is free. He's a Herod named Agrippa. And we have a Christian who is in chains. How's that for a switch? We have a man sitting like The Thinker with his head on his hand and his elbow on his knee, studying this strange person called Paul, who is standing in chains before Agrippa, telling him of Christ.

And after he finishes this wonderful testimony that he presents, chapter 26 verse 27, the apostle says to him, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do." But he doesn't stop there. That is, the Lord doesn't stop working. Herod responds, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

Now, people have interpreted this differently. Some have said he's denying the possibility. Not even in a short time could I be persuaded. Not even in this brief presentation am I anywhere closer to being persuaded. What is of interest to me is the term persuade. W.E. Vine helps us understand that particular word. That reference says this word means to bring about a change of mind by the influence of reason or moral considerations.

Paul, as I listen to you and as I track your logic, as I follow your reasoning, I could be persuaded. I mean, just the moral considerations alone, these things that have plagued me all my life that I've not been able to control. You represent a man who's found answers for the questions that swirl around in my head. I am almost persuaded.

That's why it matters. Because our lives cause other people to form their opinions about Christ and about Christianity. Now, that is easy to say, but that is so consuming a thought. Think of where you work. Just for a few moments, think of where you work. If you're not employed, think of the neighborhood where you live. Just think of where you live. Think of your profession. Think of the people who are impacted by your profession. Think of the children that run through your home or the adolescents who listen and watch you. You are the letter they read.

I love the way the homespun American philosopher Will Rogers once put his finger on the kernel of this truth: "So live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip." That's not bad, is it? What if the family parrot started talking?

You see, we are living letters to persuade men and women concerning the Lord Jesus. When Peter and John stood before the authorities in all of their ignorance and lack of skill, the Scripture says in Acts 4 verse 13, when those authorities saw Peter and John and realized they were unlearned and ignorant men, they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. They were Christians.

I mean, men with this lack of education and lack of clout and lack of skill and lack of culture have stood their ground against us, unintimidated. How could they do it? They've been marked by Christ. That's how. They knew who they were. They represented the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I groan inside when I see Christians living intimidated lives in a world that hasn't the answers. Afraid to speak and afraid to stand alone, afraid to do the very things that made Christianity famous. Stand tall! Remember who you represent, son. Remember, daughter, who you represent. Why, it's enough power to almost persuade a king. That's why it matters.

Makes sense, doesn't it? We judge a shopkeeper by the goods he sells. Certain places you see as quality and certain places you see as junk, and you make judgments according to that display, don't you? We judge a craftsman by the quality of his work, and we look at how well he does the miter on the corner. We look at how carefully he cleans up from a mistake, how well he finishes a task, and we make a judgment concerning the craftsman by looking at the quality of his work.

Now, we're ready for the last three verses of 2 Thessalonians. Believe it or not, all of that was introductory. To give you some idea of the length of this message. But you'll be encouraged to know we only have three verses and I have an amazing way of making them last for the longest, longest time. I've loved this study. It has reminded me again and again of the profound simplicity of the Word of God.

Here in simplest terms that virtually any age child could understand, we have some of the grand themes of truth woven through this letter. And this is no exception. Let me point out first of all the believer's peace. You wonder what's on display? He mentions first our peace. "Now may the Lord of peace Himself," I like that, "now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance." Let's stop right there.

What have I been saying? I've been saying that we are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are like hands fitting into a glove. We are the glove, He is the hand. People see us, they see our movement, they see our impact, they feel the squeeze of our life, the warmth of the hand. They can't see Him but through the glove.

And so the glove appears regularly on the surface of life, and people spot it when there is peace in our lives because there isn't peace in our world. Someone has said that Washington, D.C. is full of memorials to peace; we build one after every war. The place is run over with memorials to peace, and they're all built because of a war, and there'll be more built and more because our world is at war. Because mankind is at war.

And so when the Lord Jesus writes on our piece of paper, our life, His letter, He writes peace, peace, peace. He gives us a tranquility down inside. As members of His party, we represent that calm, quiet assurance in life. Or do we?

Just to make you think, I have thought of several times that occur in our lives, and I get this from every circumstance. You see the way that sentence ends? I'm thinking of various circumstances when we often lack peace. Here are some: when we're waiting and nothing changes, when we're disappointed in people or in an event, when God leads us to move and we're very comfortable and satisfied where we are. Peace is usually the first thing to escape.

When we must stand alone against the majority, it's hard to do that peacefully. When others don't understand us, and the great temptation is to panic or defend ourselves. I don't think there's a person hearing me right now who doesn't have somebody speaking out of the other corner of his mouth against him. If you're living for Christ, right now there are people who talk about you, and they don't understand. It's hard to have peace knowing that's going on.

When my job is shaky, it's hard to have peace. When I'm laid aside, out of the action, when I'm no longer needed as much as I used to be needed, it's hard to have peace. We get ruffled, we get uneasy, we get in a hurry, we want to force our way in because we want to be needed, we want to control like we used to, but that's not our calling now.

See the significance of that verse? May the Lord of peace Himself. There's a grand thought on peace in Colossians chapter 3. I want you to put your finger here in 2 Thessalonians and go back a few books to Colossians chapter 3. You who know your Bibles know where I'm going to turn, verse 15. Colossians 3:15, "And let the peace of Christ," circle the word, "rule, rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful."

Bill Meyer: Peace isn't the absence of pressure; it's the presence of Christ in the pressure. Chuck Swindoll has reminded us that the Lord of peace wants to rule in your heart like an umpire, calling every difficult circumstance, every shaky situation, every lonely moment, peace. Not because your circumstances have changed, but because He hasn't.

At Insight for Living, it's our mission to come alongside you and equip you with helpful resources that will deepen your love for God and His Word. To that end, we're pleased to offer our popular Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook for 2 Thessalonians. It's called Steadfast Christianity. This series concludes on tomorrow's program, and if you've thought about purchasing the workbook, well, why not do that today while it's fresh on your mind? Call us at 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/offer.

Also, this is one of the last times we'll mention Chuck's classic book on leadership, Hand Me Another Brick. In it, Chuck draws from the remarkable story of Nehemiah, a man who faced overwhelming opposition, relentless critics, impossible odds, and built anyway. Sound familiar? Whether you're leading a company, a ministry, a classroom, or a family, Nehemiah's story is your story because every builder eventually hits a wall.

The question is whether you'll pick up another brick. In his book, Chuck unpacks the timeless leadership principles that are woven through Nehemiah's journal with the same warmth, humor, and wisdom you've come to expect from him. This isn't theory; it's a master class drawn straight from Scripture on vision, integrity, handling opposition, and finishing what God has called you to start.

Hand Me Another Brick is our gift to you when you support Insight for Living with a donation. To send a contribution in the mail, write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. You can also call us at 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/donate.

I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindoll explains the Christian's distinguishing marks Friday on Insight for Living.