2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

With the rise of the seeker-driven church in the last quarter of the twentieth century, few words took on such negative connotations as the word “tradition.” If you wanted to put something in a negative box, all you have to do is label it as a tradition or traditional. So the bathwater was thrown out, and with it the baby. 

In contrast, Paul says, “Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught.” To be fair, many church growth efforts, seeker-driven styles, and the contemporary church movement were protesting not the traditions Paul was talking about but the cultural expressions of mid-twentieth-century Christianity. The methodology of one generation was not appealing to the next, and changes needed to be made, but the wholesale rejection of everything labeled ‘tradition’ left the seeker-driven church with little more than fad and emotion on which to build their ministry. The seeker-driven model has cut churches off from their roots and created shallow, empty-headed believers.

In contrast to this, in verse 13 we are called to "salvation”, part of God's new order, through “sanctification,” holy living by the power of the Spirit, and “faith in the truth,” an engagement of the mind into the doctrines of the faith. This life in the community of holy living and faith results in glory only the gospel can bring. This is the tradition of the Christian faith. The tradition of the church is not the style of worship, or the way we dress, or, most tragically of late, the worship wars over music? This life of community (salvation is not strictly individual nor strictly communal), holy living, and well-thought-through faith gives us comfort and strength in every good work and word. For many, under the influence of well-intentioned but misguided church growth leaders, the Christian life is limited to attending a service anonymously, being pleased with what is seen and heard, and living life the way they might want. The biblical model is the community of faith, living holy, thinking deeply, and serving in word and action. That is the picture of the church. That is our tradition. 

“Lord, make me strong in the tradition of the church. AMEN”