If we lived in a world without Bibles, and the only thing anyone knew about Christianity was what they saw in the way we lived and heard in the way we spoke, what kind of Christians would there be in the world? We might argue that they should follow Jesus and not us, but in the first century, the main way people learned theology was through the disciple-rabbi relationship, where the disciples were expected to imitate their teachers. Paul was a follower of Jesus, and he endeavored to live "the Christ life." He tried to live the way he believed Jesus would live.
The Keys to Success
All of us want our church to be a thriving church, but in addition to being a Spirit-filled, Bible-believing, Jesus-preaching, praying church, we as members of this local body of Christ must be prepared to engage in works of faith and labors of love, while maintaining our patience of hope in Jesus Christ.
The Church that Grace Built
When Paul proclaimed peace over the Thessalonians, he did not promise the persecution would end. He was not saying that the culture was suddenly going to embrace them. He was not saying that their external realities were going to change dramatically. He was saying that regardless of what anyone did or said to them, they could remain Christlike. Irrespective of the cost or consequences of living for Christ, they could do it without living in constant fear, anger, or anxiety.