'Turning Away from Counterfeits'

“They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

Paul commended the believers in Thessalonica because their faith had become known everywhere. What stood out wasn’t just what they turned from, but what they turned to. Paul said they “turned to God from idols,” in that order. That’s how repentance works. We don’t clean ourselves up first or fix every flaw before coming to Christ — we come to Him, and He does the transforming. The Thessalonians lived in a world overflowing with idols, yet when they turned to the living God, they didn’t go back to say goodbye to every false god. They simply stopped giving them space in their lives. Turning toward Christ is like saying “I do” at a wedding — every “yes” to one love is automatically a “no” to every counterfeit.

I remember early in our marriage taking our Australian shepherd to the vet. The young woman there was friendly, kind, and attractive, and I felt a small tug in my heart — just for a moment. But then I remembered my vow: my “yes” to Mary Kay meant a “no” to everyone else. I even told her when I got home, “You’ll have to take the dog to the vet from now on.” Why? Because love means turning away from anything that competes with it. In the same way, following Christ means saying no to the philosophies, habits, and false securities that once tried to claim our hearts. You can’t follow Him halfway. When others walked away from Jesus, Peter stayed, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Once you’ve tasted His forgiveness, joy, healing, and truth, you realize — there really is nowhere else to go.

But even for lifelong believers, faith can slip into routine. Fires can cool. Hearts can drift. Jesus still asks, “Are you going to turn away as well?” Friend, there is nowhere else to go — He alone has the words of life. Over a century ago, an Indian believer named Nokseng declared with his dying breath, “I have decided to follow Jesus — no turning back.” That’s repentance. That’s turning away from counterfeits. And sometimes, even when we know the truth, it takes persistence to keep turning toward Him — especially when life feels heavy and hope seems far away. Yet every time we turn back toward Christ, we find again the One who is faithful, living, and true.

Blessings to all,

Jonathan