0704 FAITHFULLY PLOD ON

JULY 4 = 1 THESSALONIANS 1

FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE = WORK, LABOR AND ENDURANCE

Paul and Silas had come to Thessalonica around the year 51, and Acts 17 describes both their success, and then the riot over their teaching about Jesus. They had to flee for their lives. It was such a short start and such an abrupt ending that Paul sent Timothy to go see if he could help them. Timothy returned with the good news that the people of the city had remained faithful. Paul writes to express his joy and to encourage them to continue, as well as to answer some pastoral questions for them.

Those believers, in spite of almost immediate persecution, remained faithful and hopeful. So Paul is mom writing to encourage them for their faithfulness to the gospel. He gives this threefold formula, packed with challenges for us today:

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Work produced by faith. This is a beautiful expression of the work of the Holy Spirit both in and through our lives. Now, maybe like me you first think of “work” as being the place we go for 8 hours a day. And, of course, we are not defining “work” in terms of math and physics, which can measure force and friction and all that. No, it’s more along the lines of doing good thing—good works. As James tells us, faith without works is dead, being by itself.

We are not saved by works, of course. In truth, we are not actually capable of doing good works, if you think about it that way. Faith is what saves us. But faith then produces in us good works. So it confirms our faith. And our salvation. (Did we just go in a big circle?)

A 'work of faith' is a righteous act of God which He carries out through us because of our faith in Christ. When our faith rests on Him, the work we produce is HIM working through us. In this way, we carry out God’s will and demonstrate the nature of God by being His hands and feet. So we do works of service to God and others, we work on our private devotional life, we take the road less traveled or the difficult assignment, because we believe that God sees and rewards such things.

Labor prompted by love. We sometimes refer to something as being a “labor of love,” and this is where that expression comes from. Labor, not like “labor union” or other employment, and not quite as in “she went into labor last night.” But it does have to do with working in service to another. And Paul is admonishing his readers to do their labor out of love, both for God and for our neighbor.

Using the term “labor” is a powerful reminder that it is the big sacrifices as well as the little favors that are done, prompted by love.

Endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Endurance is not a term that we use when we are just starting a project. It comes after some time of plodding through something worthwhile.

There is a certain progression in the three terms, work, labor and endurance. I do work, it becomes laborious, and I endure it to the end.

A professor once asked, “Do you know how to eat an elephant?” None of us had an answer, so he supplied, “One bite at a time.” I really love that metaphor, and it has helped me many times when taking on an imposing task. I can’t do the whole thing at once. But I can take this one bite and keep going.

There’s a power found in plodding, though the race is hard to run. A certain strength in hanging in until the job is done. For some the sailing’s easy when everything is right. But saints are those who learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

Jesus said in Revelation, “I know your works.” Paul assured the Corinthians that their labor was not in vain. Jesus says in Matthew, he who endures to the end shall be saved. Be assured that what is done in the name of the Lord is time well spent. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus! Amen.