Work of Faith, Labor of Love, Patience of Hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Greetings, readers! Join me in studying 1 Thessalonians for the next few weeks. The Apostle Paul penned this letter to the church in Thessalonica in an attempt to motivate the believers to keep their faith in God despite the hardships they faced. Paul also gave them some insightful and important information on the 2^nd coming of Jesus Christ. I’m excited to jump into this book …

By the way, reader, you’re going to see more joyful (possibly humorous) writings from me. I do believe the Lord has recently rebuked me for losing my love and joy in writing for His Kingdom. Since I understand the severity and significance of this writing ministry, I have pulled back from the carefree writing style I once adopted. I thought that, perhaps, it wasn’t fitting, or it wasn’t the right place to show humor. The Kingdom of God is at hand! That is a serious matter.

But the Lord has also given us all unique talents and personalities to advance His Kingdom. And over the years, I have forced my silly side to remain hidden in this ministry. However, some of the most dynamic preachers and teachers of the gospel are incredibly dynamic because they are authentic, yet powerful in conveying God’s truth.

So … I say all of this to say. Watch out there now! Thanks to God’s rebuke and love, my zeal and joy in writing have returned, and if it’s the Lord’s will, you will see it from here on out. Now, let’s jump into the text.

Per usual, Paul began his letter to the believers at Thessalonica with a greeting. He then mentioned how he thanked God for them and prayed for them, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

Let’s hang out here in Verse 3. Paul says he prays for the Thessalonians because of their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. Let’s start with work of faith. Faith without works is dead. We can say that we have faith, but true faith is revealed by actions.

In the Book of James, we see the importance of faith being manifested by works. James gives us the example of Abraham. We know that Abraham was counted as righteous because he believed God (Genesis 15:6). It was first and foremost, Abraham’s faith that made him right with God. But his work of faith was proven when he was willing to sacrifice his son, Issac, because of his faith.

We should be moved to perform works because of our faith. James says, “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (James 2:22) I’ve said and written this before, but you can’t really tell me you have faith if there is no effort behind it. We all know this.

Talk is cheap, they say. Your actions will always reveal the truth. If we say that we love God, or if we say that we believe God, our actions should reveal it. Putting forth an effort to walk in the Spirit, making a conscious decision to align our thoughts with God, and doing all that we can to live a life worthy of the gospel is how we put our faith to work.

Doing the things that God has commanded us is how our faith is revealed. No, we cannot work for the gift of salvation, which is restoration to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That was freely given. But because we have faith in the gift given, we ought to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). So, let us show forth our faith with the “work of faith” as the Thessalonians did.

Paul also said he thanked God for their “labor of love”. This is very similar to “work of faith”. Labor and work are virtually the same thing, but love and faith are different. To have faith in something is to believe but to love something is to be affectionate about someone or something. Because honestly, even demons believed that Jesus existed … but did they love Him? You can believe in God without loving God.

Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:21). There are so many believers who do not love God. They believe He exists, but they do not keep the command of fleeing sexual immorality. They believe Jesus is Lord, but they do not love their brothers and sisters.  

If my husband says he loves me, but he never shows me his love, if he never works for this love, how can I believe him? No kind words? No apologies? No flowers? No date nights? No physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual connection? But you say you love me? Lies, I’d say! Where’s your labor to prove your love?

Paul says the Thessalonians showcased a “labor of love”. So, may we display our love to God and others with our labor. Labor by giving God your kind words with your thanks. Offer him apologies for your sins by seeking forgiveness in prayer. Give him flowers by gifting Him a beautiful bouquet composed of you … offer yourself as a living sacrifice for Him. Go on date nights and even date days with the Lord by spending time with Him in the Word. Labor in spiritual things if you love the Lord. Showcase your labor of love.

Lastly, Paul says that he prays for their “patience of hope”. Hope always requires patience. We have to wait for things, and waiting requires patience. Wait on the Lord, hope in the Lord … we see this command given several times throughout scripture. The life of a Christian is a life of waiting. It is a life that requires patience.

But may our hope remain. Let us have patience, and keep it until the 2^nd coming of our Lord. Reader, I won’t hold you any longer. But as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, may we pray for one another.

I pray that you and I will both show forth our faith with our works, that we will display our love with our labor, and that we will be patient in our hope. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer. Until next time, take care.

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Thanks again for reading!

Sincerely,

Quin Arrington