1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul writes a letter of encouragement to the church at Thessalonica. He gives thanks to God for them and he praises their example. He tells them that when he is praying for them he remembers their work of faith which is the work they have done as a result of their faith. This is the work that will be rewarded when Christ returns. Our faith should drive us to service. Their labour was motivated by love, both their recognition of Christ’s love for them and their love for Christ. Finally, they remained steadfast because of their hope in Christ, specifically his imminent return. Notice Paul’s thankfulness is based on the three things that should mark every believer: faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13:13).
Paul is motivated to pray because they were chosen by God. What were they chosen by God for? Probably to suffer for Christ as will be seen as the letter unfolds. These believers were living a life of faith, hope, and love because they had received the gospel, not as mere words from men but as the truth of God that convicted them by the Holy Spirit.
The gospel is not just the message of salvation but also the very thing that should be our motivating force in living lives for God, serving Him in faith, working in love, and persevering in hope.