The passage I read was 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
You can find that passage here:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+1%3A1-10&version=NIV
The verse that most stood out to me:
3 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.
And..
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
As I reflect:
Wow, what a thing to read about yourself. I can’t imagine how overjoyed the believers in Thessalonica must have been when they received and read this part of the letter. What praise! What a compliment! I’m sure they gave glory to God (rightfully so).
I say that verse 3 and 5 stood out most to me, but in honesty about half of the entire passage really stood out. I had such a vivid picture of it in my mind. I have hopes that one day, I would be able to say the same (perhaps in an email) to some of those who have come to stay with us in the past or in the future. .
Introduce with a blessing
Paul, Silas and Timothy start out with an introduction that is pretty typical of Paul, blessing the readers and listeners with grace and peace. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bless each other in the same way when we met or sent each other electronic communications? Ofcourse we’d probably use more common verbiage. Maybe it would sound more like, “I hope you are finding your day quite blessed”, or “I know you are having a tough time today. I pray for you to find peace in the knowledge that the Lord is with you through your trial”. I’m sure there are a million plus variables we could use dependent on our recipient’s situation. The thought is to introduce with a blessing from God your conversation with someone. Wouldn’t that be nice?
3 things others can see
In verse 2 and 3, our writers go on to encourage and bless the recipients with the knowledge that they are never forgotten in prayer. How nice it is to be on someone’s heart or mind in a pleasant way. Going into verse 3, I noticed some rather large concepts that I have up till now had to describe in many ways and from multiple verses throughout the Word.
Concept 1) Work produced by faith.
This for me is a big one because it stands out as an evidence of salvation. I have briefly debated with others on this topic and then left them to their own opinions, but ultimately it is very clear to me that the Word says once we are saved, we cannot remain the same. Come to God as you are – yes. But stay that way – no! If you are truly saved, then what you are stating is that you through faith have accepted the Gospel truths and Jesus as Lord of your life. You have confessed and repented (turned away from) your sins. You have had your old heart removed and the heart of God placed in you. You now have the Holy Spirit in your life convicting you and improving on you directly. If all of these things are true of you, then there will be evidence of change. You cannot begin the process of sanctification (increasing the holiness in you) without decreasing the darkness and evil that was previously in your life. When someone purchases a condemned house, would they do so just to leave it condemned? Wouldn’t they break it down, clean the lot of all that was old and broken, and rebuild a better home or property? Of course they would. And the same is true of us. If we are condemned properties purchased by God, then we can know that He will and is rebuilding us into something far greater than we ever could have been on our own. And others will notice. One of the evidences of this relationship is works. You are not saved by works, but by faith. However, once saved, this same faith produces works in us and through us.
Concept 2) Labor prompted by love
In this concept is a motivation that is different than most wordly motivations and deals with one of the greatest commandments ever given. We are to love the Lord our God and we are to love our neighbor as our self. Have you ever been guilty of hearing or reading that and just thinking of love as an emotion? Love is very much a verb. It is something you do not only in your heart but also through your actions. Here the church of Thessalonica is remembered for its actions (labors) that reflect its love for others. Just as when Jesus told us the greatest command is to love the Lord Our God requires our actions to show that love. And Just as saying to love your neighbor as yourself also requires actions to show that love. For us to love God, means we are to abide in His word and obey Him out of love. For us to love our neighbors means we are to reach out to them, share the gospel truths, be an example for them, and offer all of ourselves freely in service so that they may know that we love them by our actions. Remember Jesus didn’t say how much he loved us and then just leave. He showed us how much He loved us and then by His actions proved it by taking on our punishment for us. That’s is the perfect example of actions speaking louder than words. Let us be remembered also for our actions.
Concept 3) endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
When Christians come across trials and tribulation in life, do they act the same as the rest of the world? It’s raining outside and your car breaks down one mile from home. The typical worldly reaction is one that involves anger (likely profanity), and an immediate consideration for how much money one has and whether or not they can afford a cab or if they have a second vehicle to call the spouse to come get them in. The Christians’ outlook on that same situation very much differs. We have within us the ability to simply stay at peace and know that the rain won’t hurt us and is actually quite refreshing. How nice to be cleansed in the refreshing shower that the Lord has allowed us today. We have no worry about the car or the weather because we know that God is in charge of both and is with us until the end of time. This outlook on all situations allows us to look forward to the glory of God who is with us despite our circumstances. We as Christians have a greater endurance of trials and tribulations because we are inspired by someone who has complete control of those situations and we trust them fully. This can be seen by others. It can be seen in how we react when we lose a job, when we can’t pay our bills, when we disagree strongly with others, when we awake in the hospital to find out that we will no longer be able to use our legs, and when we lose a loved one. Our reactions in times of comfort are not what define our trust and inspiration that comes from Our Creator. It’s in the times of trials and tribulations that we show the world Who inspires us.
How we are changed – does it affect others?
Verse 4 says, “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,”
How do we know this? Verse 5-7 explain why Paul, Silas and Timothy “know” beyond a shadow of a doubt that this people is “chosen” by God.
“because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”
The things that stick out to me here are that:
The soil (the heart) was prepared to receive by God.
They received with conviction.
They received with joy.
They were changed.
Their change affected others.
I think back to my child hood when i first heard of salvation and said a quick “sinners prayer”. I don't think at that point i was born again. I wasn’t yet mature enough to know what i was saved from. It wasn’t that i wanted heaven or loved Jesus for what He had done for me. I just didn't want Hell. But it was apparent in my life that that “sinners prayer” had no lasting or even shortly changing effect on me. Many years later after sowing many evil seeds in the world and finally hitting rock bottom, i got it. It hit me like a ton of bricks what the gospel message of salvation really meant. On that eve of revelation i repented in heavy heartfelt conviction of how wrong and sinful i was and how truly sorry i was for it and desired to leave my sinful ways behind. I received with joy the message of new life offered to me from the Word. I prayed and received and was convicted and as an evidence of this true conversion, my life was changed. Even the very next day, there was change in me that was apparent to others. The world looked different to me. I and the world affected each other in a far different way that previously. We were no longer simpatico. I began to influence others for God. I began relearning the Word in a way that i had not previously understood as even possible. The gospel was spread through me and a short time later we were letting the homeless stay with us in our home to learn and grow from not only our Bible studies but also our very lifestyles as a witness of what the Lord has done. This is the change that is being spoken of in verse 4-7. It is an eternal change that will effect others around you. It changes everything about how you see, hear, and respond to the world around you.
Verse 8 and 9 basically go on to define how evident this change in the church of Thessalonica was…That it affected others and gained a reputation. Verse 10 wraps this passage up nicely with one of the 2 things that all followers of Christ are currently doing. We are waiting for the return of Jesus who rescues us from the coming wrath. (the other thing we all ought to be doing is spreading the Gospel in love)
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