| Weekly Devotional
Monday, March 13, 2006
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul expresses his thanks and his love for the people of Thessolonica, and specifically for three things: First, their work of faith. The work of these Christians was motivated by and sustained by their faith. It wasn’t merely going through motions, or setting themselves up to appear religious. This was a genuine desire to serve God in response to, and through the power of, the salvation He has provided through Jesus Christ. The book of James addresses this idea of working and serving as a supernatural by-product of faith: "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." [James 2:17] Second, their labor of love. This idea of labor involves a greater concept than some type of menial task or household chore. It’s a labor full of sweat, fatigue, and dedication. It's the kind of task that can only be accomplished by someone committed to the cause. Those who lack the motivation of love will quit long before the labor is done. Do we not see our very Savior embody this? His love for the Father motivated Him to become obedient to God's will, even to His death on the cross. Many are quick to say that Jesus' love for us held Him on the cross, but His love for the Father is greater still. Third, their steadfastness of hope. Their endurance was motivated by their confidence in God. They were confident in the truth that God had chosen them in eternity past, confident in the present-day sanctification the Spirit is providing, and confident in the future glorification that will come with the return of Jesus Christ. How easily we forget these marvelous truths, and consequently, how easily we are shaken by the smallest of winds. My friends, the truth of God's grace is more than enough to buttress us through "light and momentary troubles." Is it any wonder the hymn writer so powerfully declared: How firm a foundation, O
saints of the Lord, |
