Faith, Love, and Hope

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

We have been considering 1 Thessalonians, and so far, we have looked at the letter writers, how their lives were transformed, and how their relationship with the Thessalonians began. A key point is that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were in Thessalonica for a very short time. In view of the short time, the results of their ministry in Thessalonica were astounding. Many people believed in Jesus and turned from idols to serve the living and true God.

Having been forced to leave after such a brief time, the three men wrote to confirm the Thessalonians in their new faith. In verse 4, they affirm the Thessalonians and state their confidence that they were chosen by God.

Here is the question I want us to consider: How did Paul, Silas, and Timothy know that God chose the Thessalonians?

We find the answer in verses two and three. Let’s look at these verses.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 (NKJV) 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 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,

They knew God chose the Thessalonians because of their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. These three things were the evidence that showed God chose them. These three things are mentioned in other Scriptures. Let’s look at a couple of these other Scriptures.

Colossians 1:3-5 (NKJV) 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

In Colossians, Paul gives thanks for the Colossians in the same manner in which he gave thanks for the Thessalonians. These three things are also listed in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love.

Here in Corinthians, Paul emphasizes the importance of love over faith and hope. But in 1 Thessalonians and Colossians, he gives them in the order they are built. 

I want to examine the way these three things are built because, as 2 Peter 1:8 says, “if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

First, then, let’s look at faith.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 says “work of faith.” Faith is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is built. John 3:16 establishes this with the simple statement, “whoever believes in Him will not perish but has everlasting life!”

Jesus said to those who sought to follow Him,

John 6:29 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Hebrews adds to this thought when it says,

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith works. I do not mean by this that we need to work to be saved, but just the opposite. We are saved by faith. 

When we believe that God is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, we will diligently seek Him. This belief will change our lives; the most significant change will be love.

We are talking about faith, love, and hope, and now we have come to love. The source of love is faith, and love is the source of hope. Romans 5:5 says,

Romans 5:5 (NKJV) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts. We cannot do this by concentrating on loving God. However, we can do it by focusing on God’s love for us. 1 John 4:19 says,

1 John 4:19 (NKJV) We love Him because He first loved us.

The source for us knowing the love of God is the sacrifice of Jesus. 1 John 3:16 tells us,

1 John 3:16 (NKJV) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.

We develop faith by focusing on God's word and meditating on it day and night. 

The world understands that what we think is very important. Many teachers and counselors teach us that we must be mindful of what we think and take time to reflect. In relation to this mindfulness, we must think positive thoughts.

This principle of mindfulness and positive thinking was brought home to me when a friend suggested I recite the Serenity Prayer every day. I often hear this in connection with battling addictions. The Serenity Prayer goes like this:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

However, I was working on something else at the time and decided to recite Psalm 23 every day. Wow, what a difference it made in my life! That’s all I can say: “Wow!”

Over and over and over, the Bible tells us to meditate on the word of God. Talk about life-transforming power!—If your thoughts trouble you, if you cannot sleep at night, if you need courage to face tomorrow, if you want to know true success, if you want to be happy, if you want to have hope for tomorrow, do this! Find a Scripture that appeals to you or fits your need and recite it every day, even multiple times throughout the day.

The result of this will be:

1. Your faith will grow
2. Your love for God will grow
3. You will find hope

Hope is the third evidence that we are chosen by God. We have hope in all our labors and even in suffering that God is present with us. We have hope that, as our Father, He is taking care of us. We are certain that the future is bright even in the darkest time, even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. We know that if our body is broken and we die, we will be present with the Lord and we will find comfort, peace, and joy in His presence.

This unshakable hope has sustained Christians in all ages. This hope sustains those who give their lives for their faith. This hope sustains those who suffer from incurable diseases. This hope sustains those who battle depression. This hope inspires those who serve others.

This simple plan can be implemented in your life with only minimal effort. Pick a Scripture and recite it every day. If the Spirit leads you to a different Scripture, recite that one. I find it convenient to recite my passage when I get up in the morning and before I go to bed at night.

As always, if you want to talk about this, I am always happy to make time for you.