Do Not Forget the Good Things - They Are ALL Good
March 20th 2011 01:38
I Thessalonians 1:3 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,
The church in Thessalonica had many things not worth remembering, but Paul and his friends did not forget the things worth remembering. It is clear from scripture that there is no such thing as a perfect local church. The entire church was not in love with Paul’s ministry. Paul wrote a full chapter defending himself and his ministry against their slander and false accusations. The entire church was not morally pure. Paul warned them about their failures with sexual immorality. The entire church was not doctrinally sound. Paul had to bring correction to their belief system.
There were three things in the Thessalonian church that were worth remembering:
1. The church manifested a work of faith. A work of faith always begins with the “first work” of faith.
John 6:28-29
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
The first work of the Gentile believers had tangible results.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
Without tangible works, faith is not a completed work.
James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
"Works of faith" are not the same thing as "works of the law".
Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
"Works of the law" are not of faith – they are the product of self-righteousness.
Galatians 3:12-14
12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”,
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
"Works of faith" are the by-product of our reliance upon Christ
II Corinthians 3:5-6
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2. The church labored in love.
This labor of love is described in Acts 20:35, I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Tyndale Commentary "The word KOPOS denotes laborious toil, and directs our minds to unceasing hardship borne for love's sake"
The Thessalonians loved in deed and in truth
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
3. The church patiently waited in hopes that Christ would soon return.
(Will take up this point in next post)
The church in Thessalonica had many things not worth remembering, but Paul and his friends did not forget the things worth remembering. It is clear from scripture that there is no such thing as a perfect local church. The entire church was not in love with Paul’s ministry. Paul wrote a full chapter defending himself and his ministry against their slander and false accusations. The entire church was not morally pure. Paul warned them about their failures with sexual immorality. The entire church was not doctrinally sound. Paul had to bring correction to their belief system.
There were three things in the Thessalonian church that were worth remembering:
1. The church manifested a work of faith. A work of faith always begins with the “first work” of faith.
John 6:28-29
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
The first work of the Gentile believers had tangible results.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
Without tangible works, faith is not a completed work.
James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
"Works of faith" are not the same thing as "works of the law".
Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
"Works of the law" are not of faith – they are the product of self-righteousness.
Galatians 3:12-14
12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”,
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
"Works of faith" are the by-product of our reliance upon Christ
II Corinthians 3:5-6
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2. The church labored in love.
This labor of love is described in Acts 20:35, I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Tyndale Commentary "The word KOPOS denotes laborious toil, and directs our minds to unceasing hardship borne for love's sake"
The Thessalonians loved in deed and in truth
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
3. The church patiently waited in hopes that Christ would soon return.
(Will take up this point in next post)
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