Daily Prayer ©2005

In the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians, (you need to read 1 Thess. 1:1-6)Paul gives thanks to God that faith has produced in them work and love which has produced labor and hope which has produced endurance. If we look at these words just by themselves. Faith, hope and love as a general force will have effects on our productivity and our durability. However Paul is using them in a Christian context and we must look at them in a spiritual and eternal value they will have in our lives.

Paul ties the first 6 verses to a very Christian, spiritual transaction between us and God. In fact Paul uses the Christian Trinity and links them to faith, love and hope. Look at verse three and see that faith, love and hope are "in our Lord Jesus Christ". This link offers us a special spiritual effect in being in relation to the living person of Jesus Christ. Second look at the beginning of verse three and see that Paul gives thanks to the Father, for the faith, love and hope we have. They come from God our Father. Finally look at verse 5-6 and see the relationship of God the Holy Spirit and how it gets connected to the rest of the verses. The change in the Thessalonians is because of the work of the Holy Spirit through the gospel.

This profound logical reality of faith, love and hope which make us more productive and stable come from a relationship with a living Lord, Jesus Christ, which is the result of and evidence of being chosen by God the Father, and they are the work of the Holy Spirit through the message called the gospel.

So what does this mean; simple faith produces works, love produces labor, and hope produces endurance, and is most essential to keep a Christian going day after day in obedience to God. Without the endurance of hope, the work of faith and the labor of love will prove to be no real work of God. For in the world of today there is no high premium put on the endurance: in relationships or jobs or even in doing ministry. And for most of us we are the children of this age, living for the day, not the endurance of hope for a lifetime.