We give thanks to God always for you all,
making mention of you in our prayers;
remembering without ceasing your work
of faith, and labour of love, and patience
of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the
sight of God and our Father; knowing,
brethren beloved, your election of God.
1Thessalonians 1:2-4
Before I begin, I beg your patience for I am fighting a very bad case of poison oak. Itches, hurts, can't sleep, but am doing all I can to get over this. This too will pass! I pray for God to continue to use me and give me strength to continue faithfully this blog.
Paul gives "thanks to God for you" so notice that it was to God for them he gave thanks, and gives this thanks due to the working of God in His children. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he remembers always (without ceasing) their work of faith. Not their work, pragmatic work, which is not altogether wrong if used according to the will of God, but it was their faith. This faith was a faith that consisted of a labor of love, not free love as the world sees love, or to have love for a friend, rather a God principled love. Patience, a thing so often misunderstood and used wrongly. This patience consisted of hope, not in what they were doing, as some think that by doing their are godly, and this does not reject the fact that as Christians we are to be actively being an ambassador for Christ, but this patience had as its foundation, "hope." Hope, what is hope? This hope had as its foundation Jesus Christ. This type of hope is built upon a person's relationship with Jesus Christ and Him alone. All other hope is built upon man's thinking, rationalized at times to cause a theological difference from what God has declared in His word. Furthermore, not only does God see your faith, your work, your patience, and your hope, you too know something very important: "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." έκλογήν an accusative singular word that speaks of the act of choosing out, or selecting, or selection the aggregate of those who are chosen. This word was built upon the Greek word: έκλέγομαι which is in the middle voice,(not used here) and carries the meaning of choosing for oneself, not necessarily rejecting the choosing, but choosing with the subsidiary ideas of kindness or favor or love. The choosing is done in love, a principled God love as Mark wrote under inspiration: "And unless the Lord had shortened the days, there would not have been saved any flesh; but on account of the elect whom he chose, he has shortened the days" (Mark 13:20). Man cannot, not by any means, or work, or practice, or following creeds, liturgies, other than what God gave to the Church, can be saved, or to be of the elected. This choosing is of God alone. Faith, hope, endurance, patience, working to spread the Gospel, to be a living witness for Jesus Christ, this God recognizes for all is done to and for the glory of God, and for Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.
What then is holding you back from being a worker, a tireless worker for God? What holds your priorities over God, over Jesus Christ who has chosen you? Christians, that is, Authentic Christians are Christians with Authentic Christian Faith. It is this faith in Jesus Christ, in the Father who sent Him to die for you through His dying to pay this debt we all owe to God and by that applies it to those whom He chooses and this choosing is in love.
Prepare now to be that worker for God. Do whatever you can do, but do it now! Sow the seed, water the seed, and watch God make it grow. What a wonderful thing God has done for you and I, we have one responsibility that is over all responsibilities, other than to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, and that is to be a witness for Jesus Christ, to God. Don't look for blessings. Don't sit back and think that others are doing it so you are not needed. Don't be a Sunday Christian. We are Christians 24 hours per day every day of the year until we die and go to be with our Savior. You are already blessed.
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:
and their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:
and i the days of famine they shall be
satisfied.
Psalm 37:18-19
God Loves You: Love Him Back
Richard L. Crumb
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