1 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,
Verse 3 is a continuation of the thoughts in verse 2. This verse describes the people for whom thanks were given in verse 2.
Remembering: to be mindful of, to call to mind: to think of and feel for a person
Without ceasing: uninterruptedly
Work of faith: an act, deed, thing done; the course of conduct which springs from faith; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation
Labor of love: the labor to which love prompts, and which voluntarily assumes and endures trouble and pains for the salvation of others; intense labor united with trouble; love which centers in moral preference; "to prefer"
Patience: remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life
Hope: joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation
In the sight of: in the presence of
The one aspect of this verse that I want to focus on, is "labor of love". In an instant gratification society, we have lost the real meaning of longlasting, work through the troubles and turmoils kind of love.
Look at the definition of love — moral preference, "to prefer". It's a choice! It's an active decision.
Labor of Love. It's a commitment no matter how hard it gets. You do the work, because of love. And you love through the work.
But the labor of love is based on the "work of faith". The reliance upon Christ enables one to then perform the labor of love. Faith is what provides the stamina to endure when the troubles arise.
Remember, it's a choice. A labor of love is an active decision.
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,
Verse 3 is a continuation of the thoughts in verse 2. This verse describes the people for whom thanks were given in verse 2.
Remembering: to be mindful of, to call to mind: to think of and feel for a person
Without ceasing: uninterruptedly
Work of faith: an act, deed, thing done; the course of conduct which springs from faith; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation
Labor of love: the labor to which love prompts, and which voluntarily assumes and endures trouble and pains for the salvation of others; intense labor united with trouble; love which centers in moral preference; "to prefer"
Patience: remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life
Hope: joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation
In the sight of: in the presence of
The one aspect of this verse that I want to focus on, is "labor of love". In an instant gratification society, we have lost the real meaning of longlasting, work through the troubles and turmoils kind of love.
Look at the definition of love — moral preference, "to prefer". It's a choice! It's an active decision.
Labor of Love. It's a commitment no matter how hard it gets. You do the work, because of love. And you love through the work.
But the labor of love is based on the "work of faith". The reliance upon Christ enables one to then perform the labor of love. Faith is what provides the stamina to endure when the troubles arise.
Remember, it's a choice. A labor of love is an active decision.
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