1 THESSALONIANS 1 (FIRST READING)
1 THESSALONIANS 1 (FIRST READING)
CAC We have been considering lately the epistles to Timothy and Titus where we get teaching according to piety, the practical side of christianity developed in teaching. It might, perhaps, be well for us to look at christianity in real life; we see it in practice in this epistle; we see it in the conduct and spirit and ways of the apostle, and also of his converts. There is not so much detail of the actual state and conduct of any other company given. It gives one a remarkable idea of the kind of life that is the product of the grace of God. It is the moral effect of souls receiving the light of God in grace and coming into the truth of the kingdom.
Rem The apostle speaks very much of the coming of Christ in these epistles.
CAC It is interesting that it should be opened up to a company of babes. The truth of the kingdom had come home to them, and they were in the good of it. No other company of christians is addressed in this way, “In God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. It is the simplest view of the assembly, not the assembly viewed in the heavenlies, but the assembly of Thessalonians — people walking about in Thessalonica, but brought to the knowledge of God and standing in the faith of their souls in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is [p. 231] the first epistle Paul wrote. The exercises of the [p. 234] apostle are beautiful to consider. He was anxious about the Thessalonians; they had had a limited opportunity of learning the light of God in grace and he is anxious as to how they had been going on. No doubt they were prepared for the reception of the gospel, but it is the gospel that is looked at as producing this wonderful fruit; no influence that could be brought to bear on men could be as powerful as the knowledge of God in grace. Paul had so presented God to them that He became the blessed light of their hearts, and they turned to Him, to serve Him, and to wait for His Son from heaven. If Jesus is known as Lord it is in view of His coming back. We see in Acts 17 that the impression made by Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica was that “there is another king, Jesus”, that is, that the present condition of things in this world was going to be overturned, because Jesus is the Christ and Lord; all the rights belong to Him. There are two distinct sides of the gospel, the rights of God and the setting aside of man. If you begin to speak about the rights of God which are all taken up in the Lord Jesus Christ, you raise a storm at once. God has come in, in blessed grace; that is the way He is asserting His rights at the present time.
The character of the life of these young converts was what made such an impression. The report of how they behaved went about; it was common talk in all the district around. It is not what people say, but what they are, that is the testimony. We find they were marked by three wonderful things, the work of faith, labour of love and constancy of hope. The youngest convert can take up these things and begin to do the work of faith.
Ques What do you connect with the work of faith?
CAC That we do things on the principle that it is God’s will we should do them; we have faith it is God’s will we should do a certain thing. If we are under the lordship of Christ, He soon suggests to us things to do; something [p. 235] comes up and there is confidence in the soul that it is pleasing to God, and we do it. It flows from knowing God; God is known in the immensity of grace; we have to do with a God who has not spared His Son. Satan told such a lie in Eden; he said in effect that God was a mean God, that He was so mean He would not give His creatures the best in the garden. God has answered by giving His Son and bringing into existence a universe of blessing, throwing open His house, and giving all to man. God will be fully vindicated when the vast company of sons is seen in possession of the inheritance. This will be God’s answer to every lie that came in through the devil. How far do we know God so as to walk under the influence of that grace? How far are we influenced by the free giving of grace, God telling His heart out, revealing His grace? That is the God we have turned to because He is so infinitely attractive. If the gospel was preached attractively, people would say, ‘We had no idea God was anything like that’.
It is a new principle, a movement of life, the result of having come under the lordship of Christ, to begin doing things in faith because we have confidence it is God’s will we should do them. The best way to leave off bad things is to start doing good things. It is said that when birds moult, it is because the new feathers push off the old; this is the way to put off the works of darkness. The work of faith is what characterised the Lord; He was a Man of faith and everything He did was on the principle of faith because it was God’s will. “Preserve me, O God: for I trust in thee” (Psalm 16: 1) expresses it. That is how we are to take up everything in relation to God in grace.
Then the saints come into view in the “labour of love”. Love keeps us right with one another, and labour is needed for that; saints cannot go on together without exercise, so there is the labour of love, and as to outlook, there is nothing but the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;
[p. 236] that is kept constantly in view, the “enduring constancy of hope”. It is a helpful summing up of practical christianity. The “work of faith”, that is, everything is done on the principle that it is God’s will; then the active service of love among the saints which keeps us right with one another; and lastly the outlook, no other prospect is to be present to the saints but the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This would preserve us from looking for easier times, or from making any sort of advancement in this world an object. The coming here would be the appearing, His return to this world. They had heard “another king” was to come. When we see these things in people we are assured of their election (verse 4). The word “beloved” should be connected with God, “Knowing, brethren beloved by God, your election”.
Rem The apostle Paul’s teaching was a labour of love.
CAC Yes, the Thessalonians had seen the gospel in Paul as well as heard it. They saw a man prepared to suffer bonds and even death to secure their blessing. If anyone had asked them, ‘Did you ever see a man who loved you as much as he loved himself?’ they would have said, ‘Yes, we saw a man who loved us a great deal more; he would have laid down his life for us’. Paul called them his joy and crown; he never expressed himself so warmly about any other company. He had nursed them and fathered them; he is full of joy over them. They saw the gospel in Paul’s life; they saw the love of God and the grace of Christ in a man, and the power of the preaching was connected with the character of the man. The apostle was an extraordinary vessel of grace, but the same character should be stamped on every preacher. I think the reason there is not more fruit in the preaching is the lack of this character of man. There was wonderful power with the word and this was connected with the state of soul in the servant and with his practical walk and ways.
“[p. 237] Ye became our imitators, and of the Lord”. Paul was so walking that he could put himself and the Lord together. Then in their turn the Thessalonians carried it on, “Ye became models to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia”. Paul had been a model to them and they became models to others, and that is how christianity spreads.
The reception of the word brought tribulation, “much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit”. As the last days go on it may be there will be more tribulation; all the things christians have received and confessed will be more and more hated in the world, and if we are to go through tribulation in peace and power, we must have joy in the Holy Spirit. If they had tribulation all around, they had joy in heart. The two things work together; tribulation would stimulate joy. The apostle had great joy at Philippi.
We should consider these Thessalonians; it is encouraging to see that God can effect such wonderful things by His grace.