Of Models and Mirrors
Of Models and Mirrors
Have you ever walked into a place (a restaurant, a factory, a classroom) and thought, “This is how it’s supposed to be”? If so, then you know something of Paul’s joy when he remembered the church in Thessalonica. He’d only been with them a few weeks (Acts 17:1-11), but in that short time, something remarkable had taken root. When Paul later wrote back—1 Thessalonians, one of his earliest letters—he could hardly stop thanking God for what he saw.
And what did he see? In one unforgettable line, he sums it up:
“We remember before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 1:3)
That’s the heartbeat of the whole letter: a faith that works, a love that sacrifices, and a hope that lasts.
Faith That Works
Paul arrived in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. All indications are it was a short visit. But the impact of that stop lasted for decades. And it wasn’t just long-lasting. It was deep. The Thessalonians didn’t just nod politely when Paul preached about Jesus. They acted. Their lives changed. They turned from idols, trusted Christ, and started following Him in ways that were obvious to everyone.
Yes, the word faith can refer to a set of teachings when we refer to The Faith. But in this case (1 Thessalonians 1), it is not just something to think about. It’s not sitting on the ground saying, “I believe (have faith) that airplanes fly.” Faith is stepping on board. Faith gets on the plane. In the case of the believers in Thessalonica, they trusted Jesus enough to commit to Him – to live the kind of life that Jesus called them to.
That’s why Paul could say, “We know God has chosen you.” How did he know? Because the gospel came to them “not only in word, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1:5). In other words, their faith showed up in real life. And they changed! Wow, did they change! True faith is never idle — it produces works (James 2:14-26). True faith produces faithfulness.
Imagine that I search Agoda for a hotel. One of the features in the ad for the hotel I find is “We have electricity!” (which should make me cautious, but it’s cheap). If I book the place, I should expect that, when I flip the switch inside the door, the lights should come on. Faith is something we talk about, study, and think about. But (as with the Thessalonians) it is something that “happens”. Something people can see.
Question for you: If someone followed you around for a week—at work, at home, in traffic—would they see faith? Would they see patience that doesn’t make sense, generosity that can’t be explained, forgiveness that feels impossible?
Love That Sacrifices
Paul also saw their “labor of love.” The word labor means toil—sweat—and sacrifice. Love, in the New Testament sense, isn’t just a pretty card. It’s casserole dishes baked, chairs stacked, neighbors served, even when no one thanks you.
The Thessalonians showed love in hard circumstances. They received the gospel “in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1:6). Even under pressure, they didn’t quit. Their love made them “an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1:7).
When Paul wrote the Corinthians (where he may have been when he wrote 1 Thessalonians), he doesn’t quite define love, but he describes it. And much of that description is expressed in verbs (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). Love is not so much in a set of habitual characteristics, but in doing (or refraining from doing) certain things. If love does not exist in action, it does not exist at all. Real love sacrifices. But it’s the kind of sacrifice that makes communities flourish, families heal, and churches stand out.
Hope That Lasts
Finally, Paul thanks God for their “steadfastness of hope.” Hope gave them staying power.
The Thessalonians knew how to wait. But what were they waiting for?
They were waiting for Jesus “whom [God] raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1:10). That hope didn’t make them passive; it made them steady. When opposition came, they didn’t pack up their faith like winter coats in spring (like we did in Canada). They endured with eyes fixed on Christ’s return.
Christian hope isn’t mere positive thinking. It’s not crossing fingers and wishing for the best. It’s anchoring your life to a risen Savior who has promised to return.
A Model Church
So, what does God want His church to be? Not slick. Not impressive. Not flawless. But like Thessalonica:
That’s why Paul can say, “The word of the Lord rang out from you… your faith in God has gone forth everywhere” (1:8). Their lives preached before their lips did.
Why It Matters for Us
Reading 1 Thessalonians 1 sets a model for us. But it is also like holding up a mirror. Does my faith work, or is it just words? Does my love labor, or do I only give when it’s easy? Does my hope endure, or do I unravel when life gets tough?
The good news is that the same gospel that transformed Thessalonica is still at work today. Jesus rescues. Jesus sustains. Jesus is coming again.
Faith, love, and hope aren’t just virtues to admire in an ancient church. They’re the fingerprints of God’s Spirit in every believer and every congregation. And when they’re present—even in small, chair-stacking, food-preparing, hold-the-umbrella-for-someone-on-rainy-days ways—people notice.
Closing Thought
Paul’s brief time in Thessalonica looked, from one angle, like a failed mission. He had to leave under the cover of night after just three weeks. Yet from God’s perspective, those weeks planted a church that rang out across the region and echoed through history.
That’s the message of 1 Thessalonians: God can take ordinary people, in ordinary places, and by His Spirit produce extraordinary faith, costly love, and durable hope.
And that, Paul would say, is exactly the kind of people that the church is meant to be.
Have you ever walked into a place (a restaurant, a factory, a classroom) and thought, “This is how it’s supposed to be”? If so, then you know something of Paul’s joy when he remembered the church in Thessalonica. He’d only been with them a few weeks (Acts 17:1-11), but in that short time, something remarkable had taken root. When Paul later wrote back—1 Thessalonians, one of his earliest letters—he could hardly stop thanking God for what he saw.
And what did he see? In one unforgettable line, he sums it up:
“We remember before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 1:3)
That’s the heartbeat of the whole letter: a faith that works, a love that sacrifices, and a hope that lasts.
Faith That Works
Paul arrived in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. All indications are it was a short visit. But the impact of that stop lasted for decades. And it wasn’t just long-lasting. It was deep. The Thessalonians didn’t just nod politely when Paul preached about Jesus. They acted. Their lives changed. They turned from idols, trusted Christ, and started following Him in ways that were obvious to everyone.
Yes, the word faith can refer to a set of teachings when we refer to The Faith. But in this case (1 Thessalonians 1), it is not just something to think about. It’s not sitting on the ground saying, “I believe (have faith) that airplanes fly.” Faith is stepping on board. Faith gets on the plane. In the case of the believers in Thessalonica, they trusted Jesus enough to commit to Him – to live the kind of life that Jesus called them to.
That’s why Paul could say, “We know God has chosen you.” How did he know? Because the gospel came to them “not only in word, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1:5). In other words, their faith showed up in real life. And they changed! Wow, did they change! True faith is never idle — it produces works (James 2:14-26). True faith produces faithfulness.
Imagine that I search Agoda for a hotel. One of the features in the ad for the hotel I find is “We have electricity!” (which should make me cautious, but it’s cheap). If I book the place, I should expect that, when I flip the switch inside the door, the lights should come on. Faith is something we talk about, study, and think about. But (as with the Thessalonians) it is something that “happens”. Something people can see.
Question for you: If someone followed you around for a week—at work, at home, in traffic—would they see faith? Would they see patience that doesn’t make sense, generosity that can’t be explained, forgiveness that feels impossible?
Love That Sacrifices
Paul also saw their “labor of love.” The word labor means toil—sweat—and sacrifice. Love, in the New Testament sense, isn’t just a pretty card. It’s casserole dishes baked, chairs stacked, neighbors served, even when no one thanks you.
The Thessalonians showed love in hard circumstances. They received the gospel “in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1:6). Even under pressure, they didn’t quit. Their love made them “an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (1:7).
When Paul wrote the Corinthians (where he may have been when he wrote 1 Thessalonians), he doesn’t quite define love, but he describes it. And much of that description is expressed in verbs (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). Love is not so much in a set of habitual characteristics, but in doing (or refraining from doing) certain things. If love does not exist in action, it does not exist at all. Real love sacrifices. But it’s the kind of sacrifice that makes communities flourish, families heal, and churches stand out.
Hope That Lasts
Finally, Paul thanks God for their “steadfastness of hope.” Hope gave them staying power.
The Thessalonians knew how to wait. But what were they waiting for?
They were waiting for Jesus “whom [God] raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1:10). That hope didn’t make them passive; it made them steady. When opposition came, they didn’t pack up their faith like winter coats in spring (like we did in Canada). They endured with eyes fixed on Christ’s return.
Christian hope isn’t mere positive thinking. It’s not crossing fingers and wishing for the best. It’s anchoring your life to a risen Savior who has promised to return.
A Model Church
So, what does God want His church to be? Not slick. Not impressive. Not flawless. But like Thessalonica:
- Faith that is visible.
- Love that is sacrificial.
- Hope that is unshakable.
That’s why Paul can say, “The word of the Lord rang out from you… your faith in God has gone forth everywhere” (1:8). Their lives preached before their lips did.
Why It Matters for Us
Reading 1 Thessalonians 1 sets a model for us. But it is also like holding up a mirror. Does my faith work, or is it just words? Does my love labor, or do I only give when it’s easy? Does my hope endure, or do I unravel when life gets tough?
The good news is that the same gospel that transformed Thessalonica is still at work today. Jesus rescues. Jesus sustains. Jesus is coming again.
Faith, love, and hope aren’t just virtues to admire in an ancient church. They’re the fingerprints of God’s Spirit in every believer and every congregation. And when they’re present—even in small, chair-stacking, food-preparing, hold-the-umbrella-for-someone-on-rainy-days ways—people notice.
Closing Thought
Paul’s brief time in Thessalonica looked, from one angle, like a failed mission. He had to leave under the cover of night after just three weeks. Yet from God’s perspective, those weeks planted a church that rang out across the region and echoed through history.
That’s the message of 1 Thessalonians: God can take ordinary people, in ordinary places, and by His Spirit produce extraordinary faith, costly love, and durable hope.
And that, Paul would say, is exactly the kind of people that the church is meant to be.
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