THE THESSALONIANS’ IDEALITY IN THE GOSPEL

THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH WINNING ALL

(ECWA)

5007 SOUTHSIDE DRIVE

LOUISVILLE, KY 40214

(502) 375-1904

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TOPIC: CHRISTIAN VIRTUES

TEXT:  1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-5; ROMANS 5:1-5

DATE: May 22, 2011

BY

Rev. (Dr.) S. K. Awoniyi

INTRODUCTION

      In this month of May, we have been focusing on the theme; The Thessalonians’ Ideality in the Gospel.  In the first sermon series we talked about “Christian Conduct” and emphasized proof of Spiritual maturity & Being a model to others in the community.   We also narrated the city of Thessalonica which was once located in the Southwest of Philippi and Amphipolis.  Because of the city’s natural advantages it became the leading harbor and sea-port of Macedonia.  The city’s district was reorganized and rebuilt in 315 B.C. by Cassander, the brother-in-law of Alexander the Great.  He then renamed the new city after his wife, Thessalonica, the daughter of Philip of Macedonia, the step sister of Alexander (The Interpreter’s Bible, Scott, E. 1955).  The city of Thessalonica was also the home of two most recognized mysterious religions, Dionysus, the dying and rising god, and Orpheus, the fertility cults.  This type of unbiblical behavior and practice was common in Hellenic, half of Roman Empire.  But due to the conviction of the Lord’s faithful missionaries, the Apostle Paul, Silvanus (also known as Silas), and Timothy they labored very hard and planted a church in Thessalonica, which led to conversion of some idol worshipers in Thessalonica.  In today’s lesson we will view what Christian Virtues mean.

1) Your work of Faith

Past history viewed religion from 2 (two) categories which are, religion of works and religion of faith.  Religion of works believes that human-beings can secure favor, forgiveness, or power of Deity by doing something.  That is, making a pilgrimage, performing a rite, bestowing a gift, undergoing a penance, offering a sacrifice, or maintaining a moral code.  But religion of faith teaches that human-beings cannot obtain the favor of Deity by the price we may pay, the labor we may offer, or the pilgrimage we may make.  That is, it is not what we do but what God does that matters.  The Scripture says;

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph 2:8-9 (KJV).

  

Brethren, be assured that no Christian lives on the bases of his or her knowledge, but on the bases of faith that goes beyond what he or she knows.  What faith means is also emphasized in the Scripture thus:

¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good report. ³ Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Heb 11:1-3 (KJV).

Our Lord Jesus Christ sets no limit on two things which are the love of God and the power of faith.  Faith is not just a speculative idea to be discussed, but a practical idea to be acted upon.  Without faith life is paralyzed; but with faith life is energized. Your faith in the Lord enables you to overcome hardship, your faith in the Lord gives you hope for the future, and it helps you to continue your Christian race no-matter the discouragements and sorrow you go through in life.  Brethren, where is your faith in the Lord? Can your faith liberate you from your sorrow, discouragement, pain, and hopelessness?  If you truly wait and depend on the Lord by faith, you will soon laugh at the storm and be victorious.

2) Your labor of Love

The Apostle Paul indicates here that love is the greatest virtue that a Christian should seek after.  Without labor of love the greatest sermon you may preach is nothing. And, without love your greatest generosity profits nothing.  This is what our Lord exemplified in His life when He was in the world, what He wanted to see in the life of His disciples, and what He want to see in the life of every Christian each day.  The Interpreter’s Bible defines love in various ways.  They are; “glowing good will, patience, friendliness, magnanimity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guilelessness, and sincerity” (Harmon, B. 1935, p.258). And our Lord Jesus Christ emphasized labor of love in some of His teachings thus:

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, which is the first commandment of all? ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:28-31 (KJV)

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

(John 15:12 (KJV) 

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

(1 Cor. 13:13 (ASV)

Dearly beloved, I wish you understand that labor of love is a difficult virtue.  This is because it has to do with a connotation of strenuous, sweating effort, and hard work.  Why?  The reason is because it ought to do with forgiveness.  When you faithfully, truly, and honestly forgive others, it means you are walking in the footsteps of your Lord.  African aphorism says, “The way to win an enemy is to forgive him, and the way to destroy evil is to pardon it.”   Do you do this or not?

Harmon says, “It was a labor of love for our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive the craftiness of the scribes, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the brutality of the Roman power, the cold indifference of the populace, and the shameful cowardice of his disciples; but looking down on them from the cross, he said, Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Harmon, B. 1935, p.259).  If it was not very easy for our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, why do you want it to be very easy for you when you are walking in His footsteps?  You need to learn how to endure with the hope and believe that you will be victorious because the Lord is with you always. 

3) Your Steadfastness of Hope 

Every Christian ought to know that no-matter how powerful or tormenting life’s sorrow, pain, and temptation might be there should be hope in the Lord than in any other religion.  The Bible says:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4 (KJV).

The Christians in Thessalonica and the faithful servants of our Lord, the Apostle Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy waited steadfastly with unflagging hope in the Lord.  This is the only hope that saves, liberates, energizes, protects, and stabilizes.  That is why the Bible says;

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him (1 Thess. 5:8-10 (KJV)

Brethren, if we daily live by faith in the Lord, then our faith should walk toward our hope.  That is, our hope should rest on our faith and that is how every Christian ought to live.  Our heart should not gloom with regret but always ready for the second coming of our Lord.  Because of the Thessalonians’ work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope, and manner of life, they were able to endure persecution, abandonment, and insult.  In view of that, the Apostle Paul and his coworkers gave glory to God on behalf of the Thessalonians’ Christians thus:

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴ Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (2 Thess. 2:13-15 (KJV)

   

      CONCLUSION

      Dearly beloved, the Apostle Paul and his coworkers in God’s vine yard did not only advice the Christians in Thessalonica how to live with Christian Virtues, but those in Philippi also.  To them they narrated 8 (eight) Christian virtues they must ponder and practice.  They are; whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, whatever is morally excellent, and whatever is praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8-9).  Are these Christian Virtues living in you now?  If yes, congratulations!  Keep on living in them.  But if