Distinguishing Marks of a Christian

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Be Sure You Have a Faith that Works (vv.2-3a) 

Grow in Your Love for Others (v.3b) 

3. Stand Firm in the Hope of the Future (v.3c) 

Intro:

There are some things that come very small that require a great deal of intelligence

one of those things … is a watch

they’re works of art … with every little piece working together to keep the time accurate.

If we were to take a watch apart... we'd see the different key components…

the gears... the spring... the escapement... the dial... the hands, the crystal… and, of course, the battery or mechanism that powers it.

Now imagine that a watch is missing one of these parts.

Without the battery it would not work.

Without the gears … it would not be able to measure time.

Without the hands … it would not know what time it is.

Each piece is essential --> working together in perfect harmony to fulfill the purpose of the clock: to tell time.

In the same way, the Christian life is made up of three essential components: faith, love, and hope

… that work together to keep the Christian's life functioning as it should.

Christians must constantly be growing in these necessary characteristics of the Christian life.

and if you lack these characteristics … you are not going to be effective for the Lord and for his kingdom

… and the Scriptures make you consider whether you have been saved by God.

So it is important to understand this and to understand why these characteristics must be in our lives.

And for that let’s look at a passage in 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

READ

Paul was thanking God for producing these virtues in the Thessalonian Christians

these virtues are found together not only here...but throughout the NT

they are normative and necessary for Christians

These 3 characteristics that Paul speaks of here … involve work.

The first is to have a “faith that works”.…

that is our 1st point … we have to make sure that we have a faith that works

1. Be Sure You Have a Faith that Works (vv.2-3a) 

First we must understand what we are talking about

And we start with the GOSPEL OF GOD

ANSWER

… Then God does his saving and transforming work in you

to take Jesus' analogy from ... John 15 ... he puts his roots in you ... then you as his branch … you begin to produce fruit.

You cannot do good works to be saved

… good works are the fruit of salvation

a faith that works --> that outward expression of the inward transformation that God has done in you.

Faith in Christ will always work

It has been said that … “works are the legs that make faith walk.”

Now here are 2 errors that people fall into when they think about works.

The 1st is that you base your salvation on works.

Romans 3:20 “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

(most religions teach this).

the 2nd is not to include works at all

some christians believe this … and this leads to a careless life

this is wrong ... because works are not necessary to be saved …

... but they are necessary for those who are saved …

So we have to ask … if you are someone who says that you are a believer ...

… do you have a transformed life that reveals that profession?

In other words … do you have a faith that shows in works?

We have to be sure that if we have a faith that works

If it is no … then you need to repent and put your trust in Christ.

When God works in you ... he changes you (2 Cor 5:17) … and causes you to work for him (2 Cor 5:15).

Genuine faith in Christ … leads to a life genuinely changed by Christ.

Think about what you can do ... to meet the need of another person (Believer or non-believer) …

.... this is essentially what a good deed is and when you do it … you bring glory to God.

So although God did not save you for good works … God saved you for good works.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

there are things that God has arranged for you to do

What are those things in your life?

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself for us.”

so when we love we are like God

and that is where Paul takes us next in our passage … “the work of love”.

if we are called to love as Christ loved … that means we always have room to grow

Paul calls the Thessalonians throughout his letter to love more and more

God wants us to grow in our love.

2. Grow in Your Love for Others (v.3b) 

Whenever we talk about loving others… we have to start with how we have been loved ourselves.

Romans 5:5–8 “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I'm sure you guys saw what people were saying about the fires in Los Angeles ... that there was no water in the fire hydrants …

... that's crazy to think … I don't know if this was true or false

but anyway … fire hydrants are made to channel the water from the water reservoir so that the water can be used

if we think of God's love as the reservoir …

and our hearts as the fire hydrants …

then we can pour out our love to other people

The two words in our passage are put together because to love biblically is work.

to truly love someone can be tiring

and especially when the kind of love God requires is not just in words...but is always coupled with action

1 John 3:18 “Children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

biblical love … fundamentally it is a selfless commitment to the welfare of others

If we have been immensely loved in this way ... then we need to ask ourselves .…

“how can I be stretched in my love?

ILLUSTRATION ABOUT PIZZA DOUGH

Let’s look at God’s wisdom on how we are to love

to a passage that gives us a description of love

Turn to 1 Cor 13:4-7

1 Cor 13:4-7

Love is Patient

we know that patience is tested when someone does something over and over and over again

… and if biblical love is a commitment to the well being of others

then for love to be patient is for you to be inconvenienced over and over again

and not that you explode in anger and frustration

you don't rage...you don't respond in retaliation..…

So how can we grow in love by being more patient?

Love is Kind

While patience is withholding … lovingkindness is deciding to extend

this is action … you go back and do something for others

what kind and helpful thing you can do for someone else

this starts with words ... but it doesn't stop there … it has to move into action

this is asking yourself the question “how can I be of help to this person or in this situation?”

Love does not envy

In other words, to turn this around and turn it into a positive… is genuinely being happy for others.

This happens when you want something that others have

Someone has a better job... earns more money… is more successful --> and you want that.

Someone has a bigger house… --> and you want it.

Someone has a better car --> you don't have it… so you want it.

How you can be more loving… by being genuinely happy for others

Love is not boastful

In other words, it’s about keeping a humble attitude

watching our words for boasting or pride.

How can you use discernment with your words toward others?

Love is not arrogant

Arrogance is close to pride

So this has to do with thinking too much of oneself.

How can you grow in seeing others as more important than yourself?

Because if you are arrogant… you will not strive to love someone.

(v.5) Love is not rude

this has to do with your attitude

can it be that you are rude when you try to love?

Do you really care about the person?

Are you kind to others, do you consider the other person?

it's not just about doing the act of love… it's about how you do it.

Love does not insist its own way

This is putting the interests of others above others … valuing them as more important.

When you walk into a room… do you consider yourself the most important person?

In conversations… do you want to be the first to speak?

Do you focus on yourself or others?

In short, how can you serve others?

Love is not irritable

Do you lose control of yourself with people … how often do we get angry?

This does not refer to righteous anger … that's true

but even when something is done against you … you should not lash out.

Are you more concerned about yourself and how you have been offended … or the other person?

The reality is that you don’t love someone who makes you angry all the time

Love is not resentful

This can happen with people in the church

a look ... something they did … something they didn't do

Are you someone who holds grudges or resentment?

Do you need to reconcile with someone?

Certainly we can all grow in forgiveness

(v.6) Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing

This is not being comfortable with the sin of others … not tolerating their sin

hating their sin and telling them that you hate them

To love is to tell a brother/sister...husband/wife that they are sinning and call them to repentance.

Love rejoices with the truth

To put it negatively ... to love someone is to show a brother or sister/spouse wife … when they are believing the wrong thing

To put it positively ... when someone is growing in the truth … to love is to encourage them

When they are growing in God's truth … to love them is to bring them to rejoice with you

(v.7) Love bears all things

this has to do with protecting and covering someone.

how do you do that … Well, you don't tell others when someone has done something.

In other words, you don’t engage in gossip.

You keep things to yourself … you don't go out and tell others.

How can you grow in love for others by not gossiping?

Love believes all things

This is always giving the benefit of the doubt

think about the opposite... if you are generally distrustful of others… you are not affectionate

How can you grow to love people...by trusting people more?

Love hope all things

If you are generally a negative person towards others … you probably don't love

even when people fail … do you maintain hope

Love endures all things

this is not to give up... to stay strong… to keep on trying to love those who are hard to love.

keep trying to love those who are hard to love

I know it’s a lot and it’s a high standard

but we are called ... and highly trained to love …

1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Well God gives us one more fundamental virtue that we are to be growing in..…

He says we are to grow in “the steadfastness of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

this has to do with God's promises about our eternal future … that has to affect our present life.

that is why we must stand firm in the hope of the future.

3. Stand Firm in the Hope of the Future (v.3c) 

Let’s understand what hope is

normally when we think of the word hope... we say I hope this will come out ... I hope to go there one day …

it’s usually a wish and blind optimism (like the blind mice in Shrek)

there is no certainty … you are not 100% sure it will happen

biblical hope is the opposite ... it is certain … it is concrete and true

it is not “i wish this will happen” ... but it is like this --> “i know this will happen … because God says so”.

1 Peter 1:3-5 says

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Then the hope that God speaks of … is alive.

Why? --> Because the Son of God died ... but he did not stay dead … He resurrected!

and even more we receive an inheritance …

v.4 - … “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

so we have a living hope ... because we have a living savior … and a promised inheritance

... which we know we will one day obtain … because it is being protected by the omnipotent God.

this is “the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (v.5)

this is the reason why we as christians are saved ... and have eternal life ... but not yet … in the fullest sense.

Another passage that deals with this

Romans 8:22–25 “22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

v.22 - “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

creation is personified here and is said to await the day when the curse of the fall will be undone (no more earthquakes/forest fires).

v.23 - And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

this is where we run into the tension in our Christian lives … what is known as the “not yet no more”

we have already been adopted by God in a legal sense … and we already have many of the blessings and privileges in our relationship with Christ

but we are awaiting the full redemption of our bodies

not just new immortal bodies … but no more sin to deal with in us and out of us

Look at what he goes on to say … note the connection to our passage.

vv.24-25 - For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

“patience” is the same word in Greek that is translated “steadfast” in our passage

So we objectively have the hope that God gives us … that is sure.

God calls you and me ... to be steadfast in this hope … to be persevering in this hope

not to let us fall

can be illustrated like this

When I was a kid ... I remember going to the beach and burying my feet in the sand.... I remember the waves coming up and hitting me ... and trying not to get knocked down ... I wasn't successful all the time … sometimes the waves would take me in.

standing firm is like planting your feet in the sand … and not letting the waves of life drop you down

(circumstances ... all the uncertainties of life … the opposition to stand up for what is right).

And why? --> because you have a living hope ... that is yours ... and that is safe … and that one day it will be fully yours

but for now … we wait with firmness

2 Corinthians 4:16–17 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Is your life affected by the hope God has promised?

One last passage…

In the book we are looking at today ... Paul writes to people who had a hope that was steadfast … that affected their daily life

Our hope ... affects how we see … when our soul is separated from our body (the dead one).

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

Brothers, we have a living hope that God gives us confidence for the life to come.

yes there are pains ... difficulties ... opposition … in this life

but God promises us that he will come back and grant us all that he has said.

To what extent are you sure of this?

We have seen who Christians are thanks to Christ

redeemed sinners … working for the Lord out of gratitude to him

… and we have seen what Christians do

we love because he first loved us

and we stand firm because of the hope he has given us