Faith, Love, Hope in Thessalonica

 

 

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father” (1 Thess. 1:2 – 3).

 

“Since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8).

 

I’ve been pondering the cluster of faith, hope, and love at the beginning and toward the conclusion of Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica. The believers in this city were known for their faith, love and hope. Their way of life not only manifested hope, love, and faith, but faith, love, and hope was also their armor as “sons of light and sons of day” (5:5).

 

When we encounter faith, hope, and love in the Bible we see the core of our calling in Jesus Christ, the core of our life together, the core of our witness of Him to the world. Note that both 1:2 – 3 and 5:8 are closely related to the Father choosing us in Christ:

 

“Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you” (1:4).

 

“God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9).

 

It is good to remind ourselves that we are not accidents looking for a place to happen – we can only be in a relationship with Jesus because God our Father has called us into that relationship.

 

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).

 

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

 

We can have great assurance that Jesus is our Author and Perfector (Hebrews 12:2), that the One who began a good work within us will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6). I may not fully understand these words of Jesus in John Chapter 6, in fact I can understand very little of them, but I am most certainly called to believe what Jesus says about the Father and me and Him. Believing what Jesus says allows me to live securely in Him, allowing faith, hope, and love to grow in me and flow through me – back unto Jesus and into the lives of others.

 

Consider what Paul writes to the Colossians:

 

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:3 – 4).

 

The Christians in Colossae also have a testimony of faith, hope, and love.

 

Is this my testimony? When others look at me do they see faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ?

 

Is this the testimony of our congregations?

 

Is this your testimony?

 

Perhaps, as we live today, we can watch for Jesus coming to us, teaching us to live in and to share the faith, hope, and love that He is giving to us as His brothers and sisters. Perhaps we can ask Jesus to teach us today how to share faith, hope, and love with others.

 

Let’s remember that love, hope, and faith are not only to be our Way of Life in Christ, but they are also our armor, protecting our hearts and minds (which are continually assaulted by the things of this world!).

Reflections on the Song of Solomon (2)

 

 

“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” (SS 1:1).

 

“Hurry, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.” (SS 8:14).

 

The Song of Solomon begins with passionate love, and it concludes with passionate love.

 

The imagery throughout the Song is intimate and knowing.

 

“Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace me” (2:6).

 

“Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace me” (8:3).

 

This is a Song in which the Bride rejoices in the Groom, and the Groom rejoices in the Bride. The Groom only has eyes for the Bride and the Bride only has eyes for the Groom. It is sacred Song with a sacred Love. In one sense the love is exclusive, in another sense others are invited to bask in the love and to rejoice in the Bride and Groom.

 

In Revelation chapters 21 and 22 nations walk by the light of the Bride and Groom (21:24) and the leaves of the Tree of Life – which is now the union of the Bride and Groom - are for the healing of the peoples (22:2).

 

A very rich man recently remarried. For the wedding venue he rented a large section of an historical and culturally significant city. He did not invite the world to his wedding.

 

When our Lord Jesus and His Bride celebrate their wedding, when His glorious Bride descends from the unseen into the seen, from the invisible into the visible – all the peoples of the earth are invited to bask in the healing and light and glory that flows from the union of the Bride and Groom.

 

The Bride and the Spirit issue an invitation to all:

 

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev. 22:17).

 

The Song of Songs is a duet of Bride and Bridegroom. While others make an appearance on stage and provide background music and singing, they are there only to highlight the passionate love of the Groom and His Bride – of the Bride seeking the Groom and the Groom seeking His Bride.

 

In the first verse the Bride sings of her Beloved, and in the final verse the Bride sings of her Beloved. Between the first and final verses is a Divine Duet of Love, Marriage, Consummation, Enjoyment – a Divine Dance into eternity…indeed, a dance that never ceases; a dance, I imagine, in which new steps and patterns unfold with Divine Life and Movement and Energy.

 

As we read the Song, let’s note how its core is the Bride focused on the Groom and the Groom focused on the Bride. Let’s ponder their descriptions of one another – descriptions born of intimacy, of love, of care, of tenderness, of giving – of union with one another.

 

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).

 

“This mystery (Gen. 2:24) is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32).

 

Jesus left His Father’s house to seek His Bride; we are now bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, members of His Body (Eph. 5:30); holy and blameless before Him in love (Eph. 5:27; 1:4).

 

Ought we not to be wedded to Christ and only to Christ? (2 Cor. 11:2 – 3).