1 Tessalonicenses 1:2-4

DISCOURSE: 2191
TRUE PIETY DESCRIBED

1 Tessalonicenses 1:2. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

THIS epistle, though not placed first in the sacred canon, is generally supposed to have been the first in point of time: and in point of tenderness and affection, it is certainly inferior to none. The Church at Thessalonica was subjected to heavy trials. In their first reception of the word, they sustained grievous opposition [Note: ver. 6.]; and, in their subsequent profession of it, they endured a great fight of afflictions, being no less cruelly persecuted by their own countrymen than the Apostles were by the Jews [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:14.]. From them St. Paul had been driven by the fury of his bloodthirsty enemies [Note: Atos 17:5.], who had followed him even to Berζa with the most relentless animosity [Note: Atos 17:13.]. No wonder therefore that he felt extremely anxious for his new converts, under a situation of such peril. Gladly would he have returned to them again and again: but his watchful and malicious adversaries would not suffer it [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:18.]. Hence his anxiety for them became exteme; so that he could no longer endure the suspense he was in concerning them. The presence of Timothy with him at Athens was of great importance: yet on the whole he thought it better to be left at Athens alone, that, by sending Timothy to them, he might gain certain information of their state, and promote their establishment in the faith [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 3:1; 1 Tessalonicenses 3:5.]. After Timothy’s return to him, he wrote them this epistle. It is an epistle admirably calculated to impress the minds of all who read it, whether ministers or people, and to shew them what ardent affection should subsist between all who stand in that relation towards each other. In the commencement of it we see how ready he was to acknowledge and commend what was good in them: and herein he particularly instructs us how to minister with effect. Though doubtless it is the duty of every minister to reprove and correct what he sees amiss in his people, his chief delight should be to comfort the feeble-minded, to support the weak, and to build up all in their most holy faith. The object he should continually aim at should be, to be “a helper of their joy.”

In discoursing on the words which we have just read, we shall consider,

I. The graces which he had seen in them—

The great leading graces of Christianity are, “faith, hope, and charity.” On these all other graces essentially depend; so that where these are, there will all others most assuredly be found. But of all these graces there are counterfeits: there is “a faith that is dead:” there is “a love, which is” little else than “dissimulation:” and there is “a hope of the hypocrite that perisheth.” Such however were not the graces which had been exercised among them: in them he had seen,

1. An active faith—

[True faith is active: it brings to the Christian’s view the Lord Jesus Christ, as having in him a fulness of all imaginable blessings treasured up for the use of the Church; just as the vine has in its root and trunk that sap, of which all the branches partake, and by which they are nourished [Note: Colossenses 1:19; Efésios 1:22. João 15:5.] — — — Faith, moreover, brings him to Christ for daily supplies of those blessings which his various necessities require [Note: João 1:16.] — — — And having received communications of grace according to his necessities, he is stirred up by it to improve them to the glory of his Redeemer’s name — — — In a word, whatever the Christian has to do for God, he does it through the operation of this principle; by which, and by which alone, he overcomes the world [Note: 1 João 5:4.], and purifies his heart [Note: Atos 15:9.]. This faith he had seen in his Thessalonian converts: yea, so eminently had it shone forth in them, that they were celebrated for it in almost every Church throughout all the Roman empire, and were held forth as patterns and ensamples of it to all the Christian world [Note: ver. 7, 8.]!]

2. A laborious love—

[Love is that fruit by which, above all, the truth and reality of faith will be discerned [Note: Gálatas 5:6.]. It is by this, above all, that we can assure ourselves [Note: 1 João 3:14.], or be known to others [Note: João 13:35.], as faithful followers of Christ. If we have it not, all else that we can have is of no value [Note: 1 Coríntios 13:1.]. But love is a laborious grace: it is always seeking for something which it may do, either for God or man. It cannot endure to be idle. Whether it can do little or much, it delights to be doing what it can [Note: Marcos 14:8.]. Nor is it diverted from its pursuit by slight obstacles: no; like the water obstructed by the dam, it will overcome them; and will evince its strength and ardour, in proportion to the difficulties that impede its exercise. Love is a self-denying grace: and where it exists in due measure, it will prompt a man not only to sacrifice ease and interest, but even to lay down his life itself for the brethren [Note: 1 João 3:16.]. This grace was so conspicuous in the Thessalonian converts, that St. Paul judged it quite unnecessary to write to them on the subject: they were so taught by God himself respecting all its duties and offices, that he could add nothing to them, but only exhort them to abound more and more in the conduct which they had already pursued [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 4:9.]

3. A patient hope—

[Hope is the offspring of faith and love, or at least of that faith which worketh by love. It is here called “hope in our Lord Jesus Christ;” because “in him all the promises of God are yea, and amen.” It is a patient grace, leading us to expect all that God has promised, however long we may have to wait for it [Note: Romanos 8:25.]; and to fulfil all that God has required, to the utmost possible extent [Note: 1 João 3:3.]; and to suffer all that God has ordained us to suffer, in hope of a final recompence [Note: Hebreus 10:34.]; and, finally, to continue in a constant course of well-doing, even to the end [Note: Romanos 2:7.]. Such was the hope which the Thessalonians had maintained; and in which they had greatly rejoiced, even in the midst of all their afflictions [Note: ver. 6.]

From considering the graces of these eminent Christians, we proceed to notice,

II.

The effects produced by them in his own mind—

They excited in the Apostle’s breast,

1. A lively interest in their welfare—

[A person less connected with them than he, could not but have admired such excellencies: but he was their father: he had begotten them in the Gospel [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:13.]: and therefore he might well boast of them, as “his glory, and joy [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:20.].” Accordingly we find that, “whenever he came into the presence of his God and Father [Note: We connect the close of ver. 3. with the word “remembering.”],” he both gave thanks for them, and prayed for their still greater advancement in every thing that was good. Most exalted was the joy which he felt on their account [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 3:9.]. When he saw the transcendent eminence of their attainments, he quite forgot all his own afflictions [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 3:6.]: the sight inspired new life and vigour into him [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 3:8.]: and he felt in himself a recompence, which richly repaid all that he had done and suffered for their sake.

This shews what are the views and feelings of every faithful minister, when he sees his people adorning by their conduct the Gospel of Christ. Verily, as St. John says, “they have no greater joy than to see their children walk in truth [Note: 3 John, ver. 4.].” This comforts them in all their approaches to the throne of grace: this fills them with praises and thanksgivings to God. That so great an honour should be conferred on themselves—that such advantages should be imparted to their perishing fellow-creatures—and that such glory should be brought to God by their means—is to them a subject of almost stupifying amazement, and of overwhelming gratitude. And whilst they render thanks to God for these things, they pour out their hearts before him in prayers and supplications in their behalf. In a word, these things form a bond of union between a minister and his people, such as exists not in the whole world besides.]

2. An assured confidence in their state—

[When he beheld these fruits produced by his converts, he “had no doubt of their election of God:” the graces they exercised were manifestly wrought in them by the power of God, who had wrought thus upon them in consequence of his own purpose which from all eternity he had purposed in himself [Note: Efésios 3:11; 2 Timóteo 1:9.].

The same blessed assurance we also may entertain, wherever the same ground for it exists. Assurance, so founded, can never be productive of any bad effect. It is only when persons pretend to be assured of their election on other grounds, that any evil can arise from it. If, for instance, a person founded such a conceit on a dream, or vision, or strong impression on his own mind, then we would be among the first to bear testimony against him, as a wild enthusiast, and a self-deluding impostor. Against such a delusion we readily acknowledge that no terms of reprobation are too severe. But when such fruits as those which the Thessalonian converts produced are visible in any, then may we indulge the pleasing thought respecting them, as they also may respecting themselves, that “God loved them with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving-kindness hath he drawn them [Note: Jeremias 31:3.].” Only we may observe, that this assurance is no farther justifiable than it is warranted by the graces which exist in the soul: with the increase of those graces it may justly rise; and with the diminution of them it must proportionably fall. Any other assurance than this is unscriptural and vain: but this not only may be entertained, but is the privilege and comfort of all who believe in Christ.]

Happy should we be to improve this subject in such a way only as corresponds with the general tenour of the Apostle’s address: but,
1.

Must we not rather take up a lamentation over you?

[Of how small a part of our audience can we speak in the terms here used towards the Thessalonian converts! For, where are the works of faith, the labours of love, the patience of hope, of the generality amongst you? Where are those fruits which would warrant your minister to say, that he “knew from them your election of God?” What is the faith of the generality, but a dead faith? what their love, but an empty name? what their hope, but presumption? We would not willingly speak thus, God knoweth! We would be glad to be found false accusers in this matter. Greatly should we rejoice to be convinced of our error, and to revoke every intimation we have here given. But, whilst the fruit produced by you is no other than what the world at large produce, we can address you in no other terms than those of grief and sorrow. If the fruit be bad, the tree must be bad also. O brethren! examine well the daily operation and effect of your faith and love and hope; and then ask, whether St. Paul would have exulted over you, as he did over the Thessalonian converts? and, if your own consciences testify that he would have found no such cause for joy in you, then learn to relax your confidence of your state before God, and seek to be made “Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile.”]

2. Suffer ye then yet farther a word of exhortation—

[To those who really possess and manifest the graces before described, we would say, Be thankful to God for his electing love; and give him all the glory of whatever good there is in you. “Press onward too, forgetting what is behind, and reaching forward to what is before:” and never think that you have already attained, whilst and thing remains to be attained.
But to those in whom there is little or no evidence of such a work of grace we would say, For Christ’s sake deceive not your own souls. This which you have seen in the Thessalonians is Christianity: and this is the state to which the Gospel is designed to bring you also: this too is the object of all our ministrations: and, if these graces be not wrought in your hearts, we consider ourselves as “labouring in vain, and running in vain.” Whilst we see not this effect of our ministrations, how can we “give thanks for you?” or how, with any comfort, can we “make mention of you in our prayers?” Instead of rejoicing over you, we can only mourn and weep on your account [Note: Jeremias 9:1; Jeremias 13:17.]: and, instead of having the delightful thought of presenting you to God “as the children which God has given us [Note: ver. 19. with Isaías 8:18.],” we have the terrible apprehension that we shall prove swift witnesses against you to your eternal condemnation [Note: Malaquias 3:5.]. We pray you, brethren, lay to heart these affecting considerations; and begin without delay to seek that entire change both of heart and life, which invariably characterizes the elect of God, and which alone can warrant any hope of happiness in the eternal world.]