True Discipleship (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)

30/06/2025 11 min

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Episode Synopsis

"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:3)Why do you do what you do? It is not an easy question to answer. We all have mixed motives for our actions in life, but some will be more important to us than others. So, what drives your life? A desire to seek pleasure or comfort for yourself? A belief that life will be much better and more secure if only you had more money? Wanting to please others? To look good in front of the crowd? To please a loved one, a boss or someone you admire? Perhaps it is a desire to feel that you have made a success of your life or that you have achieved something meaningful or lasting? As Paul writes to the baby church in Thessalonica, he starts by giving thanks for what is driving their actions: faith, love and hope. These new Christians have found a new reason for living: Jesus Christ. Knowing that they have been saved through his death and resurrection, they have re-oriented their lives to live for God and to live like Jesus. Their faith has not just changed the way they think it has led to a life of action that is prepared to put in the hard graft and to keep going despite the challenges. For us this raises two questions: “Does our faith lead to action?” and “Are our actions motivated by our faith?” The more we can honestly say, ‘Yes’ to both these questions, the closer we are to being true disciples of Christ.