“Like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver Is a word spoken at the proper time.” Proverbs 25v11
In Paul’s first epistle to the Christians at Thessalonica he tells them in chapter 1 verse 3: “We continually 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”.
Last week we saw that the work of faith is that action which takes place when we make Christ Lord of our lives. Today we continue by looking at labour prompted by love. The word that is translated from the Greek for labour is Kopos which means a striking or beating and so the labour referred to here is a painful, strenuous, back-breaking and/or wearisome toil. Because all humanity is made in the image of God (whose nature is love), amazing acts of charity and kindness are done by Christians and non-Christians motivated by brotherly love for the needy, suffering and helpless.
However, the love referred to in our verse is from the Greek word agape which is used in Scripture to describe the unique love of God which transcends the normal word for love which is the Greek phileo or brotherly love. So, what is this labour prompted by agape love in our verse? It is the toil which is voluntarily undertaken to further God’s kingdom motivated by agape love as expressed in the two Great Commandments. The first is found in Deuteronomy 6v5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” and the other found in Leviticus 19v18: “you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” This is impossible for us to do alone, so God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us and strengthen us so we don’t give up – as we are told in 2 Thessalonians 3v13: “do not grow weary of doing good”.
The evidence that we are involved with the labour of love is a godly lifestyle which enriches society and that is why Paul writes in Colossians 3v8: “Rid yourselves of all such things as anger, rage malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” and in Philippians 3v5: “Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed”.
Amen
Graeme Greenwood