We reflected on I Thess. 1:1-3 last night at prayer meeting. It's a passage where Paul expresses deep thanksgiving for what He sees God doing in the community at Thesslonica. Three phrases stood out to me in Paul's prayerful remembrance: the work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope (1:3).

What's interesting about these three descriptions is how closely tied they are to both heart and life. Paul's encouragement stems not from their faith alone, but their work of faith. His thanksgiving is not for their love alone, but their labor of love. His rejoicing is not for their hope alone, but for their steadfastness of hope. In other words, Paul finds comfort and peace in the spiritual health of the church at Thesslonica not because many profess faith, love, and hope in Christ but because he sees the fruit of faith, love, and hope in their lives as a community.

Jesus reminds us just how close the heart and life are to be in John 14:15. He says, "If you love me, you'll keep my commandments." Obedience is the natural extension of a heart that is embracing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is the inclination and trajectory for a heart open to God and full of His mercy and grace. This does not mean, however, that obedience will always feel natural for the Christian. If our heart was always in the right place spiritually, if we were always set upon the foundation of Christ and him crucified, then yes, obedience would be natural. But, as you and I both know, Christians struggle to believe the gospel. We struggle to keep our hearts consciously embracing the truth of the gospel. We forget it, doubt it, neglect it, or distort it. In the flesh we are given to living by sight rather than by faith (Hab.2:4; Heb.10:38-39), and so when we are controlled by the flesh, we are controlled by sight, which means we will not naturally feel an inclination toward obedience, and we most certainly will not take delight in it. To quote the Apostle Paul, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for they are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things that you want to do." (Gal.5:17)

When the flesh gets the better of you, what do you do? Let me encourage you to do what the church at Ephesus was called to do in the letters to the churches in Revelation. We have to return again to our first love (Rev.2:1-7). We have to return to the Word to form and fill our minds with the truth of the gospel, we have to meditate upon it until our heart apprehends the meaning of the gospel once again, and with this renewed mind and heart we step out and choose with delight to follow the Lord whereever he calls. Try what you will, my friends, there is no other way.

It is the work of faith from which Paul derives comfort and encouragement. And the same comfort and encouragement would be true today of our church should God witness in us the work of faith. God takes joy when he sees the perfect work and righteousness of his Son make deep and lasting inroads into our community. Indeed, He longs to see the work of faith operable in our community to the point that He witnesses the glory of His Son being manifested in our life together. This is a goal for us to pray for, a goal for us to work for... a goal to live for.