O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good His mercy endures forever! How many times have you uttered those words? If you’re like me you find yourself speaking those phrases right around meal time. If you’re also like me you’ve probably caught yourself ripping through those words that are often used as the common table prayer so that you can get to the food that is sitting before you. I’m embarrassed to say that those words may have at times become somewhat routine to the point that I’m not even thinking about what they mean. I just take it for granted that every time I sit down for a meal I’ll say those words not thinking about their significance. The significance of what it means to give thanks to God for all that I have - including the food that I eat!
In our text for this morning the Apostle Paul is giving thanks to God - not for food, but for faith. He is thanking God for creating faith in the hearts of the believers in the city of Thessalonica. As we look at God’s Word that was recorded by the Apostle Paul this morning we too are reminded to:
Give Thanks to God For Our Faith
I. The Faith that He has created in us
II. The Faith that he strengthens in us
The Apostle Paul gives thanks to God for the faith that He created in the hearts of the believers at Thessalonica. He gives God thanks for connecting those Thessalonians to Himself. Why is that important? Because these Thessalonians weren’t always connected to God. Before Paul came to share the good news of a Savior with them they weren’t connected with God. In fact they were God’s bitter enemies. Just like all other people that have been born - they too were born in sin. They loved to sin. They did nothing but sin. This sin separated them from God.
But Paul rejoices that God has connected them to Himself. How? Through the work of Jesus. Jesus was unlike any other human being. He was born without sin because he was conceived by the Holy Ghost. He was and is true God and true man in one person. This Godman, Jesus, accomplished what the Thessalonians couldn’t do on their own. He kept all of God’s commands. He never sinned. He also went to the cross carrying all people’s sins on his shoulders. He didn’t deserve to die - but he did. He died so that these Thessalonians could be forgiven, so that they could be connected with God.
Why did God the Father go to all the trouble of formulating this plan of salvation? Why did Jesus go through the bitter pain and agony of suffering and dying on the cross? Why? Certainly not because these Thessalonians did anything to make God want to go through all this trouble. Not because these Thessalonians had anything to offer God in return. God the Father and His Son Jesus did all of this out of grace, undeserved love.
Because God the Father created faith in the hearts of these Thessalonians they believed this message of a Savior. As a result they had lasting peace. They had the peace of forgiveness. No longer did they have to worry about living up to a perfect standard. No longer did they have to fret about the impending day of judgment. No longer did they have to carry the tremendous burden of guilt that sin brings with it. They had peace with God. This is a peace that is everlasting because of what Jesus has done.
That faith - that trust that lived in their hearts spurred them on to deeds of service. Paul thanks God that these Thessalonians produced labor that is prompted by love. Whether they looked for ways to help out in their community, or looking for ways to help others in times of distress, or sharing the message of a Savior with someone who didn’t know him yet, the faith that lived in the Thessalonians’ hearts produced a labor of love.
Their faith also prompted them to work produced by faith. That work might have been faithfully carrying out their duties for their employer, or working faithfully around the home, or serving in different capacities in their congregation. Paul gives thanks that their work was produced by faith. Their work was evidence of the faith that lived in their hearts. They gave their lives in service to God to give him thanks and praise.
Paul also calls attention to their endurance that was inspired by their hope in Christ. They let the light of their faith shine. They let their lights shine in all situations. They had endurance to stand up to all of life’s twists and turns with confidence. Confident that come what may they had a Savior who had forgiven them. They had a Savior who was coming to take them to be with himself.
Give thanks to God that He has created faith in your heart as well. By birth none of us were connected to God. We too were born in sin. We were his bitter enemies. But we have been connected to God through the perfect life and innocent death of our Savior Jesus. Not because we earned, not because we deserve it - but because God loves us. That message brings us peace - lasting peace between ourselves and God.
Yet how often have we been less than thankful in our words and actions? Why do we always have to go to church mom and dad? The boss isn’t looking I’m going to sluff off for awhile. Why doesn’t God give me better weather so the crops grow better? I hate all these chores! I can’t stand my job - why doesn’t God give me something better to do? I can’t stand cooking for this bunch of unthankful boors - God why didn’t you give me a better family?
Again and again we fall into sin because we aren’t always thankful to God for all that He has given us - including our faith. We aren’t always thankful in all we do and say. We must recognize our unthankfulness as sin. We are also reassured that even our sins of unthankful words and actions are forgiven because Jesus sacrificed his innocent life on the cross in our place.
Give thanks to God that He has created faith in your heart to believe that message! Give thanks that God continues to strengthen that faith that He has created in your hearts.
Paul encourages the Thessalonians that God continues to strengthen their faith. He assures them that they have a God who loves them very deeply. He reassures them that despite the sin they still committed in their lives - God would forgive them. He reassures them to strengthen them in their faith in God’s love for them. He encourages them to build them up in their knowledge about their God.
As further encouragement Paul reminds these Thessalonians that they were chosen by God. They were chosen by God to be his sons and daughters. God chose them to his own from eternity. Even before this earth was made God knew them. He chose them to be part of his special family of believers. He had elected them to be his own.
How could they be sure that they were among God’s elect? By remaining in God’s Word. Through His Word God strengthens faith. Faith is strenghtened in God’s Word because the Holy Spirit is active in that Word. God’s Word is special for this reason, not because the words in and of themselves are special, not because they the pages of the Bible are made of the finest paper, not because those pages are bound together and adorned with a beautiful cover, but because the Holy Spirit is active through that Word strengthening faith.
That’s what makes this Word powerful! As Paul says he didn’t come to those Thessalonians with just a bunch of words - he came with power. He came with the Holy Spirit. The English word dynamite is derived from the Greek word used to describe power. Paul came to the Thessalonians with God’s dynamite - his Word that brings His Powerful Spirit. So powerful that it can blast a soul destined for the depths of hell to the glorious heights of heaven. Powerful enough to overcome bitter unbelief and change a stony heart of arrogance and rebellion and reshape it into a humble heart of submission to a gracious and merciful God.
That Word that strengthens faith is convincing in its effect. Paul didn’t have to crack the Thessalonians over the head with baseball bats to make them believe. He didn’t have to hold a gun to their heads to make them confess. He didn’t have to threaten to take away all their possessions unless they joined his congregation. God’s Word did all that. As the Thessalonians continued to read and study that Word it would continue to strengthen the faith in their hearts. It would continue to confirm in their hearts and minds that this was indeed the Word of truth. A Word that holds true for all eternity. They truly had reason to give thanks to God!
And so do we! Throught the faith God has created He strengthens us for all earthly trials and troubles, In fact through these trials and troubles he stregnthens our faith and love for him. Thanks be to God that He has not abandoned us - but is always with us strengthening sus to face all tirals with his wondrous love, encouraging us by reminding us tha He ahs known us long before the world was fromed, that He continues to strengthen us through the work of the Holy spirit - who has overcome our stony hearts and made us a fertile field of faith. A powerful message from a powerful God.
Don’t just go through the motions. Renew your thanksgiving to your gracious and merciful God. A God that loves you so much he would sacrifice his own son’s life to save yours. Amen.
