Return of Christ gives hope

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, 1ST DECEMBER

READ: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

‘we always thank God for all of you’ 1 Thessalonians 1:2

In today’s world we’re often called to sum up people and places. On social media profiles we describe ourselves in a few words; on our church websites we do the same for our congregations. I wonder how you would sum up your church in a line?

The church in Thessalonica was a church plant (recorded in Acts 17). The rhythm of the Gospel in church planting is blessing and opposition, but the encouragement for Paul was that despite their suffering the message of the Gospel was received with joy. The dominant theme of the letter is thanksgiving: ‘we always thank God for all of you’ (v.2).

Paul reflects on a church and in summary amazingly characterises them with faith, hope and love: ‘We continually remember before our God your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by our hope in our Lord Jesus Christ’ (v.3). The mark of this church is faith, hope, and love. This is what stands out in Paul’s mind as he thinks of this church. Faith is directed towards God, love towards each other, and hope towards the future, in particular the return of Christ. Every Christian is a believer and a hoper; hope is rooted in theology. I know Jesus Christ is returning, so I have a certain hope. I can be an optimist or a pessimist, but I have a certain hope.

Faith, hope and love are productive. They sound abstract, but they have concrete, practical results. True faith in God inspires good works: ‘Faith without works is also dead’ (James 2:26); ‘be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves’ (James 1:22). True love for people inspires working for people and standing by them in times of testing, otherwise love degenerates into sentimentality. True hope in the return of Christ leads to endurance, particularly in the face of opposition and suffering. Calvin called this verse a brief definition of true Christianity: ‘work produced by faith, labour prompted by love, endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Thess. 1:3 (NIV)).

Today we enter the season of Advent, joining in the anticipation of when Christ will return. May our faith in God inspire good works, may our love for people inspire us to encourage others, and may our hope in the return of Christ inspire endurance.

The Rt Revd Tony Porter, Honorary Assistant Bishop.