1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.  1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

A. The Fundamental Virtues in the Christian Life

1. Faith: Ephesians 2:8-9

2. Love: Romans 5:1-5

3. Hope: 1 Peter 1:3

B. Relational Virtues (Toward God, People, Christ)

1. Faith: toward God

2. Love: toward God and people

3. Hope: toward the Lord Jesus

C. Active Virtues (Evidence of New Birth, First Love)

1. Work of Faith: 1 Thess. 1:2-3

2. Labor of Love: 1 Thessalonians

TODAY

3. Steadfastness of Hope: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Hebrews 6:16-20

a. Who is our hope?

– The Lord Jesus Christ: Col. 1:27

b. What is our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ

– His Gospel: past, presence, future

1. Gospel hope in the past: sin’s penalty paid-redemption and forgiveness: Eph. 1:7-8

2. Gospel hope in the present: sin’s power defeated – union with Christ: Rom. 6:6, Gen. 3:14-15, Rev. 12:10-11

3. Gospel hope in the future: sin’s presence removed – heaven: 1 Peter 1:3-5

c. What is produced from our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ?

– Patient endurance in suffering times: 1 Thess. 1:3, Rom. 8:18-25, Heb. 11:27

– Living above difficult circumstances: 2 Cor. 4:11-18

– Pursuit of holiness at all times: 1 John 3:1-4, 1 Peter 1:13-16

HEIDELBERG CATECHISM # 1
Q. What is your only comfort (hope) in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heave; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him