WORK OF FAITH AND LABOR OF LOVE
1Thessalonians 1.3
"WORK OF FAITH AND LABOR OF LOVE." This cannot be explained in any other way. While majority of the Christians are denying Good Works in the Name of Christ as unnecessary Commandment, arguing that only by Faith they are justified before GOD, Paul, James, men of GOD, and GOD Himself issued many statements that Good Works are necessary and essential to prove your Faith, otherwise, Faith without Works is Dead! (James 2.5.14-26).
5. "Our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power (in Good Works in the Name of Christ) and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake."
And not only the Work of Faith is needed for a true Christian, but also and Labor of Love, which is the same thing but with a certain addition that not only you Faith participate in your Work in the Name of GOD, but also and your Love! Of course, if you have one.
Working for GOD in your Faith and in you Love is the most highest and the most important Work and Labor in the world, because it will lead you to One Who still Working and Laboring in you and for you, in order to allow you to enter His Eternal Spiritual Kingdom.
Faith and Love are Spiritual Qualities, but Physically they produce Good Physical Works in the Name of Christ which are of all sorts of Good Deeds in the Name of Christ, carrying the burdens of the weak and the poor members of the church and outsiders as well, using your own resources, skills, and physical labor to help others, providing service and help to all who are in need.
Combination of the verses 3 and 4 excellently delivered the full meaning of Paul's thought, revealing that it is the GOD'S choice to choose those who have proven their Faith and their Love for Him by their Good Works.
As GOD is Loving, Merciful and Compassioned to all and constantly helps, supports, and bless humankind with His everlasting Love, and so we must do the same and be the same as our GOD.
Matthew 5.45
45. "so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven, He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." (Matthew 5.45) (Luke 6.35) (Acts 14.17) (Proverbs of Solomon 29.13).
All Spiritual Qualities always reveal themselves in a certain Physical action, similar to that when a certain Spiritual desire produces a certain Physical result.
Spiritual Qualities without Physical results are literally dead, worthless and useless, because they do not revealing themselves in any Physical action. It is like a car that is not running, and because of it produces no result of its purpose, literally became a piece of scrap metal.
So, conclusion is that every true Christian must prove their Faith and Love for GOD in their Good Works, otherwise such people are only "Christians" in word, and not in deed and truth.
As we can see from this verse, Paul also added Love to the Work of Faith, Love actually plays the most essential part very much in everything, and without Love even GOOD Works of Faith will be impossible to achieve.
1Corinthians 13.1-3.13
1. "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but do not have LOVE, I have become a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal.
2. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all FAITH, so as to remove mountains, but do not have LOVE, I am nothing.
3. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have LOVE, it profits me nothing. (KSB, GNB, Gideons Bible, Russian Bible).
3. "If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing." (NRSV)
~ "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (ESV)
~ "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (KJV)
13. But now abide Faith, Hope, LOVE, these things, but the greatest of these is Love." (Faith, Hope, Love. 1Corinthians 13.13) (1Thessalonians 5.8). NRSV.