January 20, 2023 – Friday
1 Thessalonians 4:1 NIV
1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV
1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
Comments
Paul followed the above by stating, 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. Instructions on how to live in order to please God. You may be wondering or asking, “What are those instructions?” Glad you asked and we are going to look at a few of the subsequent verses for the answer,
In verse three Paul begins by saying we should be sanctified. But what does it mean to be sanctified? First of all, it is not justification for justification is what happens where the righteousness of Jesus is reckoned to the sinner, so the sinner is declared by God as being righteous under the Law. The justification we receive happens immediately resulting in eternal life and is based only upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, being received by faith and faith alone, no works involved.
For us to be sanctified we have to set ourselves apart from the world for the purpose of doing God’s work while confirming ourselves to the image of Christ. This is an ongoing process and cannot be done alone. It is done with God working to create in us a more godly character in how we live our lives. This is not instant as we are involved in the process in tje submitting of our will to His will.
Paul continues in verse 3 saying, that you should avoid sexual immorality. It seems as if Paul could see into the future and what we face in our culture today. But we need to realize it was not really different then, as sexual immorality was as rampant then as it is now. Paul even provides directions on how we might avoid sexual immorality in the next two verses, 4 Each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.
Bottom Line: We are to sanctify ourselves with God’s help and we are to avoid sexual immorality. We learn to do the latter by learning to control our bodies instead of letting our bodies control us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us specific instructions on how to go about living in a way that pleases You. Help us to continually submit to You so we may continue to sanctify ourselves. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek