Genuine Christianity - Studies in 1 Thessalonians - 10
Pleasing the Lord
We have now arrived at chapter 4 of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. We are studying verses 1 to 12. After reading the first three chapters you may think that the church at Thessalonica is the perfect church! They receive Paul's commendation for the healthy progress they have made.
There is always room for improvement in our walk with God. Remember Paul said to them in chapter 3 verse 12, "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow". We must never think that we've arrived in our devotion to God and to other believers.
In chapters 4 and 5 Paul deals with the present need for improvement as well as looking to the future. He moves from commendation and explanation to instruction.
What will motivate us to improve ourselves when there are deficiencies in our
Christian living? Paul gives the answer in verses 1 and 2. He says, "Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God". Our motive is to please God. The more we seek to be wellpleasing to him, the more quickly we will deal with our shortcomings.
The word "instructed" in the Greek is like a military command. You are under orders. You have no choice. The Commander has spoken. There is no argument, he has stated what you must do and you are expected to do it. It is not that they were not pleasing God at all, they were. Paul reassures them in verse 1 when he says, "As in fact you are living". But they needed to improve in some areas in order to please God even more.
Paul says that this was always the thing that motivated him. He said in chapter 2 verse 4, "We are not trying to please men but God." The Thessalonians are showing great potential. Having reassured them, he also encourages them. He says at the end of verse 1, "Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more." The Thessalonians were pleasing God, but there is the ever present danger of weakening resolve. I hope that you are always looking at ways in which you can improve the way you serve the Lord.
How do we know what pleases God? Paul says in verse 2, "You know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus."
This authority is his apostolic authority. When he wrote to the believers at Colosse, Paul said in Colossians l verse l, "Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God". He speaks by divine authority. The Apostolic teaching found in the Bible is part of the Scriptures. To know what pleases God you need to be in the Scriptures written by the divinely appointed and approved apostles.
You may know your Bible from cover to cover, but it is only as you practice the Bible that you'll please the Lord. Pleasing God shows that you are what you profess to be, a follower of Christ. It delivers you from a legalistic approach to Christian living that implies Christianity is only rule-keeping. You want to please God because you love him.
Paul now addresses two areas of church life that needed attention. He says in verse 3, "It is God's will that you should be holy hat you should avoid sexual immorality". How is this to be done? It is done by exercising self-control. We read in verse 4,"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy". Our sexual appetites must be brought under the control of the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit.
Paul contrasts this with the heathen. He says in verse 5, "Not in passionate lust like the heathen. "The word "passionate" is passive in the original Greek. It has the idea of being under the control of lust. Your profession to be a Christian means nothing if your daily living is controlled and shaped by the passionate lusts of the flesh. Paul says those who act like that do not know God.
There appears to be some sexual laxity in the Church at Thessalonica. Paul rebukes someone who has got himself involved in a wrong sexual relationship. He says in verse 6, "....that in this matter no-one should wrong his brother". The word "wrong" translates a Greek word meaning "to overreach", to go into someone else's territory'. Someone in the Church was involved in an affair and adultery. They had invaded another mans territory by having an adulterous relationship with his wife. We are told in verse 7, "God did not call us to be impure". Illicit sexual activity is impurity and must be confessed to God and forsaken before you can be blessed. God will strengthen you to overcome. Verse 8 says, "God ... gives you his Holy Spirit".
The second area that needed attention was that of brotherly love. Two things should distinguish the Church from the outside world: Holiness and love.
Paul did not need to say a lot about love. He says in verse 10, "In fact you do love all the brothers in Macedonia. There were some in the church who fell short of real brotherly love. Paul had preached about the second coming of the Lord while he was with them. Some had assumed this corning was near and gave up their jobs. They thought this was a very spiritual thing to do. After all, they thought, "We are waiting for the Lord without any distraction". The problem was that they began to live off the believers who were still working. This gave the Church a bad testimony outside. The unsaved came to see Christians as lazy idle scavengers.
So Paul tells them in verse 11, "Mind your own business and work with your hands". He gives them the reason. He says in verse 12, "So that your daily life may win the respect of the outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody". Be sure that you do nothing that would spoil your testimony or that of the Church.
How does this relate to brotherly love. Love is always outgoing. It is more prepared to give than to get. You are not showing brotherly love when you are always on the receiving end. Being gainfully employed means you can earn money and be a giver to God's work not a taker. You can give love to those who need to feel it.
I trust you are pleasing God in your life. That you are not pleasing yourself by following your own desires and being selfish in your behaviour.