A Life Pleasing to God

Jeffery Roberts

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1 Thessalonians 4:1–12

Holiness

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Please turn with me to the book of 1 Thessalonians, we will be in chapter 4 this morning.

Introduction:

Before we begin, it may be helpful to out line where our passage this morning fits in the entirety of it’s letter. Paul was writing with Silvanus and Timothy, but this letter is written in a way that Paul is primary, intimately pastoring this young congregation. This allows him to speak pointedly to issues and is the grounds for helping them understand their conversion, the coming of Christ, how to stand firm in the faith, and how to persevere in living the Christian life.

To outline, the first 3 chapters are essentially historical, looking to Paul’s thanksgiving for their conversion, his ministry, and their reception of the Gospel, why he is absent from them, and ending prayer. Chapters 4 and 5 are primarily instructional. Paul takes the truth they know and have experienced and uses it to continue to teach and guide these young believers. He instructs them in their ethics, their eschatology, and their ecclesiology. He addresses how Christians are to live, clears up confusion regarding Christ’s return, then addresses congregational life.

Our passage this morning is the passage addressing Paul’s instruction regarding ethics. This passage is Paul’s encouragement to believer’s to live lives pleasing to God in practice, in purity, and in practicality.

The Text:

English Standard Version Chapter 4

A Life Pleasing to God

4 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. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

A Life of Practicing

Sports, Instruments, etc...

English Standard Version Chapter 4

This chapter begins with the word finally, but it is not the end of the letter. Rather, this marks the beginning of the final major section, addressing what is “lacking in their faith” as he mentioned in chapter 3. This section is Paul instructing his readers on how to progress from where they have been to where they are going, where they need to soon be in their faith.

He, Timothy and Silvanus are granted the ability to do this because they address the Thessalonians as “brothers.” They speak as brothers to brothers…brothers “in Christ.” This is indicative of the Christian family. Children of God in communion with Christ. People with great love and honor for one another as well as a shared birth, shared instruction, and a shared inheritance. This is the why and the how for Paul “asking” and “urging” these believers. He has the respect for them to ask in grace and kindness, yet in love can urge or encourage…to give them a shove in the right direction.

Paul begins his address in Christ and ends this thought through Christ. The instruction they initially recieved was given in the authority of Christ, not Paul and this is still the case. This encouragement also has the authority of Christ. The Thessalonians, like all believers, could be led to believe they need new truth, a new revelation, but this isn’t the case. Paul encourages them to see that the initial truth, God’s Word, is sufficient and these basic truths are to be rehearsed over and aver again. This is what Paul encourages them to.

These believers are to take the precepts previously learned and practice them in daily life. Their doctrine is to lead to duty. They ave recieved the gospel and taken the step of faith, now they are to walk out their faith. However, they don’t walk out their faith out of mere obligation. Their motives are also brought to attention here. They are to please God.

As one commentator notes, The Apostle may have in mind Genesis 5:22. There the Hebrew has “Enoch walked with God,” while the Septuagint (LXX) has “Enoch pleased God.” To please God, we must walk with Him in the light of His Word. “ These concepts are intimately intertwined.

Paul recognizes that this is already happening though. He commends them saying to do these things, “just as you are doing” but then he says to do “so more and more.” Even when believers are practicing a life pleasing to God, it must be done so more and more. This side of glory, none have attained perfection in their faith and all believers must continue to practice the basics.

Questions:

Are you “in” Christ? Have you yet taken the initial step of faith that leads to this walk in faith?

Have you recieved the gospel in Christ’s authority and have you recieved His Word’s instruction?

Are you walking to please God and how can you do so more?

A Life of Purity

Water Filtration

English Standard Version Chapter 4

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

God’s Will for Believers: Sanctification (in some translations, Holiness)

Sanctification can be seen in multiple ways, firstly as the overarching plan of a believer’s holiness in which we were, are, and will be sanctified. Justified at conversion, being sanctified in our daily lives, and will be glorified when Christ returns and makes all things new. It can also be used as that specific piece in the middle in which believers are currently being sanctified, as 2 Corinthians says “we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness with ever-increasing glory.” We are being made more holy, more like Christ as we walk in Him in our daily lives.

So we see sanctification is a process, specifically the process of being purified. This is clear in the three instructions beginning with the word “that”

The first instruction is "that you avoid sexual immorality.” The word translated here, is porneia, where we get the word pornography. In the text, this word is not so specific though. It encompasses most every perversion of God’s design for sexuality. In a world marked by pagan ritual and Greek religion this would be incredibly difficult. In today’s world, this is incredibly difficult. Illicit material and acts are endorsed and encouraged. The Thessalonians saw this in acts of worship and religion toward secular gods as well as means for personal pleasure and worldly gain. This isn’t entirely unlike our modern culture. Shame is seemingly nowhere to be found, and neither is righteousness.

This is because God’s will is clear, where there is sexual immorality there can not be holiness. They are mutually exclusive.

The second instruction is “that you control your own body.” Christians are not victims of their circumstances or their passions. The Christian can overcome these things through God’s power. Paul didn’t give us a 5 step plan to do this, but he does say it can be done in holiness and honor. Like Paul has already shown, this must be done with the Lord as motivation. The Gentiles do not know God and let their lusts and desires control them. This isn’t so for the believer who has God’s instruction, strengthened with God’s Spirit, looking to please the God of their salvation. Those who know God have had their attitudes changed, and are no longer to deal with their issues like heathens.

The last instruction in this section is “that no one transgress or wrong his brother.” Where there is sexual immorality, there are multiple people affected. It most always involves multiple parties and so one committing these immoral acts is transgressing others. They are drawing others into sin along with them.

Earlier Paul addressed both actions and motives, and here it is no different. Paul gives instruction into what believers are to do or not do in their being sanctified, and now helps them understand why. Their motive to abstain from sexual immorality, to control their bodies, and to honor others is that they should fear God.

They should fear God because He "is avenger in all these things” as verse 6 says. The Lord is judge of the sinner and avenger of those wronged. And Paul says that previously they have been “solemnly warned” by him. In Nahum 1:2 we see, “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.” The God of justice in Deuteronomy who “does no wrong, is just and upright” can not tolerate sin and it will be judged accordingly.

They should fear God, because is the one who calls us to holiness. Believers are to be holy as God is holy.

And lastly, they should fear God because in His great love, He has made purity possible. He gave us His Word, He sent His son to live, die, and be resurrected, and He gave the Spirit to dwell within each believer individually. Every individual has been given divine enablement to live pleasing to Himself.

Believers must live in purity as they seek to please God.

Questions:

Where are you in your walk of being sanctified?

Are you currently avoiding sexual immorality?

One writer says, “yesterday’s sins are tomorrow’s temptations.” How are you dealing with temptations?

Do you have control of your body?

Do you rightly “Fear God”?

A Life of Practicality

Applied VS Theoretical Calculus

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Paul has instructed the Thessalonians to live lives pleasing to God with lives marked by practicing, purity and now practicality. Paul wraps up his instruction on ethics by directing the reader to to love one another and walk properly before outsiders.

First, they are to love one another.

They have been taught this by God. Because God first loved them, they can love one another. this is a deep, familial love. This is a love they’ve already been exemplifying to those around them. The Thessalonians are a people who have already been marked by faith, hope, and love. Paul doesn’t try to convince them they need this love, they already have it and it isn’t something he could teach anyway. It is a gift of God’s grace that belongs to those born again as recipients of Christ’s love on the cross. This is visible to those around the church in Macedonia, especially to Philippi and Berea nearby, but again Paul encourages them to do so more and more.

Lastly, they are to be quiet, walking properly before outsiders.

As we see in the text, they are to live quietly…they aren’t to stir up or cause great noise in the community, minding their own affairs not focused on others and looking for problems and failures. This is similar in thought to Timothy when he says we are to pray for those in authority so we may live lives peaceful and quiet, so that our lives may be marked with godliness and dignity. This isn’t a life of literal silence or physical ease, it’s a life of restfulness in God and peace with others that please God. And Paul adds they are to work and be dependent on no one. The Christian is to work hard as to provide for their family and to not be a burden to others. Greek culture saw work as a burden and they frequently sought not to work. Work in itself is not a curse, rather a blessing to provide for self and help others. Paul worked hard, night and day, in order to proclaim the gospel to these believers.

Together, our love for other believers and our positive witness in community, working hard and being quiet, should be motivated by the respect of outsiders. In 2 Peter 3, it reads that we are to be prepared to witness with gentleness and respect, “so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” We are to live in a way that we may please God in the practicality of every day life, winning non-believers. In the words of Matthew 5, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Questions

Do you love other believers, in light of God’s love for you?

Do you seek to live a life quietly, minding your own affairs?

Do you work hard as to not be a burden?

Do you do all these things so outsiders may see you and give Glory to God?

Conclusion:

Are you living a life pleasing to God?

Let’s Pray

Transition to Lord’s Supper

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