1 Thessalonians 4
Daily Bread 1 Thessalonians 4
Living to Please God
1Finally, brothers, 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. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Observation:
Paul concludes this short epistle to the Thessalonians, and in this last chapter urges them how to live their lives. He tells them that they have been sanctified or “set apart”, and should avoid things like sexual immorality, not only to show that they are God’s holy people, but also for their own good. (I.e. God doesn’t give us commands to make our life boring or miserable, but to protect us from things that spoil our lives!)
What I like about verses 1-2 is that Paul says that he instructed them to live a life in order to “please God”. Many of us are good at being “people pleasers”, but that is not what Paul is saying. He is saying be a “God pleaser”. And then he says to do this “more and more”. Meaning that once we get a taste of pleasing God, it is “pleasing” to us and we want to do it more and more.
There is nothing quite like feeling your heavenly Father’s divine pleasure at a life lived for Him. We don’t do this to earn our salvation or relationship with God, but because of our salvation and relationship with God. God has made a covenant relationship with us based on His love for us. We can’t change this by being better, good etc… But God is pleased when we lead a life worthy of our calling to be sons and daughters of God.
Application:
Have you felt your Heavenly Father’s pleasure or smile lately? Have you sensed him utter this is my daughter/son with whom I am well pleased? We please God when we live according to the way He has shown us, primarily through the example of His Son. As we live life more and more according to the example our Lord Jesus has showed us we will sense the Father’s smile often.
Stop today and ask God what would make Him smile in your life? What way of living might please Him? Later in the passage Paul talks about Jesus’ second coming. Although we don’t know when this will be, we will be properly prepared by living a life that is pleasing to Him. Then we have nothing to worry about when the trumpet sounds to bring us back home!
Prayer: God help us to do things in our lives that will bring glory to your name. Help us to get rid of those things that are not proper for those who have been called by Your Name. Surround us with other like Paul who give us an example of how to live out our holy calling. Send Your Spirit to set us apart for your pleasing work in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Living to Please God
1Finally, brothers, 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. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Observation:
Paul concludes this short epistle to the Thessalonians, and in this last chapter urges them how to live their lives. He tells them that they have been sanctified or “set apart”, and should avoid things like sexual immorality, not only to show that they are God’s holy people, but also for their own good. (I.e. God doesn’t give us commands to make our life boring or miserable, but to protect us from things that spoil our lives!)
What I like about verses 1-2 is that Paul says that he instructed them to live a life in order to “please God”. Many of us are good at being “people pleasers”, but that is not what Paul is saying. He is saying be a “God pleaser”. And then he says to do this “more and more”. Meaning that once we get a taste of pleasing God, it is “pleasing” to us and we want to do it more and more.
There is nothing quite like feeling your heavenly Father’s divine pleasure at a life lived for Him. We don’t do this to earn our salvation or relationship with God, but because of our salvation and relationship with God. God has made a covenant relationship with us based on His love for us. We can’t change this by being better, good etc… But God is pleased when we lead a life worthy of our calling to be sons and daughters of God.
Application:
Have you felt your Heavenly Father’s pleasure or smile lately? Have you sensed him utter this is my daughter/son with whom I am well pleased? We please God when we live according to the way He has shown us, primarily through the example of His Son. As we live life more and more according to the example our Lord Jesus has showed us we will sense the Father’s smile often.
Stop today and ask God what would make Him smile in your life? What way of living might please Him? Later in the passage Paul talks about Jesus’ second coming. Although we don’t know when this will be, we will be properly prepared by living a life that is pleasing to Him. Then we have nothing to worry about when the trumpet sounds to bring us back home!
Prayer: God help us to do things in our lives that will bring glory to your name. Help us to get rid of those things that are not proper for those who have been called by Your Name. Surround us with other like Paul who give us an example of how to live out our holy calling. Send Your Spirit to set us apart for your pleasing work in the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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