I Thessalonians 4:1-12
How does one read these verses and not feel preachy? I say this because there is an important lesson here for all of us. Relationships are the most important part of becoming a Christian. Why? Because God is the one who looked for us, which is why we have a desire to find Him. Through relationships, we learn how to please God. Pleasing God results from the way we properly attend to relationships in the church and out of the church.
Paul urges the church of Thessalonica to do this more and more. This is like my trying to lose weight. I can exercise once a year, once a month, or once a week. Will I feel better for exercising? Certainly. The problem from not having a good diet and from not exercising my body more is more weight gain. I gain weight not because I do not want to be healthy, but because I do not regiment myself.
I cannot have a taste of God every now and then and expect to be able to maintain proper relationships away from the church. To be sanctified is to be holy. That means I have to pursue holiness as a way of life. Paul says we are to control our own bodies in a "way that is holy and honorable." Verse 6 says by doing so we will not wrong a brother or take advantage of him (this goes for both sexes). To reject this teaching is not to reject me, but to reject God (v. 8).
Paul is one to reiterate his points because he again insists that we should love one another more and more in verse 10. How are we working to win the respect of those outside the church? I ask this because God is constantly looking for new relationships to add to His family. What's the hardest part of living a holy life in your eyes? How can we as a church begin to change our image to the outside world to an image of love and care and responsibility?
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