TAKE A WALK
1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-12
4 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Intro:
The Christian life can be compared to a walk. Paul often used this picture: “Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1); “walk not as other Gentiles walk” (Eph. 4:17); “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2); “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).
The Christian life begins as a step of faith and then turns into a walk of faith. (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Walking suggest making progress. Our Christian walk should show us progressing in our faith, in our love, in our holiness, in our maturity, etc.
- Paul here describes a threefold walk for us as Christians to follow.
1. Walk In Holiness (vv. 1-8)
The worldly culture in which the early church existed and the worldly culture in which the church exists today were and are constantly wearing on the commitment and calling of Christians to live a holy life.
Paul gave four reasons why they should live a holy life and abstain from sensual lusts.
1) To Please God (v. 1)
- Pleasing God should be the major
- One day we will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
- Children should live to please their father. God’s children should live to please Him. (cf. Heb. 11:5; John 8:9)
- The word beseech is a soft, polite appeal, as a brother might ask for something of a brother.
- By contrast, the word exhort implies some degree of authority or urgency involved in the request.
Paul paired a soft and hard push because he knew they were already walking in this way but he was encouraging them to do so even more.
Pleasing God is much more than simply
You can obey God and yet not please God. Think about Jonah. He had an obedient walk but not a pleasing walk. (cf. Eph. 6:6)
How do we please God? How do we please an earthly father? By
2) To
We can obey God without pleasing God, but in order to truly please God we must obey Him.
Paul gave the Thessalonians commandments concerning personal purity. They were to obey these commands.
The word commandments is a military term. It refers to orders handed down from superior officers. We’ve been given orders from on high about how we are to behave concerning sexual immorality.
The word sanctification refers to an ongoing process by which believers are made progressively more holy as they are set apart from evil and increasingly consecrated toward good (Heb. 12:14). ‘
- If we’re going to grow in our sanctification, then we must abstain from sexual immorality.
3) To glorify God (vv. 4-5)
- “Possess his vessel” probably means to “
- Taking control of your vessel (body) on one hand means that we must admit the temptations to which we are most prone to a fall and then avoid them. The best way to deal with sexual temptation is not to resist but to flee.
4) To escape the judgment of God (vv. 6-8)
God is no respecter persons; He must deal with His children when they sin. (cf. Col. 3:23-25)
v. 7 – “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
- The privilege of sonship involves responsibilities and obedience.
- A holy walk involves a right relationship with God the Father (who called us), God the Son (who died for us), and God the Spirit (who lives within us).
- By walking in the Spirit we gain victory over the lust of the flesh, but to despise God’s commandments is to invite the judgment of God and also to grieve the Spirit of God.
- Pleasing God should be the major
2. Walk In
(vv. 9-10)
- Here’s a great truth: the more we live like God, the more we can love like God. The more we love God, the more we live for God. This translates into our relationships with others. If we love our brothers in Christ, then we will not sin against them. (cf. v. 6)
- Paul was not asking the Thessalonians to acquire something they did not already possess. He was encouraging them to get more of what they already enjoyed. (cf. 1 Thess. 1:3; 3:6)
Paul prayed that their love might “increase and abound.” (1 Thess. 3:12)
How does God cause our love to “increase more and more”? By putting us into circumstances that force us to
There is a positive outcome to a church demonstrating love to her members (i.e. brothers loving brothers). When the world sees believers caring for each other, providing for each other’s needs, putting others first, they take note. It’s easy to imagine that those outside the body would want to be a part of something like that.
- While this kind of love can draw outsiders in, it is only half the calling. We should also engage in dealing with those who are on the outside of the body.
3. Walk In Honesty (vv. 11-2)
- Here’s a truth: when it comes to our love and the lives we live, we’re being watched. We must take our calling seriously!
- The word translated “honestly” in verse 12 emphasizes the believer’s witness to those who are
Christians not only have an obligation to love one another but also to be good testimonies to the people of the world.
1) Lead a
2) Mind your own business (v. 11)
3)
- Some good reasons for working:
1] Provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8);
2] To provide for others in need (Eph. 4:28);
3] To keep you out of trouble, from stirring up trouble (v. 11) (i.e. mind you own business);
4] To be a good witness to those who are without (v. 12).
- Some good reasons for working:
Conclusion:
- The Christian walk is practical. The obedient Christian will have a holy life by abstaining from sexual sin; a harmonious life by loving the brethren; and an honest life by working with his hands and not meddling in the affairs of others.