I Thessalonians :4:1-12
Talking or preaching about sin, and Holy living is not popular these days.
Everyone wants to hear uplifting, encouraging, inspirational messages about God’s Love God’s blessing, and how we can do all things, and have all things “in Christ.”
But we can do nothing “in Christ” or “For Christ” if we are not living a God pleasing life.
Before I continue, let me be clear…Salvation in Christ Jesus has nothing to do with what we can earn or deserve. It does not matter how well we follow the commmandments or live honest moral lives. We cannot have a relationship with God and home in heaven based on what WE DO. It is all based on What Jesus HAS DONE on the cross.
Before we are saved by repentance of sin, and faith in Christ we are powerless to please God at all. But once we are saved and made new creatures in Christ we are now free to live lives that are pleasing to Him by obeying the commands He has given us.
Again it is not the obedience to the commands that saves us, but because we are saved we are able to obey and lead lives that are pleasing to God.
The encouragement here is not only live lives pleasing to God, (Paul gives several of examples to help them) but lead lives as an example for others to follow. Just as Paul, Timothy, and Silas had been doing for the new believers at the church in Thessalonica.
As we mature in our walk with God (although we are not and will not be perfect on this earth until Christ comes again, and makes us perfect; we should seek to live lives that aren’t just trying to keep from being wrong or sinful, but seeking to do that which is good and right.
Then through reading and applying the Word of God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can truly live lives that are pleasing to God and be used in the purposes and will He has for us each day.
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