1 Thess 4 — A Life Pleasing to God, Coming of the Lord
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Once again, Paul picks up the theme of living a pure life, “that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your on body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). This is as much an issue in ancient times as it is today — Satan keeps turning the screws to corrupt each generation. “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (4:7).
He also calls us to live a “quiet life: you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (4:11-12). It seems in our society a measure of success is one where we achieve some level of idleness, where we don’t have to work anymore. Sure, there is ultimate retirement, but I hope to work with my hands until I can work no more and I pray I will not be a burden to anyone!
It appears the church is confused about death and resurrection with Christ, so Paul provides some clarification: “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have [died] in him” (4:14). It strikes me that this is a new and different theology, one that may be difficult to people to understand, after all, we can only accept this by faith. But this faith is not unfounded. It is our job, our joy, to demonstrate our faith in Christ each and every day by doing good work, by avoiding immoral behavior, by trusting God with all our heart, mind and strength. Yes we wait for Christ’s return, but we are working while we wait, hoping to help as many people as possible to join in Christ’s triumphal return when “with a loud command, the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…the dead in Christ will rise” (4:16).