ESOCS Devotional 11 May 2024 – Christian Standard of Living
MEMORY VERSE: “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 NLT
TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-12
Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
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Clearly speaking, our salvation is not dependent on our meritorious keeping of commandments. Neither can any human being justify himself before God by strict observance of the Law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). However, no one can walk contrary to God’s will and expect to be saved. Rather, our love of God is manifested by our obedience to His will (John 15:14; 1 John 5:3). Moreover, our appreciation for the grace of God is magnified in our lives by our willingness to follow the footsteps of Christ our Saviour (Romans 3:31; 1 Corinthians 15:10).
In Saint Paul’s previous brief stay in Thessalonica, he had taught them about the required standard of Christian living (1 Thessalonians 1:5-10). In our text today, he provided further instructions in such areas as sexual morals, brotherly love, diligence in daily work and respect for Church leaders (vv. 3-8). These exhortations of Paul are still very relevant to us today in our daily walk with the Lord.
In all, the true definition of spiritual growth is therefore, walking according to the will of God. It follows also that if any man walk according to his personal religious inventions, he is walking in the wrong direction. Moreover, nobody can claim to be growing spiritually when he is only walking according to the religious commandments of men (Mark 7: 1-9).
It is the will of God, who sanctified us through the sacrificial blood of His Son, that we should flourish in righteousness. We should, therefore, not involve ourselves in sexual immorality; nor should we live a loveless life. Even as we strive to respect both the leadership and the brotherhood, we should also stay away from envy, jealousy, wrath and strife, amongst other vices. Since we have been sanctified through His atoning blood, we should endeavour to set ourselves apart from the world, through obedience and dedication to His sovereign will (1 Peter 5:14-23). May His grace continue to abound in our lives.
- God’s word or the traditions of men, which do you endorse?
- O Lord, give me the grace to follow your footsteps.
Further Reading: Exodus 7:14-24; 1 Kings 12:25-33-16; Mark 3:7-19
ESOCS Devotional 11 May 2024
