1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
How to live in order to please God?
It is God' will that 1)you should be sanctified. that you should avoid sexual immorality.
2) No one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. reject this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives us his Holy Spirit.
3) Love all the brother, love each other. Paul urges them to do so more and more.
4) Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands.
Your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will hot be dependent on anybody.
Why?
Outsiders do not know Jesus, but our daily life could be a good witness to them.
God is holy and has given us his Holy Spirit, so we should be sanctified.
Live a quiet life, do my own business and work with my hands that I won't involve into gossip and be criticized by others. Don't just talking, but do it.
Sexual life: Pagan standards of sexual behavior fell far short of Jewish and Christian ones. The pull of the old ways was strong for the young converts. But they must exercise self-control. Christian must not wrong Christian in sexual affairs.
Christian love:Even where love already exists there is always room for more.
Work: Patrician Greeks looked down on those who worked with their hands (though the artisans and manual laborers themselves took pride in their work). And there were idlers in the church quite happy to sponge on the generosity of fellow-Christians. Paul himself worked with his hands. He was prepared to step down the social ladder and identify with the laborers, he encourages the Thessalonians to do the same.
How?
These instructions remind me again about the social relationship in this world, a Jesus follower what I should do, 1) Avoid sexual immorality 2) Love each other 3)Live quiet and mind my own work and do it on my hands.
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