1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER FOUR
1 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER 4
Sanctification and Love
Theme: The Coming of Christ is a Purifying and Comforting Hope
By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
© God’s Breath Publications
Please consider reading the entire fourth Chapter of 1 Thessalonians sometime during each day of the week. This will help you absorb the content of the chapter as well as gain spiritual truths from this marvelous book of the Bible. You will be amazed at the insights that will come from such consistent readings, as well as the growth of your spiritual knowledge. You will also notice how God’s Word will impact your life in the way you relate to your Heavenly Father as well as think, act and treat others around you.
In order for this devotional to help you learn and apply what is beneficial to your spiritual growth, I would encourage you to approach this devotional study with a commitment to observe these five steps each day.
First, pray before you read the scripture, that you will seek to both understand and apply what you learn.
(Psalms 119)
Second, read the scripture passage with a passion and a desire to be convicted by what you read.
(Psalms 37:29-31)
Thirdly, seek to meditate and absorb what you read and respond to how the Holy Spirit will convict you to act.
(John 16:13-15)
Fourthly, challenge yourself how you might apply the convictions that come from the scripture and the Spirit.
(Psalms 1:1-3)
Fifthly, pray once again, that you will consistently act upon what the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do.
(James 1:22-25)
Below each portion of scripture I may at times present additional information helpful to understanding the passage. I will always give you questions for your consideration and to stimulate action on your part. You may not wish to explore each question, but I would challenge you to seek to address most if not all of the points I lay before you to gain the most from the devotional.
DAY ONE – Our Might Potential
“1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”
Paul was always a persistent encourager. Here we see him request and exhort the Thessalonian Believers to walk and please God. “Request” in Greek is the word “erotao” and has reference to asking, beseeching, desiring, intreating and even praying that a person respond to the request with persistent thought and continual action. “Exhort” is the Greek word “parakaleo” and means to call near, invite, invoke with comfort and desire, to come alongside. Paul is here coming alongside the Thessalonian Christians, similar to how the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, to encourage in faith.
Paul substantiates this encouragement by the fact that he had instructed them to walk in this manner when he had visited them before. Timothy’s report of their consistent spiritual walk must have prompted Paul to mention that they were actually walking in this manner. But Paul knew that no one ever reaches perfection in the Christian life, so he challenges them to excel even more in pleasing God in the way they live their lives.
* Do you have someone, a pastor, a small group teacher or a close Christian friend that comes alongside you to request and exhort you to walk in a manner pleasing to God? Why is this an important need in the life of any follower of Christ?
* While you may be walking close to the Lord in many ways, you and I both know we are never perfect in the way we live. I would encourage you to make a list of areas in your life that you could improve and excel so that you would please the Lord even more with your loving obedience to His commands and example of holy living. Consider sharing these spiritual goals with a close Christian friend and have them do the same with you. Hold one another accountable and follow in the footsteps of the Thessalonian Christians who were walking as Paul had instructed them.
DAY TWO – Our Might Potential (continued)
“2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”
* What are some basic Christian commandments Paul might have given the Thessalonian Christians?
* Why was it important for Paul to say that he gave the commandments “by the authority of the Lord Jesus?
* Knowing that the Thessalonian Christians were new converts and lived in a pagan society, what types of Biblical commandments were probably especially important for Paul to share with the followers of Christ at Thessalonica?
* Would many of these commandments be similar to ones we should observe today? If so, why?
DAY THREE – Our Moral Priority
“3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;”
Sanctification is a process of becoming holy, more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a process whereby God and the believer cooperate in the process. Nelson’s Bible Dictionary states,
“Sanctification: God’s Work. We are sanctified by God the Father (Jude), God the Son (Hebrews 2:11), and God the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2). Sanctification is a process that continues during our lives as believers (Hebrews 10:14). Only after death are the saints referred to as “perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).
Sanctification: The Believer’s Work. Numerous commands in the Bible imply that believers also have a responsibility in the process of sanctification. We are commanded to “be holy” (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16); to “be perfect” (Matthew 5:48); and to “present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:19). Writing to the church of the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul made a strong plea for purity.
These commands imply effort on our part. We must believe in Jesus, since we are “sanctified by faith in Him” (Acts 26:18). Through the Holy Spirit we must also “put to death the evil deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13). Paul itemized the many “works of the flesh” from which we must separate ourselves (Galatians 5:19-21). Finally, we must walk in the Spirit in order to display the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-24).
To sum up, we have a “positional sanctification” because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. This enables us to be viewed by God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as long as we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. “Practical sanctification” is the process of the Holy Spirit producing holiness in our lives on an ongoing basis as we obey His direction and the Word of God. This will never be complete as long as we live in these earthly bodies with our sinful flesh. Finally there is a “total sanctification” which will occur in the future when we are completely conformed to the image of Christ when we reach Heaven.
* Do you understand the meaning of sanctification and how it takes place? If not, do a “word study” of “sanctification” using a concordance. Use other Biblical resources as well. Ask your pastor or a Bible teacher about their thoughts on this critically important spiritual aspect of the Christian life. Consider looking up the following verses to tie in to your study; Romans 6:19-22, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 12:14.
* Why did Paul mention “sexual immorality” specifically here in this verse? Would you say Paul might have mentioned this as something to abstain from in our society today as well? Why?
* Look up 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. How does immorality and specifically sexual immorality consist of sinning against your own body?
DAY FOUR – Our Moral Purity (continued)
“4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”
* How does someone learn to properly treat his body with sanctification and honor?
* How can improper behavior regarding your body bring you dishonor and hinder your dedication to becoming more sanctified in the eyes of God?
* How does Romans 12:1-2 relate to this verse?
* In verse five Paul references the lustful passions of the Gentiles who do not know God. Why is it that when you lack the knowledge of God you would seek to fulfill lustful passions?
* Why is it that some who claim to be a follower of Christ are involved in lustful passions?
* How can simply knowing information about God, but not knowing Him in a close personal relationship allow you to become involved in lustful passions?
* What should someone do who has become involved in lustful passions? What are the consequences if they do nothing?
DAY FIVE – Our Moral Purity (continued)
“6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.”
When Paul was in Thessalonica he warned some of the followers of Christ there not to seek vengeance towards other Christians who had sinned against them. Here he is instructing them not to behave like the pagans that live around them. Sometimes the culture we live in will tempt us to seek vengeance that belongs to the Lord. Paul is not saying that proper legal procedures might not be used to seek justice. He is stating that to “transgress” or “defraud” someone because they committed a sin against you, does not justify responding in like manner. The Greek word for “transgress” is “huperbaino” and means to “step over,” in other words Paul is stating here “don’t trespass onto another’s property or possession.” In this verse the Greek word for “defraud” is “pleonekteo” which means “to wrong or overreach, to cross over into forbidden territory.” Usually when we think of defrauding someone we are deceptively stealing money from them. Here, Paul is addressing relationship issues. When we defraud someone relationally we are behaving deceptively. We are not honest with them or possibly we are involved in gossip concerning them. This is not appropriate Christian behavior. Here Paul speaks of the Lord being the avenger. The Greek word for “avenger” is “ekidikos” one who exacts a penalty from a person. Paul is stating that when we are sinned against in any way, we are not to seek revenge through transgressing against another or defrauding them. We are to leave the matter in the hands of the Lord who will avenge us through His own means in His own timing.
* Have you ever been tempted to respond to someone who sins against you in a similar fashion as they wounded you, seeking revenge? Did you give in to this sin? What is wrong with responding in such an ungodly fashion? How can you avoid responding in this manner?
* How does the Lord being described as an avenger comfort you?
* Does the Lord described as an avenger cause you any concern? If so, why?
“7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”
Paul here continues to stress the spiritual call of the Christian, to live holy and pure. A lifestyle of purity and holiness paves the way for godly sanctification to take place. Paul later prays for the Thessalonian Christians, in chapter 5; “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Satan’s call for every person is to live impure. God’s call for every person is to accept His Son, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be holy as God is holy.
* While the godly call of holiness leading to sanctification seems like an impossible task, we are to understand that this can only be done through the power of the Spirit. What are ways you are relying on the Holy Spirit to live holy and pure?
* What areas do you especially struggle with in regards to living holy?
* Once you have identified specific areas you fail to live holy, confess your sin and weakness and accept that God has totally forgiven you and will give you power through His Spirit to live in victory. Below, write the following in your own handwriting:
I am forgiven.
God loves me.
Holy Spirit, fill me and give me power to live holy.
* Pray that God will lead you to victory in these areas by the power of His Spirit. Seek to assist the spirit in His desire to make you holy by studying God’s Word and applying it, staying in fellowship with other followers of Christ, being consistent and steady in prayer and seek to submit to the guidance of the Spirit as He works in your life.
Paul is giving advice to followers of Christ in Thessalonica in how they are to deal with those individuals who persecute and cause them trouble. He knows all of us are tempted at time to respond to hurt and insult in a similar fashion. The temptation involves letting our sinful nature raise its ugly head rather than listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. John Phillips in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians states,
“God sees all men as being either ‘in Adam’ or ‘in Christ’ (Romans 5:7). In Adam, we are controlled by the Fall; in Christ, we are controlled by the Call. Controlled by the dynamics of the Fall, we obey the dictates of a ruined nature; controlled by the dynamics of the Call, we obey the dictates of a redeemed nature. The characteristic of our ruined nature is sin; the characteristic of our redeemed nature is sanctification, holiness, because God has not called us unto uncleanness. Uncleanness is what we inherit by reason of our natural birth, but God has called us unto holiness. That is what we inherit by reason of our new birth. The natural man delights in vileness; the new man delights in virtue. In our daily lives and in our character, conduct, and conversation, we exhibit either the results of the fall or the results of the Call; it is impossible for our Adamic nature to be holy; it is impossible for the Christ nature to be unclean. Whether the Fall of man or the Call of God controls us hinges on which nature we obey (Romans 6:16-18). The decision is always ours.”
“8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
This verse was a strong warning to any Thessalonian Christian who questioned Paul’s instruction from the Lord. It is also a strong warning to us today as well. When we read such godly commands that are contained in Holy Scripture, we must understand that they come from the Lord. While they were written by men, these men were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write them and therefore they are the words of God. Paul continues by sharing that these instructive words are given by God who gives those who accept His Son as Savior and Lord a special gift, the Holy Spirit as a divine and constant counselor.
* Many people reject God’s instruction, even followers of Christ do this at times. Have there been times when you have failed to listen to what scripture has to say or have ignored good Christian guidance from other Believers?
* What consequences resulted from your actions? How did you resolve this conflict? Did you learn from your experience?
* Paul shares the important truth here that God gives us the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Spiritual Guide when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Can you see the importance of having God live in you as the Holy Spirit? Do you see that you are not left alone in making decisions in life and are given the power of the Holy Spirit to live as you are called? Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s love for you and for the marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit who lives within you because you worship and serve your Heavenly Father.
* Make a list of actions, both in thought and deed, you can live out this week that will bring honor to God and that will show your love for the Father, Son and Spirit. During the week pray each day that God will show to you how this obedience is making a difference in your life. Thank Him again in prayer for how He continues to work in your life.
DAY SIX – Our Measured Progress
“9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;”
Loving others as a follower of Christ should be second nature because of the spiritual transformation that takes place in you as you commit your life to Christ. When you are forgiven of your sins a great burden is lifted from you that hindered your ability to love. The gift of the Holy Spirit living within you gives you the power to love others as God loves. The Holy Spirit also helps you understand scripture so that you can apply it to life as you love those around you. The Greek word for “love” here is “philadelphia” and means brotherly love. See also Romans 12:10.
* Think about your life as a follower of Christ over the years. How has God’s love, the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit enabled you to love others deeper and more Christ-like than when you were a non-believer?
* What lessons has God taught you during your life as a Christian in how to love others in an “agape” manner? To refresh your memory on the meaning of “agape” love, read 1 Corinthians 13 and list what characterizes Godly “agape” love.
* How have you loved in this manner? How have you failed to love in this manner at times? How can you improve in your obedience to the call to love others as Christ does?
“10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”
Macedonia was a large geographic region made up of various sub-regions based on nationality. Thessalonica was the capitol of Greek Macedonia. Here we see that the Christian love of the Thessalonian Christians had reached far and wide in all of Macedonia. Despite this excellent witness and reputation, Paul urges them to excel and seek to love still more. The practical call of the Christian in regards to fellow human beings is to love without limit. Such love can never fully be achieved by us, for only God, His Son and the Spirit have limitless love. But this does not mean we are not to strive to increase in our ability to love. “While abiding in love, we must also be abounding in love because that, too, is the nature of love. It can never be content with what it has given; it has to give more. Love does not set quotas. Love does not quit. Love, like Niagara Falls, never ceases to pour itself out.” John Phillips
* How are you improving and stretching yourself in your love for others?
* How can you love others deeper and more consistently?
* What are hindrances to increasing your love for others and how can God help you surpass your past abilities to love in an “agape” fashion?
Our Magnificent Purpose
“11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”
Paul has spoken of the Christian’s call to love others, now he continues by listing four more critical callings we have as followers of Christ; first, to lead a quiet life and secondly to attend to your own business (behave properly), thirdly, to work with our own hands (be a responsible worker) and fourthly, to not be in any need (manage your wealth responsibly whether abundant or meager).
A quiet life does not mean we have to live a boring or reclusive life. It means we avoid strife and stress by living in a godly fashion. We can still experience great adventures and excitement. It means we avoid pursuing inappropriate paths for indulging our time. The Greek word for quiet here is “hesuchazo” and implies “keeping still, to refrain from laborious gossip and meddlesome speech, to be at peace.” When we fail to live an ordinary life we often seek inappropriate activities that lead us into sin. One example is when we let our mouths run away with all manner of expression which causes us to offend others, disturb people and create a confrontational atmosphere of irritation. When we seek improper activities to fill our time, we disrupt our peace and the peace in the lives of those around us. Gossip is just one form of not being quiet in behavior. Christians should be known for minding their own business and not meddling in other people’s lives. Yes, we are to be ready to intervene with help, pray and comfort others, but we are not to pry and intrude into private matters that are none of our business.
* Do you struggle with “not being quiet” or being tempted to gossip? If so, what steps can you take to avoid such pitfalls in your speech?
* Look up the following verses and seek to understand how being quiet and peaceful relates to how we use our tongue in speech; Psalm 34:13, Proverbs 20:19, Proverbs 21:23, Matthew 12:36, Romans 1:29, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Ephesians 4:29-31, 1 Timothy 5:13, 2 Timothy 2:16, James 1:26, 4:11, Titus 3:2. If you have struggles with gossip, consider memorizing at least one of these verses to remind you of your calling to be quiet and be content with your own business and life.
Thirdly, we are to work with our own hands. Christians are called to glorify God in their lives and this involves in whatever work they do. Some Christians at Thessalonica thought the Lord would return soon, so they were mooching off others, feeling that it was worthless to work. Some Christians are unable to work because of limited abilities or a handicap, but most of us are able to find employment and provide for ourselves. The Christian should never avoid work because they think Jesus will return soon. We should never avoid responsibility or planning for the future because we believe the rapture is imminent.
* While it might appear that someone who refuses to work because they believe Jesus is returning soon is very spiritual, this more than likely is a revelation that they are just basically irresponsible. Read Proverbs 15:19 and write down some thoughts on what might be implied by “thorns” in the verse. Also, how would you counsel a person with this mindset of avoiding employment because of their belief that Jesus was returning soon.
* Look up the following scriptures and think through each one as to what it states regarding the importance of work in the life of a follower of Christ. Proverbs 14:23, 16:3, 21:25, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Ephesians 4:28, Colossians 3:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8
Fourthly, we are to “not be in any need.” All of us, at one time or another, face situations beyond our control that require us to seek help. Paul is stating here that if at all possible we are to manage our wealth and income properly so we can avoid as much as possible having to rely upon others for help. The issue at Thessalonica was that some Christians were expecting Christ to return soon so they had stopped working as they waited for the Jesus to show up. In the process, they began living off the income of other Christians. This is not behaving in a proper responsible manner.
* If you knew of someone who discarded responsible behavior and avoided work because they felt that Jesus would soon return how would you counsel them? Other subtle versions of this irresponsible behavior are when we avoid making responsible decisions, planning better for the future because we hope that Jesus will return soon. How is this being disobedient to the Lord?
DAY SEVEN – Our Magnificent Prospect
Paul now begins addressing the concerns of the Thessalonian Believers relating to the return of Christ. Regarding the second coming of Christ, this topic is mentioned 318 times in the New Testament, which is 1 reference every 25 verses. In the Old Testament the majority of prophecies relate to the second coming of Christ. It is a major issue in scripture and here Paul addresses another most important issue that concerned the Thessalonian Christians; followers of Christ who died before Jesus returned to the earth.
“13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
Paul speaks of those who have passed away as being “asleep.” The Greek word here for “asleep” is “koimao” and can be interpreted, “to sleep, slumber or be dead.” The word for resurrection, “anastasis,” is a word that only refers to the body which comes from two Greek words meaning “to stand up.” It is only the Body which will stand up in the resurrection, because our souls will have already gone to Heaven to be with the Lord (Philippians 1:23). He is basically explaining that those loved ones who were Christians and have passed away have their souls in the presence of Christ already. They will be reunited with their bodies at the resurrection as their earthly bodies are transformed into eternal glorified bodies.
* In verses 13-14 how does Paul compare the responses of non-believers with believers when a death in the family takes place? What is the foundation for the difference in these responses to death?
* How does the hope of eternal life change how we view your own death or the death of a loved one? Does this convict you to share the gospel with others who have not accepted Christ yet as Lord and Savior? Consider making a commitment to discuss this issue with a non-believer you know? Before sharing with them, pray that they will accept Christ as Savior and Lord.
“15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
Paul is telling us here that those alive when Jesus returns will be taken to Heaven after those Believers who have died are taken first.
* As you think about this concept, how does it make you feel that you may live to see Christ return to take you to Heaven? How does it make you feel that you may die before He returns? Does this scripture give you assurance that if you were to die before Christ comes, that you will go to Heaven?
“16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
There are three significant times where Jesus shouts in scripture, the raising of Lazarus from the grave, the shouting cry He gave at His death on the cross and here the shout He will give when He descends from Heaven to claim His beloved church. Three sounds will be heard when Christ returns to gather His church; His shout, the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God.
* How is Jesus’ shout similar to a commander addressing His troops?
* Why would God wish the voice of an archangel to be heard at this moment? Might this add the involvement of a Heavenly host of angels who have been anxious to meet God’s chosen ones? Could this be the only archangel mentioned in scripture (Jude 9) Michael, who has a special ministry to Israel (Daniel 10:21; Revelation 12:7) or one of the other archangels mentioned (Daniel 10:13)?
* For Jewish people trumpets because they were used for declaring war, announcing special times, seasons and events, the giving of the Law and to gather people together for a journey (Numbers 10). What do you believe is the symbolism to hearing the trumpet of God at this moment in history? Could this relate to the calling together of an assembly of special people for a special event? Could it also be a signal for the deliverance of God’s children? How do each of these possibilities encourage your faith in God?
“17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Paul here speaks of what happens to those Christians who are alive when Christ returns. The word he uses for “caught up” is “harpazo” which means “to snatch away.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 describes this “snatching away” as happening in the “twinkling of an eye” quicker than a blink. Our body will be transformed and be made incorruptible (eternal, never dying). (1 Corinthians 15:35-54, Philippians 3:2, 2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:2)
* Do you feel it is appropriate for those who have died in the faith to go first to be with Jesus? Why or why not?
* How does knowing that we will always be with the Lord bring you comfort?
* In what ways can you share this message of eternal comfort with others? Make a commitment this week to share the gospel with someone.
* What benefits await Christians at the Lord’s coming? Read John 14:2-3, 2 Corinthians 5:1-5, 1 Peter 1:3-5 for answers.
* What should be our attitude towards Christ’s coming? Read Mark 13:33-37, Philippians 3:20, 2 Timothy 4:8b for answers.
* What behaviors characterize those who are staying ready for the Lord’s return? Read Romans 13:11-14, Philippians 4:5, James 58-9, 1 Peter 4:7-11 for answers.
Following are some truths from the commentary on 1 Thessalonians by Pastor John Phillips;
This passage reveals five facts about the Rapture.
- The second coming of Christ is a positive truth. (“shall” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 5:3) and (“shall not” 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 5:3)
- It is a personal truth (“we, ye, us, I, you” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, 17, 5:1, 4-6, 8-10)
- It is a pivotal truth (“but” 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 5:1, 4, 8)
- It is a progressive truth. (“for” 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, 5:2-3, 7)
- It is a practical truth. (“wherefore” and “therefore” 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:6, 11)
“The Holy Spirit is the dove of God. He has a strong homing instinct. When He is received into a human heart. He brings that homing instinct with Him. He heads us toward Home! At the time of the Rapture, He will simply pick us all up, living or dead, and take us there to the accompanying shout, trump, and voice.”
John Phillips