The Apostle Paul continues to give specific instructions on how we are to live as we wait for the soon return of Christ. It is interesting to note that there are essentially two categories of instructions given. In verses 12-15, we see instructions given primarily for life in the community of the church. However, in verses 16-22 we see instructions relating to one’s personal life or the inner man. These instructions also apply to life in the church community as one’s inner life certainly affects how he or she lives outwardly toward others. The key is to focus on the inner life, for in doing so the outward attitudes will be more of a natural outflow of what is on the inside. With this understanding, let us dive in and consider the specific instructions Paul gives concerning how we are to live inwardly in these end times.
Rejoice Evermore. One of the characteristics of a true believer waiting for the return of Christ is inward joy. It is God’s desire that His people are joyful. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “This is a command. A Christian’s joy does not spring from his circumstances, but from the blessings that are his because he is in Christ.”[1] A.J. Mason suggests, “The Christian who remains in sadness and depression really breaks a commandment: in some direction or other he mistrusts God—His power, providence, forgiveness.”[2] Think about it. When we fail to be joyful, we are in a sense lacking in faith. Instead of trusting God with our circumstances, we are consumed by them and we are thus robbed of joy. How can we have such joy? By increasing in faith. The more we let go and trust God with every circumstance of our life, the more joy we will have.
Pray without Ceasing. Another way to word this would be to ‘pray continually’ or to live with an ‘attitude of prayer.’ Our inner joy is tied to continuous prayer. The Pulpit Commentary says, “The means of promoting religious joy is prayer.”[3] Praying without ceasing is to have constant communion with God which is both a cause and effect of true joy. “It is impossible to be always on our bended knees, but we may be in the spirit of prayer when engaged in the duties of our earthly calling. Prayer may be without ceasing in the heart which is full of the presence of God, and evermore communing with him.”[4] Are you constantly in communion with God? Are you so close to Him that you naturally talk with Him throughout your day?
In Everything Give Thanks. Verse 18 is of such great importance that Paul emphasizes that ‘this is the will of God.’ We are to live with an attitude of thankfulness. Not for everything, but in everything. In every circumstance. In every situation. In every difficulty. In good times and in bad. We are to give thanks. We are to live in constant praise to God. “No matter what the circumstances (persecution, sickness, etc.) the Christian ought to give thanks to God, not of course for the difficult circumstances but for his salvation through Christ, and when he is able to do this then he also is strengthened to endure what is difficult.”[5] I love the chorus that says, “It’s amazing what praising can do. I don’t worry when things go wrong, because Jesus fills my heart with a song. It’s amazing what praising can do.” When you are facing a difficult time, I encourage you to just praise the Lord. When you lose your job, just praise the Lord. When there is no money in the account, just praise the Lord. When you are feeling sick, just praise the Lord. When your car won’t start, just praise the Lord. When your dog dies, just praise the Lord. When your hair won’t part, just praise the Lord. When you stump your toe, just praise the Lord. When the dishwasher blows up, just praise the Lord. When things don’t go your way, just praise the Lord. In the good times and the bad. Praise the Lord. In sickness and in health. Praise the Lord. In success and in failure. Praise the Lord. In seasons of spiritual dryness. Praise the Lord. In seasons of revival. Praise the Lord. He is worthy of all praise. He created us in His image. He sustains us and hold us in the palm of His hand. He gives us life more abundantly. He has provided a way of salvation. He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. He has forgiven us. He gives us grace. His gives us mercy. He gives us hope. He gives us peace. He gives us purpose. He gives us a future. We have much to praise Him for. When we praise Him, all the cares of this world grow dim. When we praise Him, He takes away our worry. When we praise Him, He takes away our fear. Stop wallowing in self-pity and lift up your voice in praise. In everything give thanks!
Quench not the Spirit. To quench the Spirit is to do something or allow something in your life that hinders God from working in you. Warren Wiersbe says, “In using the word quench, Paul pictured the Spirit of God as fire (see Isa. 4:4; Acts 2:3; Rev. 4:5). Fire speaks of purity, power, light, warmth, and (if necessary) destruction. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and churches, we have a warmth of love in our hearts, light for our minds, and energy for our wills. He “melts us together” so that there is harmony and cooperation; and He purifies us so that we put away sin. The fire of the Spirit must not go out on the altar of our hearts; we must maintain that devotion to Christ that motivates and energizes our lives.”[6] Oh my friend, imagine what God would do in the church if we would just get out of the way! It is our sin that quenches the Spirit. It is our selfishness that quenches the Spirit. It is our pride that quenches the Spirit. Don’t be a hindrance to what God wants to do in your life and in the church. Confess your sins and cry out to God and ask Him to remove anything and everything from your life and from the church that would hinder Him from moving amongst us and filling us with His Spirit. We must empty ourselves in order for God to fill us. We quench the Spirit when we are full of ourselves. Oh, that we would be full of God! That we would know Him like never before. That we would be filled with His Spirit. May God take away everything from our lives that would hinder the Spirit from filling us and working in and through us.
Despise not Prophesying. The early church did not have the complete Word of God. Therefore, they relied on the inspired teaching of the Apostles. Paul tells the church at Thessalonica to not despise their teaching, but to listen and obey. Today, we have the complete Word of God. Therefore, there is no new revelation today. However, there is still prophesying, that is, there is the preaching of the Word. To despise the preaching is to ignore the preaching. It is to be unresponsive and disobedient. When the Word of God is preached, it is not a message coming from the preacher. The preacher is just the herald. He is just the mouthpiece. The Word that he proclaims is not his word, but God’s Word. The preacher is the messenger, proclaiming and expounding upon the Word of God. Therefore, it is not the preacher that is speaking to you, but it is God speaking to you through the preaching of the Word. God’s Word demands a response. Every time the Word of God is preached, you have a choice to make. Either you will accept it and obey or you will despise it and disobey. To obey brings blessing. To disobey is to quench the Spirit which brings consequences. Despise not the preaching of the Word.
Prove all Things and Hold Fast to that which is Good. As the Word of God is preached, it must be tested. It is imperative that the believer sitting under the preaching of the Word is knowledgeable of the scriptures. We are to test the preaching. We are to compare what we are hearing to what the Word of God says. If it passes the test, if it is truly the Word of God being preached, then it is good and we must hold on to it and obey it.
Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. This is one command in scripture that I am afraid we don’t take serious enough. To abstain from all appearance of evil means we are to distance ourselves from anything and everything that would remotely appear to be evil. The New American Commentary says, “Whatever “appears” evil upon careful examination by the fellowship is assumed to be evil in fact. Thus the various “kinds” of evil, whatever their particular shape, are what the apostle admonished the church to avoid.”[7] There are some things that may not be obvious or inherently evil. However, there are other things that is obvious and clearly evil. It is those things from which we must abstain. One of the things that personally bothers me is when people who claim to be Christian will embrace things that are clearly evil. Things such as witchcraft and horoscopes and casting spells and astrology is not of God. It is clearly Satanic. Though we as Christians may not practice such things, yet when we entertain ourselves with those things and embrace symbols and displays of such evil, we are in fact worshipping and glorifying Satan. The scripture says to abstain from not just the evil itself, but from the appearance of evil and the display of evil. God forbid that we would lead people astray and even hinder lost people from coming to Christ by our embracing and celebrating the appearance of evil. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, ‘would I be okay with Jesus seeing me doing this or being entertained by this or displaying this when He comes?’ In these last days, the evil in the world is increasing more and more. This makes you and I as believers more and more different. Yet, we should be different. We should stand out like a sore thumb in the world. People should easily identify us as believers in Christ, because of how different we are from the rest of the world. Therefore, don’t cause confusion for the unsaved. Don’t be a stumbling block to other believers. If it has any hint of evil, stay away from it and embrace only that which is good.
It is good that once a year or so we have a medical check-up. We should examine our bodies to see if there are any dangers to our health that we are unaware of. It is also good to have a spiritual check-up. To examine our hearts. To see how we are living in light of the soon return of Christ. Looking at these instructions that Paul gives the Thessalonian church, how do you measure up? How are you living in these end times?
[1] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 708). Victor Books.
[2] Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 708). Victor Books.
[3] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). 1 Thessalonians (p. 105). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
[4] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). 1 Thessalonians (p. 105). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
[5] Best, E. (1986). The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians (p. 236). Continuum.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 189). Victor Books.
[7] Martin, D. M. (1995). 1, 2 Thessalonians (Vol. 33, p. 186). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Pastor Chris Noland 