1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.  Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.  Brothers, pray for us.  Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.  I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

Final instructions are important.  They provide some key reminders that will enable followers of Christ to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  This passage includes both positive and negative instructions that Paul wants to leave in the hearts and minds of this precious church.  These are salient truths for all of us to remember.

 

WHAT TO DO: Too often Christians seem confused or uninformed about the will of God.  The decision-making process we all face should not be confused with God’s will for our lives.  God has made His will very clear to us in His Word.  This passages clearly tells us that there are three responsibilities every believer who wants to be in God’s will must follow.  First, we should always rejoice.  No matter what circumstances we might face, as believers, we always have reason to rejoice.  We have eternal hope and our sins have been forgiven.  We know and experience God’s love and enjoy a life that has purpose and meaning.  Second, we should always pray.  It is important that we are constantly in an attitude of prayer and fellowship with God.  God loves it when we come to Him with our needs, worship, and joys.  Communication is a vital part of every relationship and our relationship with God is no different.  Third, we should always be thankful.  In faith we understand that God sovereignly controls all circumstances for His glory and our eternal good.  Thanksgiving is such an important part of the Christian life as it combats anxiety, fear, anger, depression, and so many other areas of struggles in our lives.  We don’t have to question or wonder what God’s will is; it is clearly revealed to us.

 

WHAT NOT TO DO: God’s will is expressed in both positive and negative ways.  Paul also reminds us of three dangers we must do all we can to avoid.  First, we must not quench the Spirit.  While God’s will is revealed in Scripture; God’s Spirit indwells believers to remind us of these truths, convict us when we disobey.  The Spirit empowers us to accomplish God’s will but we can rebel against Him and quench His all-important ministry in our lives.  God wants us to be sensitive and submissive to the Spirit.  Second, we must not despise prophecies.  The Word of God and those who are called to proclaim His word will constantly confront us and will regularly challenge us in ways we might not always appreciate. We should receive this instruction with gratitude and not reject God’s Word or rebel against those who proclaim it.  Third we must not practice evil.  When we quench the Spirit and despise the teaching of Scripture, we will most likely begin to practice all kinds of evil.  God calls us to be different from the world in which we live and walk in submission to Him.

 

APPLICATION: Know and obey God’s will by rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in all circumstances of life.  Be careful to follow the Spirit of God and listen to and obey the Word of God.  Understand the dangers of evil and do all we can to avoid it. 

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