by Mindy Clemons

How Shall We Live

1 Thessalonians 5. While we are waiting for the triumphant return of Christ and the full appearance of his kingdom, how are we to live? The Apostle Paul encourages his audience to follow the instructions he gave them on how to walk and to please God (1 Thes 4:1). God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness (1 Thes 4:7) and lives of integrity and purity. This is the will of God, our sanctification (1Thes 4:3) – which means that we are meant to be always increasing in our personal and corporate holiness.

Do you wonder what kind of life pleases God? There is no need to wonder anymore.

Like a good Bible teacher, I would like to ask you to take a colored pencil (I use red!) and mark all the command verbs in chapters 4-5. These are the instructions Paul gives Christians on how to live a life pleasing to God. Here they are:

  • Abstain from sexual immorality, control your own body in holiness and honor
  • Love one another
  • Live quietly, mind your own affairs
  • Work productively with your hands
  • Encourage one another (twice)
  • Keep awake, be sober (twice)
  • Respect those who labor among you, have authority over you, and who warn you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work 
  • Be at peace among yourselves
  • Reprimand (admonish) the idle
  • Encourage the fainthearted
  • Help the weak 
  • Be patient with all people
  • Do not allow anyone to repay evil for evil
  • Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone 
  • Rejoice always
  • Pray without ceasing
  • Give thanks in all circumstances
  • Do not quench the Spirit
  • Do not despise prophecies, but test everything
  •  Abstain from every form of evil

This is the kind of life that is pleasing to God. This is his will for us. The Thessalonians were doing this well and Paul encourages them to do so more and more.

How about you – Is this what your life looks like? If yes, then know for sure that God is pleased with you. If not, ask the Holy Spirit to make you holy and to help you live more like this every day. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it (1 Thes 5:24).

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