1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Abounding To Please God

by | Jan 31, 2025 | 1 Thessalonians, New Testament

I. Abounding, Not Just Maintaining     Vs. 1, 2

A. Their Lives Were Admirable

1. See 1:3; 1:6, 7; 2:14; 3:6
2. The Christians at Thessalonica were living exemplary Christian lives.
3. They had received commands from Paul about how to walk & please God.
4. They were already examples to an entire region re. admirable Christian living.

B. Abounding More & More

1. Even though they walked in godliness, Paul exhorted them to abound.
2. Abound- to exceed a fixed number of measure (Strong’s concordance)
3. More & more- to a greater degree
4. David Guzik- “Christian maturity is never finished on this side of eternity”.
5. Great musicians don’t reach a certain level of musicianship & then quit growing.
Same with athletes, song writers, scientists, poets etc. They press on to greatness.
6. It’s not that God isn’t pleased w/a Christian who has excelled, but that He is further pleased w/a Christian who desires to abound more & more.

II. Abounding In Sexual Purity          Vs. 3-8

A. Sanctification                            V. 3

1. Sanctification-the idea means to be “set apart” for God.
2. The world that the Thessalonians lived in was extremely sexually permissive.
3. The Roman ‘Demosthenes’: “We keep prostitutes for pleasure; we keep mistresses for the day to day needs of the body; we keep wives for the faithful guardianship of our homes.”
4. NOTE-the contrast between immorality & honor. Immorality is dishonorable.

B. Possess Your Own Vessel                  Vs. 4, 5

1. Speaks of active effort, not passive resignation.
2. The passions of the flesh can be strong. Possessing your own vessel sometimes requires a stronger passion for holiness.
3. Not a resignation and giving in to fleshly passion as do those who have no or little restraint, but as one who knows God, and is indwelt with the Holy Spirit.
4. Actively posses your own body, as opposed to passively surrendering it to lust.

C. Regarding Relationships                    V. 6a

1. Take advantage- to step over, go beyond.
2. Defraud- to have more, to take a greater part or share.

a. Paul speaks of sexual immorality involving another person.
b. It is an act of taking from another.
c. No one would choose to define themselves as selfish or a “taker”.
d. But that is what happens when sexual immorality occurs between people.

3. What is being taken? If sex is mutually consented to, then is “taking” occurring?

a. The physical bond of sex is meant to be between husband and wife.
b. It is the most intimate & personal thing you can do with your body.
c. It is meant for spouses who have a lifetime commitment to one another.
d. Sex outside of marriage is to give/take without the heart commitment.
e. It is to use someone’s body without committing to their heart.
f. It is to rob your future/current spouse from your emotional commitment.
g. Guzik- The adulterer defrauds his mate and children. The fornicator defrauds his future mate and children, and both defraud their illicit partner.
h. Morris“Adultery is an obvious violation of the rights of another. But promiscuity before marriage represents the robbing of the other that virginity which ought to be brought to a marriage. The future partner of such a one has been defrauded.”

4. NOTE- Sexual sins are certainly forgivable by God & man, but virginity cannot be regained, nor sexual violations reversed. God can do a wonderful work to bring a refreshing of sexuality to a person and/or a marriage. Sexuality can be beautiful & godly once again, but it is best to never step over that line.

D. God-Avenger Of Those Who Sexually Defraud Others                                       V. 6b

E. We Are Called To Holiness                  V. 7

1. Holiness is to be set apart from worldly standards, and unto God.
2. Holiness is the nature of Jesus within the Christian.

F. Not A Human Suggestion, But A Godly Command                V. 8

1. The Thessalonians (& us) don’t answer to man about this, but we answer to God.
2. If we reject this teaching, it is not man we are rejecting, but God we are rejecting.
3. The indwelling Holy Spirit agrees with this truth.

III. Abounding In Brotherly Love      Vs. 9, 10

A. Brotherly Love Is (Ought To Be) Obvious    V. 9

B. Increase More & More                           V. 10

1. They were practicing brotherly love but were encouraged to abound in it.

IV. Abounding In A Quiet Life         Vs. 11, 12

A. Aspiring To A Quiet Life                          V. 11a

1. It speaks of not being a busybody, nosy, and interfering with the affairs of others
2. Proverbs 26:17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
3. It takes a lot of effort to hold that dog, and you don’t dare let it go.
4. Such is the life of a busybody: always tense, never peaceful, always in conflict

B. Be Self Supporting                                 V. 11b

Guzik- Manual labor was despised by ancient Greek culture. They thought that the better a man was, the less he should work. In contrast, God gave us a carpenter King, fisherman apostles, and tent-making missionaries.

C. A Witness To Unbelievers                    V. 12

1. As we work, we lack nothing we need, and it is a witness to Unbelievers.
2. As we love one another and walk in holiness, we are a good testimony regarding Jesus.