Today’s Bible Reading:
1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4
Topic: Godly Living
Topic: Godly Living
SCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 4:1
…we instructed you how
to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and
urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (1 Thess 4:1 NIV)
OBSERVATION:
The Apostle Paul commends the Thessalonian Christians for
living their lives in a way that was pleasing to God, but then asks and urges
them to do so “more and more.” The
request is given with urgency. One might reasonably ask why such urgency if
they are already conducting themselves well before God? Perhaps Paul knew they
would be facing increasing pressure to conform to their world. Perhaps he was
concerned that they set the proper example in the midst of their world.
APPLICATION:
Sometimes good enough isn’t good enough. In our world today
the boundaries of morality are constantly being pushed away from what is
pleasing to God. As Christians we need “more
and more” to be upholding godly standards of living, not less and less; and
the only way we are capable of doing this is “in the Lord Jesus.” The admonition therefore, is not just to
behave more and more godly; that is the result of following the admonition to
be more and more in Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord, on my own I am weak and ineffective; but in You may I
be a positive influence for You in the world more and more.
For Your glory. Amen.
–AP
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