A Life Pleasing to God

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is introducing and making his argument about God’s call for all people to grow in holiness, which is called ‘the doctrine of Sanctification.’ Paul’s desire is to authenticate this imperative for the Christian based upon some respected authority; beginning with a lower level of authority and building higher and higher to the most ultimate. In this way, he constructs arguments or reasons by which all Christians will seize the opportunity and thereby, grow in holiness. In this passage, we will analyze these arguments with the goal for God to drive home to us the reason why we should strive for holiness.

Beginning in verse 1, Paul began to set the stage so he may appeal to reason by his filial relationship with the Thessalonians. He called them brothers. Paul built this intimate relationship with the Thessalonians in love while planting the church in the midst of persecution. Paul loved the church and based on the news brought to Paul by Timothy, the church loved him and looked forward to his return visit. This initial argument was to excite those who thrive on brotherly love, which is a fundamental new commandment given to the believer by the Lord Jesus Christ. John 13:34-35 says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Therefore, Christians are to reckon to reason and to our accountability as brothers and sisters in Christ. Based on this appeal, we must readily accept the imperative to grow in Christlikeness based on our relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ, to those who teach us to be like him. When our pastor preaches to us, we submit to his as our spiritual authority, yet we are brothers in Christ. In brotherly love, we submit and grow to the words of God that were proclaimed and preached!

If this first argument does not convince us to grow in holiness, then maybe the next argument will. At the end of verse 1, Paul suggestively refers to his apostolic authority when he states that the Thessalonians received this instruction from him. He tells them that they are to walk and please God, just as they are doing, but progressively more and more. It was rare for Paul to appeal to his apostolic authority in his letters. However, In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, when Paul was dealing with those in blatant sexual immorality, he had to use his God-given authority to correct them if there was no repentance. In Galatians 1:11-17, Paul also had to defend his apostolic authority from the Judaizers who were preaching another gospel. Therefore, in this second argument, some are caused to accept Paul’s words and strive to live holy for God. In the same way, we also are to accept Paul’s apostolic words as God’s truth of Scripture and live to please Him.

Paul’s third appeal is in verse 2, This suggests that the appropriate argument to live holy is because the instruction came from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said in Matthew 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, deserves all worship, honor, and praise. Indeed, as being God in the flesh, we must seek to walk worthily and pleasing to Him alone, especially as we are to grow in Christlikeness. Jesus Christ is our Lord God and Savior. He is our Master, King, and Sovereign. Therefore, to Him, we owe our all! Revelations 4 describes God’s throne room when Christ appears. The six living creatures fly and declare in Revelations 4:8. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” In Revelations 4:11, the twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they existed and were created.” No doubt this is truly an appropriate argument for us all. We must be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in holiness to please Him. In the same way, must commit our lives to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. This is the way we are to walk in holiness and please God.

Paul now presents his final and ultimate appeal. This last argument is to grow and walk in holiness because this is the will of God for you, as Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 4:3a. As children, we learned the simple truth about having the line of authority, starting with children and parents. The Old Testament law says that children are to obey their parents. Therefore, as we obey our parents in the flesh, we must also, as children of God, obey and do the will of God. Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 12:50 says, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” The ultimate appeal is for all Christians to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In this way, we are truly satisfied resting in the love, peace, and will of the Father. Therefore, in the imperative to grow in holiness, we must because this is the will of God for us: to be like Jesus!

Christian Hymn: More Like The Master, by Charles H. Gabriel in 1906

More like the Master I would ever be,
More of His meekness, more humility;
More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,
More consecration for work He bids me do.

Refrain:
Take Thou my heart, I would be Thine alone;
Take Thou my heart, and make it all Thine own;
Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,
Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.

More like the Master is my daily prayer;
More strength to carry crosses I must bear;
More earnest effort to bring His kingdom in;
More of His Spirit, the wanderer to win.

More like the Master I would live and grow;
More of His love to others I would show;
More self-denial, like His in Galilee,
More like the Master I long to ever be.

I