1 Thessalonians 4:1 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Thessalonians 4:1

Comments

The subject in the first part of this chapter is walking to please God. It really continues the theme, in some respects, of the third chapter. We read verse 10 of chapter 3 that the apostle is concerned to teach them the things they still need to know and we note first his emphasis on constant progress. You have to be increasing, improving, overflowing, moving on. We forget too easily that converted people should be making constant progress. The whole course of sanctification is always on our mind and in our view, day by day. ‘We beseech you, brethren.’ This is a message exclusively for brothers and sisters in the Lord. If we have not found salvation, if we have not been converted to God, this is not a message for us. In fact, it could be tremendously misleading to us. You could read these words and think, this is the way to God, but it is not. What the apostle is about to say is strictly for converted people, for Christians. They are to make to progress. They are to strive for increasing holiness. They are to avoid sin at all costs, by the help of God. Out of gratitude and love to God they must by his help hold the standards.He urges them in the name of Christ. Surely they would not do it for Paul, but they would do it for Christ, who died for them and has saved them, to whom they have an immense debt they can never repay, who has purchased Heaven for them. They had not done anything outlandishly wrong. This is about progress, so he urges them: ‘I beseech…exhort you …’. While he was with them he was there long enough to lay a foundation to tell them how to behave as Christians.

Application

Sometimes Christian people do not fully understand this, even converted people. And so you hear people discussing with one another – is it right for a Christian to go to a dance? It is right for a Christian to drink? And we come to our conclusion, and we have our different opinions and our different views. That is not New Testament Christianity. Democracy is a good thing, and people expressing themselves is a good thing, but you know it can go too far in the Christian faith till we think that even as Christians, everything is open for discussion, and we may have our own views and our own ideas. And the younger generation naturally will rush on to the internet, and there you will find people expressing themselves freely. But you look at the Scripture and you find there is no room for discussion. In secular things, in family matters, yes, we use our judgement, but in divine matters, God has given the rules.

I read something the other day – ‘God loves rap!’ How interesting, I thought to myself. God loves rap. How does the author know? How does he think he knows? Has God bent down from heaven and whispered in his ear, I love rap? No, it is his opinion. Well we judge it in the Bible and if you take the Bible seriously, God most decidedly does not love rap.

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1 Thessalonians 4:1 Commentary and Bible Study