Holy Conduct that Leads to Life • 09.28.25
Nick Lees   -   September 30, 2025

Holy Conduct that Leads to Life
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Life-giving direction for Christian community

  1. Recognize and respect your shepherds
  2. Seek to love one another well
  3. Worship God always, everywhere, in everything
  4. Exercise discernment in responding to teaching

Manuscript:

Good morning, church family! (Introduce self + welcome guests)

It has been an interesting week in light of what we studied last Sunday regarding the resurrection and return of Christ. Unbeknownst to me last week apparently some man from South Africa had predicted that the end was coming this week on 9/23 or 9/24. Turns out he was wrong. You may recall our emphasis in the message on putting aside foolish wastes of time such as these and focusing instead on living a holy life prepared for Christ’s return.

And while that gentleman was foolish in his use of time and influence, we have a much different example of a man who sought to live a holy life yet unexpectedly passed away this week. I’m speaking of Pastor Voddie Baucham who was only 56 years old. Until the day of his death, Voddie was actively seeking to serve the Lord and walk in holiness. I did not know Voddie personally, but I have been blessed by his book Family Driven Faith as well as by the sermons of his that I have consumed over recent years.

I wanted to bring both of these men up this morning to provide a timely reminder of what we’ve been learning in 1 Thessalonians. How you live matters! Christians are to be maturing in holiness so that our lives glorify God and we ready when this life ends and eternity begins.

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (1 Thessalonians 5; page 1174)

As we turn our attention to the end of this letter there are a lot of commands in the final section. In fact, there are 17 imperatives (commands) in 16 verses! Paul and his companions wrap up the letter with some very targeted instruction on how Christians are to relate to one another and to the Lord within their church community.

Remember, these men love this church. They are so thankful for the good Gospel work that has already taken place among the Thessalonians. God’s grace has transformed them into fruitful ambassadors for Christ. When they were with them, they exhorted and encouraged them to walk in a manner worthy of God, and even while they are away, they continue to do the same through this letter. Paul and his team desire for these people to increase and abound in love for one another so that they may be blameless in holiness before God. So, let’s listen to their final instructions to this young church to see what we can learn about holy conduct that leads to life.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 (ESV)

12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

When you think of the church, what do you want from it or for it? *pause*

As we’ve just heard from Paul/Silas/Timothy, and not for the first time, they desire complete holiness or blamelessness for the church. They want the Thessalonian Christians to be able to stand before Jesus Christ and hear, “Well done faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.” And they wholeheartedly believe and teach that this is what God wants from the church as well! We heard in verse 24, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Their confidence is in God’s sovereign election and faithful commitment to making his people holy and blameless. God the Father will ensure that His Son’s bride, the church, is pure and spotless.

What an incredible, divine truth to consider this morning! And how amazing that people like us, if your faith is in Christ, are invited to be partakers of this very same promise. What these men prayed for and were certain of for the Thessalonian church is also what God will do in every other true church around the world throughout history! God will sanctify his people and prepare them to be blameless at the day of Christ. But he has a plan and process for accomplishing that sanctification. And we have just heard some of the components of it in the final verses of this letter. So, let’s dive into this study on…

Life-giving direction for Christian community

Are you ready to receive life-giving direction for our local church? (repeat if necessary)

It begins in verses 12-13, which say:

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13a (ESV)

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work…

The life-giving direction in these verses for Christian community is to…

  1. Recognize and respect your shepherds

The language in these verses is communicating recognition and high regard or respect for those who are shepherds in their church. I chose the word shepherd because I believe that word communicates the kind of leadership described here. Paul is calling the church to recognize and appreciate those who…

  • Those who diligently labor among you

They diligently labor! This speaks to the idea of exerting oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually. To work hard or toil, strive, and struggle. This is the lifestyle of one whom God has called to care for His flock. We see this example in Paul’s own life and ministry:

Colossians 1:28–29 (ESV)

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Paul expended himself for the sake of his churches. This is also the kind of ministry effort Paul exhorted Timothy to carry out:

1 Timothy 4:11–16 (ESV)

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The Apostle Peter exhorted the leaders of the early churches towards the same:

1 Peter 5:1–4 (ESV)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

A true leader in the church is a humble shepherd who expends himself for the sake of God’s sheep. Such leaders pour themselves out by diligently laboring to provide direction and protection for all who are entrusted to their care. They plead with those who are in sin to confess and repent. They stand in the gap with their prayers on behalf of the weak and the hurting. They seek to teach the Word accurately so that others might hear and believe and grow in holiness.

Night and day, they exert themselves physically, spiritually, and mentally for the sake of the church – God’s precious saints and His Son’s bride! And Paul says such shepherds ought to be recognized and respected, because they are those who…

  • Those who are leading you

This may seem a bit redundant based on what I’ve already shared, but Paul was encouraging this young church to look around them for those who are providing leadership. There were some whom God had called to rise up and provide direction for the rest. They had an aspiration for the task. And it was good and appropriate to recognize them for that desire and willingness to lead. Finally, Paul is calling the church to recognize and appreciate those who…

  • Those who admonish you

The word for admonish means to confront or instruct. It carries the idea of helping you see an incorrect course that needs to be changed so that you might walk in holiness. Good shepherds are not willing to sit by while God’s sheep pursue a path to their own destruction! They stand in the way of the obstinate sheep and make it as difficult as possible to keep going that way. They engage you in hard conversations because they love you too much to let you continue in sin!

Why should the church recognize and respect such shepherds? Paul tells us – “Because of their work.” Because they have faithfully labored among you. Don’t recognize or respect them solely because they have some title – titles can be self-appointed or inappropriately given. Recognize and respect them because they have proven their character by their conduct among you! (repeat)

Commentator Gene Green put it this way, “True Christian leadership is not show but substance, not self-serving but self-sacrificial.” (PNTC)

There is a saying that a good shepherd smells like the sheep. It means that they spend time with the flock and know the details of their lives. A good shepherd is not locked away in the ivory tower all week and only comes down on Sundays to share what God says. No, a good shepherd spends time with God’s people, in their aches and pains, he tends to their wounds with the balm of God’s Word and prayer. When he sees them overburdened by life’s demands, he puts their arm around his shoulder and helps them carry the burden.

Peter spoke of this kind of shepherd in his epistle. He exercises oversight, not because someone forced him to do so, but because it is his delight to serve in this way. He does not do it simply for a paycheck, but because it is a blessing from God. He does not use his position as an opportunity to lord it over others and have a position of authority, but seeks to lead by example – serving, caring, loving, listening, teaching truth, and so on.

Such earthly shepherds are imitating the perfect, heavenly Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Though we could appeal to many passages to highlight his perfect example, I have selected just one:

John 10:14–16 (ESV)

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Jesus modeled sacrificial leadership for the good of others and glory of God. When and where we find shepherds like these in the local church, we ought to recognize and respect them in love.

Paul then moves on from the relationship we have with church leaders to our treatment of one another. Let’s review 13b-15 again:

1 Thessalonians 5:13b–15 (ESV)

…Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Seven imperatives in 2.5 verses! Within these commands, we find life-giving direction for community within the church. I have summarized Paul’s directions this way:

  1. Seek to love one another well

This must be an active pursuit for each and every one of us! If you call yourself a Christian, then you are called to promote peace in the church.

  • Promote peace

The presence of peace in such a diverse group of people is a major testimony of God’s power in any generation. When Paul and his companions presented the Gospel in Thessalonica they had converts from Judaism as well as the polytheistic Greeks of the day. Men and women from all different backgrounds and social statuses now gathered together to worship in the name of Jesus, declaring Him to be the One and only Savior and way to eternal life.

Now remember, there was immense societal pressure on these new converts to renounce their faith in Jesus. They were suffering affliction at the hands of their former community for leaving behind the old ways of life. As we saw in chapter 4, there were some who were still wrestling with making a break from sexual immorality and likely others who were still caught up in the client/patron relationships, thereby freeloading off others. Their church context was not some “pie-in-the-sky” “la-de-dah” type of Christianity. These were real people going through real trials and sufferings, wrestling with real temptations of the flesh, and they were very different from one another. Yet they are now united by their common faith in Jesus Christ, and they need to exert tremendous effort to live at peace with one another! This is a very real and tangible example of seeking to love one another well.

I believe we can relate to that as the modern church. There are likely people at Harvest who are much different than you. Some of them may even rub you the wrong way. Their personality or their struggles are different than yours and your fleshly temptation is to avoid them or treat them poorly. That is exactly the kind of stuff Paul is warning against here! We are not to act like that any longer. We must seek to love one another, even though we’re different people with varying struggles and walks of life. None of us is perfect, but we are in pursuit of the perfect One together! So, let’s link arms, in love for one another, and follow him.

Now what follows in our original passage, especially verse 14, is what I am calling circumstantially specific counsel. Paul is teaching them how to respond to people differently based on what they are going through. Here’s how he put it:

  • Admonish the idle
  • Encourage the fainthearted
  • Help the weak
  • Be patient with all

This is important. He doesn’t tell you to admonish the weak. Or encourage the idle. Each person’s situation has a specific and appropriate response to love them well. Does that make sense?

I want to make an important observation about carrying out these commands. In order for you to know which category someone might fit in, you’re going to need to be in relationship with that person to understand what is going on! If I’ve learned anything over my years as a pastor and biblical counselor, it is that you know very little about people until you take time to get to know them. There is only so much you can glean by what you see or observe from a distance.

I think often of the warning of Proverbs 18:13, which is how I start all my counseling cases:

Proverbs 18:13 (ESV)

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Be very careful with assumptions and hasty counsel. It is wise to take time to get to know the facts of a person’s situation before we open our mouths to offer counsel or direction.

I hope that the members of our church make it their aim to build relationships with one another, as well as with those who are visiting our church. If we are not committed to building these relationships, it will be very difficult to carry out these commands in our own church family. (SLIDE)

But let’s assume for the sake of today’s discussion, that we are building said relationships. You’ve had opportunity to know people, and you’re concerned about what you see/hear in them. Paul gives us counsel on how to proceed with loving them based on their struggle.

If they are stuck in idleness, able to work yet refusing to be diligent to provide for themselves, then they need to be admonished. This is confrontation for the sake of instruction. It is unloving to allow those who can work to remain disobedient busybodies. It puts the peace of the whole church at risk because they may stir up gossip and division by not minding their own business or contributing to the good of all! If you are able to work, then you should do so. The word for idle is literally “disorderly”. God does not want us to live disorderly, undisciplined lives. He has created us to provide order and dominion for His world. It is loving to confront those who should be working to encourage them to be obedient.

But that is not everyone’s situation. Some are fainthearted, which means “discouraged”. When you come across a brother or sister who is in this category, what they need is encouragement or comfort. They need to be reminded that they are not alone in life’s struggles and that the God who made them will continue to provide for and protect them, even through his church. Given what we have heard the Thessalonians were going through it is not hard to imagine that some were growing weary of the affliction they were facing or perhaps they were overwhelmed by the death of a loved one. When we are going through the trials of life, it is a blessing to have a church family that will walk with us and bear our burdens by offering comfort/encouragement.

Still others are considered “the weak” and they need our help. The term “weak” means suffering from a debilitating illness or experiencing some incapacity/limitation. Interestingly, the term translated “help” is much stronger than that word implies – it means “to have a strong interest in” or “to be devoted to”. I don’t know about you, but I find that clarification incredibly helpful as I consider what loving a person who is weak looks like. I am supposed to have a strong interest or devotion to such a person. This is a fascinating revelation about how the church is to be a family for one another. We are to care for each other in the weakest, most vulnerable times of our lives. If you are going through a considerable trial, a debilitating illness, or are experiencing some incapacity/limitation, then ask and expect the church to help you! Church, that means we’ve got to be ready and eager to field such requests for help.

I am so thankful for those of you who have stepped up to provide transportation for one of our widows who is no longer driving. What a great example of this principle! Or for those of you who shovel snow for those in our church and community who cannot do it themselves. As our church continues to age, there will be more opportunities to joyfully love one another by helping the weak. I hope we are ready and willing as those opportunities come.

And, as Paul counsels, no matter which category a person may be in, the church family is called to be patient with them all. Which means there is no room for snarky, back-biting comments about how inconvenient living in this kind of community might be. Christ has been incredibly patient with each one of us in our shortcomings and subsequent neediness throughout our lives… surely, we can exercise a little patience with the church family God has given us.

And let us not forget, this is a command. “Be patient with them all.” We will be tempted to be impatient with one another. After all, we are inherently selfish people, and we do not like to be inconvenienced when we have plans for our day and life. But the call of Christ to be deeply committed to one another in the church is a call to die to self! Life is not about you! When your brother/sister in Christ needs you, be there for them. When your child is struggling, be patient in your response to them. When you see someone in the church acting out, be willing to minister to them. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit that is born out in relationship. And where better to display this fruit than in our church community!?

Finally, in verse 15, Paul expands his counsel to a more generalized principle and audience. Christians are to see to it that we NEVER return evil for evil but ALWAYS seek to do good to all.

  • Never return evil for evil; always seek to do good to all

As followers of Christ, we are to imitate our Savior in this way. Our conduct is to be holy and life-giving rather than destructive and vengeful. Every single time! This is a tough calling for fleshly people like us. Our sinful nature tempts us to get even when we are wronged. It will certainly be an act of God for us to kill that temptation and replace it with a commitment to doing good to those who have hurt us.

But can you imagine how powerful your testimony would be of Christ’s saving and sanctifying power? I can. It was on display in the words of Erika Kirk last week, “That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

These words, spoken by a new widow, have powerfully testified to God’s grace to many. I recently read that Tim Allen, whose father was killed 60 years ago by a drunk driver, was challenged by Erika’s forgiveness to do the same for his dad’s killer. How incredible a commitment to do good to all can be!

You may not have the same platform as Erika Kirk, but can I speak to the power that this lifestyle will have in your spheres of influence? (SLIDE) Imagine a home where adults and kids refuse to return evil for evil…but instead do good to all. It’s going to be really hard to have conflict in a home like that because you will have no one to fight with! Imagine a Student ministry where the students are seeking to do good to one another. Imagine the impact you could have in your workplace or school if you are always doing good to all. I believe God would use us in many awesome ways if we would commit to never returning evil for evil and instead always seek to do good to all. Will you commit to that godly lifestyle?

Paul doesn’t stop there. He shifts his attention from our horizontal relationships to our vertical one. In 16-18 he said:

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (ESV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

His life-giving direction for Christian community is…

  1. Worship God always, everywhere, in everything

No matter the time, no matter your location, no matter your circumstances… worship God!

  • Rejoice always
  • Pray without ceasing
  • Give thanks in all circumstances

This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Once again, we do not have to wonder what God’s will is for us. He tells us plainly in His word!

Paul is speaking of a lifestyle of worship. Christians are to be a people who are vertically oriented, meaning we think often of God and are responding in faith and thanksgiving to His character and work in our lives. After all, these Thessalonians had been rescued from death to life. They were once perishing apart from any hope of eternal life, but now, in Christ, they have the forgiveness of their sins and salvation of their souls! They have every reason to rejoice, and so do you, if your faith is in Christ. They had access to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings on His heavenly throne, so why would they not bring everything to Him?! And you have this same access, if your faith is in Christ! No matter what affliction they might face, even to the point of death, they knew they had the hope of heaven and eternal life with God, so they could give thanks for what God had done for them. And so can you, if your faith is in Christ! Do you hear the common theme? “So can you, if your faith is in Christ!” Believe in Jesus Christ!

Paul captures the Christian perspective beautifully in his letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Though we may walk through many trials and sufferings in this life, they are light and momentary in comparison to the eternal weight of glory. Christians are to be a people whose hope for eternity directly informs the way we live in the present. Because I know Christ died for me, I can rejoice always. Because I have access to the throne room of heaven, I can pray without ceasing. Because I am secure in the hope of eternal life, I can give thanks in all circumstances, knowing that my God is able to bring good out of anything, even if I don’t understand it in the moment. Do you have this kind of faith? It can be yours in Jesus Christ. What Paul is instructing the Thessalonians in is the kind of faith that everyday Christians must have. Remember these men and women had only recently come to faith in Jesus. You too can have this kind of faith, if you’re willing to count the cost and follow Christ.

Finally, we come to the last major section of commands in verses 19-22, which are informing their response to prophecies. Here’s what Paul said:

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 (ESV)

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

As our final life-giving direction for Christian community, we are told to…

  1. Exercise discernment in responding to teaching

Discernment means having or showing good judgment. (COED)

When I say “exercise discernment” I mean that the body of Christ is to show good judgment in how they respond to the teaching they receive. For the sake of the Thessalonians, Paul and his companions were concerned that they were going to respond negatively to things that they shouldn’t, but they also wanted to protect them against accepting things that were not good. This is a fascinating interaction!

Exercising discernment for them began with two commands on what not to do:

  • Do not quench the Spirit
  • Do not despise prophecies

What does Paul mean? Is he suggesting there should be charismatic chaos in churches? Not at all. Allow me to explain.

The second command is followed up by some additional instructions.

  • Test everything
  • Hold fast what is good
  • Abstain from every form of evil

The church was to test or examine everything that they were taught and hold fast to what is good and abstain or distance themselves from everything that was evil or wrong doctrine. Their posture was to be one of discernment. They must put any teaching they received through a process of vetting. But how should we think about this under the name of “prophecy” in our day and age? To answer that question, I am going to share an extended quote from Pastor John Stott that I believe explains this well:

Because we affirm the supremacy and sufficiency of Scripture, we naturally recognize a major difference between Paul’s time and our own, namely that we have the completed canon of Scripture, the written Word of God. Certainly, therefore, there are today no apostles comparable to the apostles of Christ like Peter, John and Paul, and no prophets comparable to the biblical prophets, whether the Old Testament authors or John who called his book (the Revelation) a ‘prophecy’.

Otherwise, if there were such inspired people in the church today, we would have to add their words to Scripture, and the whole church would have to listen and obey. But no, it should not be difficult for us to agree that in the primary sense in which ‘apostles and prophets’ appear in Scripture (namely as organs of direct revelation and infallible teachers) there are no more. Paul refers to them (i.e. their teaching) as the ‘foundation’ on which the church is built, and nobody has the right to tamper with, add to or subtract from that foundation; it has been laid once and for all.

Nevertheless, once the uniqueness of the biblical prophets (and apostles) has been conceded, we should be ready to add that there are today secondary and subsidiary kinds of prophetic gift and ministry. For God undoubtedly gives to some a remarkable degree of insight either into Scripture itself and its meaning, or into its application to the contemporary world, or into his particular will for particular people in particular situations. It seems to be quite legitimate to call this insight ‘prophetic’ insight and this gift a ‘prophetic’ gift.

Speaking personally, I think we would be wise to limit ourselves to this adjectival use (‘prophetic’ gifts and ministries), in order to reserve the nouns (‘prophet’ and ‘prophecy’) for the inspired biblical authors. I recognize that the New Testament itself does not draw this neat distinction, and calls both kinds of people ‘prophets’. Nevertheless, we live in different days, in which, in order to preserve our doctrine of the unique inspiration of Scripture, and in order to avoid confusion, to make this distinction would be helpfully clarifying.

Pastor Stott does a great job of affirming the essential belief in the supremacy and sufficiency of Scripture, which we wholeheartedly believe, while also seeking to deal honestly with the reality of ongoing prophetic gifts/insights in the church. I find that his answer coincides with the teaching of the Puritans and Reformers when they speak of prophecy in our time as teaching that is correctly applying the word of God to specific people at specific times, akin to what we would call preaching or even biblical counseling in our day.

Nevertheless, Paul, in his life-giving directions for Christian community calls the church to neither outright reject this form of teaching nor outright accept it. We are instead to listen and test it. But how are we to test it? Again, borrowing from Pastor Stott and the Scriptures, I want to suggest several tests:

  • Test it by the plain truth of Scripture

If any teaching contradicts the Bible, then it is incorrect and must be rejected. However, just because it may seem to coincide with the truth of Scripture does not mean we avoid further testing of it.

  • Test it by the confession of the speaker

John’s first epistle tells us that if someone does not confess the Christ, they are not to be trusted. False prophets typically have unscriptural views of Jesus and his incarnation. If the speaker has such views, reject their teaching.

  • Test it by the truth of the Gospel

Does this teaching contravene God’s message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone? If so, reject it.

  • Test the known character of the speaker

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warned that false prophets will disguise themselves as wolves, but you will be able to recognize them by their fruits. Does the character of the speaker reveal they are wolves? If so, reject it.

  • Test it by whether it edifies the church

The final filter or test is to make sure the teaching fits with the biblical definition of prophecy, which is for the edification or building up of the church, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 14. Authentic teaching will benefit the hearers, whether by exhortation, providing comfort, or confrontation and conviction of sin.

If a teacher and their teaching passes these tests, then they ought to be received and benefited from in the church. (SLIDE)

As we wrap up our sermon and close out the first letter to the Thessalonians, we find Paul ending the letter with another prayer. He prays for God to sanctify them completely and to keep them blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. This has been a recurring theme throughout the letter! These men care deeply for the Thessalonian church and cannot wait to rejoice with them in heaven. And their conviction of God’s plan for them is centered in God’s character – “he who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” God is the faithful, sovereign God who calls those who are his into eternal life and he will not fail to finish what he has started in any of them! What a wonderful promise to close with this morning!

It is no surprise that Paul wanted to have this letter read to all the brothers. Gathering all the believers together so they might hear these words of encouragement, exhortation, gentle rebuke, teaching, and love would have greatly edified the church. These life-giving directions were certainly a blessing to that church community, just as they are to us today.

Praise God for his unchanging, infallible, inerrant, sufficient Word! May we live in light of what we have heard today.

Let’s pray.

Pray