5/29/10 1 Thess 3 & 4
Excel Still More
Paul has a great deal of love and affection toward the church at Thessalonica. They had been suffering hardship and affliction so Paul sent Timothy to go and visit the church at Thessalonica. Paul had feared that this beloved church had been tempted to depart from the gospel so Timothy was sent to investigate their faith. Timothy returns to Paul who is in Corinth with good news concern their faith. Paul then proceeds to write this first letter to the Thessalonians in response to what Timothy had reported. There are two things that Paul desires to stress and exhort concerning their faith. In the final section he clears ups some misunderstanding about the return of Christ.
The two things that he stresses to this beloved church are that they continue to walk (live) in such a way that they will please God. He recognizes that this church has been conducting themselves rightly, but he does not want them to become comfortable which can develop into complacency. Instead he desires that they would excel all the more. Paul tells them what God’s will is, a question many people desire to know, Paul flat out says the will of God is your sanctification. Sanctification means the continuing development of the whole person to become perfect, separated, and holy. It is the divine work of the Holy Spirit that begins at regeneration (salvation) and continues until a believer takes his last breath.
The second thing that Paul stressed concerned the love of the brethren. Paul had heard of their love for each other and other churches in the region. In fact it was so evident and strong that there really was no need to write to them concerning this area, they were doing well. But Paul still strongly urges them not to “pat themselves on the back” and then become proud and satisfied. They must continue to excel still more in the love of the brethren.
As soon as we assume that we have mastered or perfected any area in the Christian life we then are actually demonstrating how much we truly lack in our knowledge and our faith. No matter where you are in your Christian life there is room for growth and strengthening. The temptation that we face on our journey of faith is to take our eyes of the Lord’s standard and compare ourselves with others. When we do this we are in jeopardy of becoming satisfied and comfortable in an area that Christ does not command us to be satisfied and content. We should never settle for the status quo. No matter what level of attainment you have reached in your walk or love for the brethren there is always more. The church or believer that desires to excel still the more may be the one that actually raises the bar and set a new standard for those who follow. So let us excel still more.
Prayer: Heavenly, Gracious, Merciful, Loving Father, be pleased with my living. I ask that the Spirit to motivate me to excel still the more. Balance my tendency to over work at the detriment to right living that you have called me to. LORD, I pray that you will sanctify our church and that it will excel still more also. Convict and instruct the church in your will, our sanctification. Make us holy, separated, and clean before you presence. Develop a greater love for one another, for the brethren, and all men, in Jesus name. Amen.