Monday, May 29, 2017

I Thessalonians 4:1,2 – “More and More”


As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

1Finally, therefore, brothers, we are asking and urging you in the Lord Jesus, that, just as you received from us how you ought to be walking (just as you are walking) and pleasing God, that you should abound more and more, 2for you know what commands we gave to you through the Lord Jesus.

I’ve been pondering these two verses for a while specifically because I fear they’re the kind of words which are easily skimmed over. If we’re not careful, these two verses could be read as clichés. What do I mean? In a sense, the words are so familiar, it’s easy, without even intending to, to just assume, “I’ve got this, of course,” and read on. Try reading them again. Sure they’re familiar, but what do they mean … really? Do you know? And whatever they mean, are you doing it? These are the questions I’ve been asking myself. One man also observed this problem and said of these very verses, “…having been bred up from our cradle in the knowledge and understanding of our Christian duty, we are apt to fancy ourselves familiar with the practice of it too. We are convinced in our minds that we know it well enough; and this of itself inclines us to be too soon satisfied with our accustomed way of doing it.”

For whatever it’s worth, this is precisely why I study the Bible … and by “study” I mean slowing down, stopping, and trying to ponder over every single verse. I also try to be constantly reading the Bible from cover to cover. I manage to get all the way though it about every two and half years. I like to do that reading, hoping it gives me a constantly broad view of what the Bible teaches (and what it does not). But I find I also need this time where I stop and linger over specific passages. I need to do exactly this – to fight this tendency to find it “familiar” and, as the fellow said, “… to be too soon satisfied with our accustomed way of doing it.” This is God’s world, not mine or ours. As we would read the Bible, we must all resolve not to be so “soon satisfied” but rather be resolved to know the mind of God, to deliberately hold up our lives to the standard of His Word, and to strive to live our lives according to His heart – not our familiar and perhaps comfortable notions of what Christianity should be.

I like Bishop Westcott’s thoughts on these verses: “Are we able to pause in the solemn stillness of thought till we are alone with God, and to offer ourselves to the fire of His love; that so little by little all may be consumed in us--all passion and pride, all self-seeking and self-trust--which does not minister to His glory, which does not, that is, make clearer to men His infinite perfection?”

“Pause in the solemn stillness of thought …”

And so I linger here.

First of all, I note Paul reminds the Thessalonians of “how you received from us how you ought to walk and please God” and that what they “received” was “commands we gave to you through the Lord Jesus.” In their (the Thessalonians’) case, their instructors had been careful to only teach what was truly from the Lord Jesus. Even as I type those words, I wonder who can say that today? I fear such teaching is almost non-existent, that the church of today has turned into a colossal “bait and switch,” to a place where people are drawn in with talk of God and Jesus and Heaven, then fed traditions and standards and expectations which simply have no basis in the Bible. Paul could say with confidence, what we taught you was directly from God Himself. It was His truth. They were His commands. Again, I wonder if anyone can honestly say that today.

And, once again, this is why I study the Bible. I don’t want to feed on other people’s ideas of who God is and what He desires of me. I want to know that the “truth” I’m believing is true truth. I must say, I appreciate my pastor and anyone else who teaches the Bible, but, especially today, we’d better all be Bereans – listen well then go home and study our own Bible and “see whether these things are so.” Whether we’ve received the “commands through the Lord Jesus” or not, it is, in the end, our own responsibility to know God and walk with Him. Here in America, we all know how to read. Why shouldn’t we read the Bible for ourselves? And here in America we have all kinds of helps and tools available, so why shouldn’t we all be studiers? I say we can and we should. And so we study on. Lord help us not to be simply “familiar” with the Bible but to be constantly resolved to know it better.

Next I notice what it’s all about is their “walk.” It is their “walk” which Paul wants them to consider. He had instructed them “how they ought to walk” and he commends them that, in fact, they are so “walking,” and wants them to do this “more and more.” Stop and ponder for a minute, what is a person’s “walk?” It is, of course, how they live, what they do, the kind of person they are all day every day wherever they go. That’s their “walk.” That is the “walk” where we ought to know and follow “the commands through the Lord Jesus” and where we ought to “please God.” All day every day. Not just at the church building. Not just during services or involved with ministries. All day every day. At our jobs. Driving down the road. Brushing our teeth. Paying for our groceries. Calling AT&T about our phone problem. Dealing with the sewer backup in our basement. And on and on and on and on and on. That’s life. Our own individual “walk.” Once again, Lord help us not to be satisfied with the ways we’ve hopefully let the Word impact our daily walk. Help us see those times, those situations, those places in our life where perhaps we just haven’t made the connection between faith and the person we are.

And notice the “more and more.” In 3:12 Paul had wished for them that the Lord would “… cause you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward everyone.” Now he again wants them to “abound more and more.” In 4:10, he’ll commend them for their brotherly love and then say, “Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.”  “More and more.” Can I just inject the thought that this is one of the wonders of grace? Truly knowing Jesus isn’t simply another religion, another set of rules – it is a living, breathing relationship of knowing this beautiful Savior who died and rose again specifically to call me to Himself and to save my soul and to actually redeem me – to gather up the mess of who I am and to patiently, kindly, work with me day by day by day to show me His love and teach me how to live it myself. This is precisely why real faith is a “more and more” thing. Every experience of His grace I enjoy only makes me want more. Every time I try to trust Him and then experience how utterly amazing He is – it only makes me want to trust Him more. And every time He actually helps me to love others and I get to watch and see the good He brings about – it only makes me want me to love more and more. I ask, is that not true of all real relationships? To know my wife and every single minute I get to spend with her only makes me want to know her more, to spend more time with her. I love the words from the old hymn, “Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.” Yes. Lord give us more and more of You – and may more and more of You translate into more and more of a grace walk for us.

Lord, help us to be deliberate about building our lives on Your Word, and may our daily lives – all day every day – be pleasing in Your sight. May we really know You and trust You and love in a “more and more” relationship that makes us more and more like You.

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