Living to Please God: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.

As for other matters. The letter transitioned. From past events to present living. From thanksgiving to instruction.

We instructed you. When Paul was there. How to live. The Christian life had shape, direction, content. In order to please God. The goal of ethics: God's pleasure.

As in fact you are living. They were already doing it. The instruction wasn't rebuke but reinforcement.

Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

More and more. Perisseuo mallon. Increase, overflow, abound. The Christian life wasn't static. Always growing. Always more.

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Instructions. Parangelias—commands, charges. Given by the authority of the Lord Jesus. Not Paul's opinions but Christ's commands mediated through Paul.

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.

God's will. Thelema tou theou. Here it is, spelled out. Sanctification. Hagiasmos. Being made holy. Set apart.

What does sanctification look like? That you should avoid sexual immorality. Porneia—sexual sin broadly, any sexual activity outside marriage.

The Greco-Roman world was saturated with sexual immorality. Temple prostitutes. Casual liaisons. Slaves available for owners' pleasure. The cultural expectation.

The Christian difference: avoid it entirely.

That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.

Control your own body. Literally, "possess your own vessel." Ktaomai—acquire, possess, control. The body was to be mastered, not indulged.

In a way that is holy and honorable. Hagiasmos and time. Set apart and respected. The body dignified, not degraded.

Not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.

Not in passionate lust. Pathos epithymias—the passion of desire, the fever of craving. Like the pagans—the ethne, the nations. Who do not know God. The root problem. Not knowing God meant not knowing how to live.

And that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.

Sexual sin wasn't private. It wronged others. Take advantage—pleonekteo—defraud, exploit. A brother or sister. The community was affected. Sexual sin was theft from the body of Christ.

The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.

Punishment. Ekdikos—avenger. The Lord would act. Not maybe. Would punish. All those. No exceptions.

As we told you and warned you before. Paul had said this in person. Repeated now in writing. The warning was persistent.

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

The calling defined the life. Not to impurity—akatharsia. But to holiness—hagiasmos. The call determined the conduct.

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

The stakes raised. Reject this instruction—reject God. Not a human being—not just Paul's preference. But God himself.

The very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. The Spirit given was the Spirit of holiness. To reject holiness was to reject the Spirit's work.

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.

Transition. From sexual purity to community love. We do not need to write. They were already loving.

Taught by God. Theodidaktoi—God-instructed. The rare word. God himself had taught them to love.

And in fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more.

You do love. Affirmation. All the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. The love extended beyond Thessalonica to Philippi, Berea, the whole region.

Yet. The "but" of growth. Do so more and more. Love could always increase.

And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.

Make it your ambition. Philotimeomai—aspire, strive ambitiously. The ambition: a quiet life. Hesuchazein—tranquility, not agitation.

Mind your own business. Prasso ta idia—practice your own things. Not meddling. Not interfering.

Work with your hands. Manual labor. Honest work. Paul had modeled it.

So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Two purposes. Win the respect of outsiders. The watching world. Euschemonos—becomingly, honorably. Christianity demonstrated.

And so that you will not be dependent on anybody. Self-sufficiency. Not burdening others. Contributing, not consuming.

Sanctification.

Sexual purity.

Love increasing.

Quiet, industrious living.

This is what pleased God.

This is what the Thessalonians were learning to do.

More and more.

Always more and more.