Tag: Thessalonians

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

A Different Lifestyle

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, w4d3

SCRIPTURE:1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 / SOAP verses 3-5 and 7

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. – 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7

“Set Apart” living requires a lifestyle that is different from those who do not know God. If we want to please God there is no other option than to live ‘set apart’.”

Me -from the INside-out 🦋

Paul is writing to believers who he had spent time with in person, teaching them how to live in a way that pleases God. He wants them to know they are doing it well but that they must keep pressing on in this good and holy way of living. Paul understood that living out God’s call on our lives is difficult at best and often seemingly impossible. He knew what it was like to want to do the right thing but how easy it was to keep doing the wrong thing – so he closed out his first letter to the Thessalonians with a review of the “will of God”. Which, as Paul points out, is to live a sanctified, holy life – or as today’s LGG Journal entry puts it: “God desires us to live lives set apart for HIm.”

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

Romans 7:15 NLT

If you’ve been following along in the journey to live “set-apart”, you may be wondering why Paul so often warns about being sexually pure. The simple truth is that similar to our culture today – sexual impurity was often an accepted part of society and worse yet, sexuality and prostitution were even part of pagan worship. “Being sexually pure may seem countercultural and challenging, but it’s a choice that brings both blessings and peace. Our culture constantly pushes the message that sex is casual and without consequences, but God’s Word reveals the opposite. When we walk in sexual purity, we protect our hearts, relationships, and marriages from unnecessary pain and heartache.”1

However, as the LGG devotional journal points out – “It is important to remember that grace overflows from God to you as a precious daughter of the King. Your worth is not determined by your mistakes or society’s standards. If you have sinned in this area, confess it to God, ask for His forgiveness and He will cleanse you completely. He desires to bring healing, restoration, and wholeness to your life, and His mercies are new every morning. – No matter your past, today can be a fresh start. Choose today to live set apart, living a life that honors God, and walking in the freedom and joy that comes from living in His ways.”

 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9

May we remember that our bodies are the temple of His Holy Spirit and choose to walk in purity and honor. May we choose to live lives that are set apart for/to Him – reflecting His love and holiness to the world around us – and this for His glory.

1The Love God Greatly Journal for Set Apart, Living a Life to Glorify God / p131

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

The greatest take-away and application of this passage would be to walk in God’s will – as the new creations He has made us to be through Christ. – Remember, He didn’t just create us and walk away – God equipped us with the Holy Spirit and the power of all the promises that are “yes and amen in Christ.” We have no excuses, for He has given us everything we need to live a godly life – the question is will we?

Impurity is from the “old man” often referred to as the sinful nature – which we are told to “put to death”, Colossians 3:5-11.

We are new creations created in Christ Jesus – 1 Corinthians 5:17.

We have been crucified with Christ, so that the life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us, Galatians 2:20.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE JOURNEY

In what ways can you be an imitator of God, demonstrating His love and grace to others?

THE MORE WE KNOW

The Importance of Holiness

A Focus on Sexual Purity

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Faithful Protector

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor Of God / w4d4

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 / SOAP: verse 3

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Sometimes you can pull one verse out of a passage and SOAP it without the others, but sometimes it is made so much richer with the others. I find this to be true of these five verses. While each one has a distinct message, each one also highlights the next as well.

  • Paul starts off asking for prayer, “Finally,” he says, “pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you.”
    • It is an example that reminded me that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not only to pray for one another but we are to share our needs or the needs of the body with one another.
    • It is also a reminder that, like Paul, we are to understand and be concerned about the Lord’s message spreading quickly.
  • Paul continues with the prayer request in verse two with the concern for the dangers they faced in spreading the message. He continues, “and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people, for not all have faith.” As we know from Paul’s letters to the churches, his life and those he served with were often in great danger from those who opposed the message of the cross. Such danger led to countless imprisonments and beatings by those not of the faith.

 His enemies were hardened unbelievers.

Bibleref.com
  • Now, our SOAP verse –

 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. – 2 Thessalonians 3:3

  • I love this verse because it starts with the word “BUT.” The word ‘but’ in Scripture is an ‘alarm’ word. Not only does it mean looking back and seeing what came before, but it typically means something is coming we don’t want to miss. In this case, what follows is ” the Lord is faithful.” Can’t you hear the collective sigh of relief for Paul among the church as they read this part of the letter naming the urgency of spreading the Gospel and the danger that comes with it? Paul knew they would need to be reminded and encouraged that – “The Lord is faithful! He understood that remembering the truth of God’s character would help them to pray with hope, knowing the Lord would hear and answer their prayers. Paul added even more hope with the reminder, “The Lord will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 

Paul had confidence from the Lord that their faith was strong and they were living it out well.

  • Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians continued in verse four, where he wrote “And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.” This had to bring them great encouragement to know that not only would they know the Lord’s protection from the evil one but Paul had confidence from the Lord that their faith was strong and they were living it out well.
  • Finally, verse five – which really stood out to me and is why I realized that the five verses were a package deal. For in order for them to continue to know the hope and encouragement and faithfulness to live the righteous life they would have to have their hearts directed toward God’s love and the endurance of Christ, or they would fail miserably. Their faith, had to be set firm in God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and not in Paul, his ministry, or anything, or anyone else; and so Paul prayed: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.”

Note: Applications (underlined text) are laced throughout the observations of this SOAP

Prayer of Response to the Word

Father, thank You for Your teachings through men like Paul. His letters and examples of the faith encouraged those in his day and all the generations of believers to this day and beyond. They are living and active, and I pray for strength and faithfulness to apply them well. Grace me with the daily reminders of the truths of Your character, as we find in Paul’s words that You are faithful and will strengthen us and protect us from evil. We are now and forever more dependent on You, and these truths fill us with the hope we need to use the Shield of Faith well – to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. I bless Your Name and the name of Jesus through whom I pray. Amen!

Worship of Praise Response
Going Further in the Journey

Check out these But God verses

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Quiet Time

The Three Steps

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TODAY’S READING: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 (SOAP ALL)

Paul has laid out three distinct steps for the believers – rejoice, pray, and “in everything” give thanks. Don’t miss his conclusion though – this isn’t just a teaching that he thinks is important, he clarifies that this is God’s will for us [believers], in Christ Jesus.

YOUR TURN: (IF YOU MISSED YESTERDAY’S POST YOU WILL WANT TO GO BACK AND READ IT) – SO, IN LIGHT OF YESTERDAY’S POST, WHY DO YOU THINK PAUL’S INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE REJOICING AND PRAYING BEFORE HE SAYS GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES?
Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Caught Up Together

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Week 4, Day 1 of Come, Lord Jesus, Come (A Love God Greatly Study)

Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (SOAP: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. 1Thessalonians 4:16-18 NET

Observations

  • the Lord will come down
  • there will be a shout of command
  • the trumpet of God will sound
  • the dead in Christ will rise first
  • those who are alive will be taken up with them
  • we will always be with the Lord
  • we are to encourage one another with these truths

Application – So, What Does This Mean For Us

The HOPE we cling to and the encouragement of our FAITH is that we will always be with the Lord! – Me, from the InsideOut

We are to encourage “one another” with the truth and the HOPE that whether we are dead or alive – Jesus is coming back for us and we will live with Him forever!

Prayer – Response To God’s Word

Father – thank You again and again for the HOPE of eternity with our Lord, forever in Your Presence! Yes Lord come for this is where I want to be – forever in Your Presence – Amen!