Living to Please God
Truth Taught- God’s will for all Christians is that we become more and more like Jesus Christ in our lives
Introduction
If you’ve been in Christian circles for a while you’ve heard this question before and actually probably heard it many times. You no doubt have asked this question yourself: What is God’s will for my life? Usually the question is asked concerning a decision that needs to be made like where does God want me to work or go to school. It’s often asked before a big purchase or a move. What does God want me to do as far as my future is concerned? These questions are good questions but they are not the ultimate What-is-God’s-will-for-my-life question. The real one is the same for all believers everywhere and through out the ages, it’s the same for everyone.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification.
Now I’m going to throw this out there in a rather blunt way. I really think that some of the choices we make God really doesn’t care about as long as we are progressing in sanctification and…if we are moving forward in sanctification many maybe even most questions we have concerning God’s will we can answer ourselves simply because we are putting on the Lord Jesus every day and becoming more like Him all the time.
Prayer
1 Thessalonians 4:1–12 (ESV)
4 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
1. Live to Please God
4 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
God’s will for you is to live to please Him.
What do you know without question is God’s will for you? Does God want you go to Timbuktu or marry Nancy Sue? Usually we cannot speak with total certainty about such issues, but we can know with certainty God’s will as stated in Scripture. Paul’s words in 1Thessalonians 4:3 tell us: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.” God’s will is that you should be more like Him, of this you should have no doubt. Nor should you doubt how God expects for this increase of His likeness to occur in you–by obeying His standards.[1]
After the Apostle has given the formal instruction in doctrine and after his prayer of benediction he shifts now to a little more practical concerns. He knows that truth and theology are not fully believed until they are embraced and lived out in the Christian’s life. So, he shifts gears to encourage these new converts to put the truth they believe to use every day as they seek to glorify God.
This is not simply icing on the cake or something nice to do but it is just as important as believing truth. In fact, it proves that our belief is real. For someone to say they believe but live like they did prior to the verbal affirmation of belief goes to prove that in fact they really don’t believe after all.
We simply are reminded of the familiar verse in James…
James 1:22 (ESV)
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
This concept of believing and living to please God is so important Paul uses a very clear and forceful encouragement, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus. This is a double emphasis in its thrust.
His focus here is on the whole of the Christian life. Paul is urging us to live in such a way that our entire life is lived to please God. So many people live like Christians on the Lord’s Day and then when they go to work or school they live like everyone around them. God desires that we live like Christians at work and school as much as when we are attending worship on Sunday mornings. You’ve probably heard someone say, well business is business as if to imply that Christianity is one thing but when one engages in business practices, anything goes. It’s God’s desire we live as Christians all the time.
Paul also encourages them to live like he showed them and taught them.
One of the miracles in their lives was that they were already living a life pleasing to God and Paul’s urging is that they continue and even increase in their Christian living.
2. Living to Please God Includes Sexual Purity
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
God’s will for you is that you’re sexually pure.
His initial exhortation contains a negative and a positive, abstain and control.
The Apostle addresses this first probably because in the ancient Greek word which they lived had very low morals when it came to sexual sin. They were probably engaged in this life style before they were converted. So, it stands to reason this may be an area that needs special attention. Regardless how one lived before they met Christ, now it is important to abstain from sexual sin and for these new converts they learn how to control their bodies. The Greek word for sexual immorality is the word pornea. For summary sake, this word refers to any sexual acts outside of marriage between a husband and wife. Included in this word for sexual immorality are fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, and bestiality.
If we are to progress in sanctification we must abstain first and control second. The word for abstain is a word that includes separation. Separate yourself from whatever sin it is that you struggle with. Here is a very good verse to obey when seeking to separate yourself from whatever sin it is that you struggle with. Here in Romans 13:14 the Apostles gives us two sides of the coin.
Romans 13:14 (ESV)
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
To put on the Lord Jesus is a phrase that means to intentionally seeking to live like Jesus. It’s the concept of putting off the old self with its sin and putting on Christ. We seek to walk in His commands and obey His desires while at the same time separate ourselves from the temptations to sin, putting on Christ and taking appropriate steps to remove temptation. So, we separate from sin and then we learn to control our own bodies.
He tells us that the one who does not abstain and control his body is living like a Gentile who doesn’t know God, literally, a lost person.
6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
When a person engages in adultery, for example, he not only sins against God and the person he has sex with but also wrongs or literally defrauds his brother. The bottom line here is that sin affects others and so Paul tells us that we are to be sexually pure and strive to walk in a manner pleasing to God.
What are motivations to live a sexually pure life?
A. Christ is the Avenger– Sexual sin does not escape our Lord’s notice. He will punish the wrong doer.
B. We are called to holiness– We are summoned to sanctification and holiness not to impurity and sin.
C. To reject our call to purity is to reject God.
whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
3. Living to Please God Includes Brotherly Love
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
God’s will for you is that you love one another.
Phileo is truly a family love that brothers and sisters share. It is a deep affection for one another found in the family unit. This same love is appropriate among those in the family of God.
Brotherly love was very strong among the first century churches because when one was converted from paganism to Christianity they often lost the family in the process. So, it was very important to have those relationships within the family of the local church.
Living to please God includes walking in love as a close-knit family, caring for one another with genuine brotherly love and affection.
Sovereign Grace Church, do this more and more all the time. We are connected to each other through our Lord Jesus Christ, He is our Brother and God is our Father. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. God has shown us kindness when He could have justly shown us wrath. He has adopted us when we were His enemies.
There is a wonderful story in the OT that is an example of this type of love…
2 Samuel 9:1–13 (ESV)
9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
We are Mephibosheth crippled by sin and still God through Jesus Christ has shown us kindness and we too will always eat at the King’s table…
This is the type of love God desires that we show others.
4. Living to Please God Includes Hard Work
11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
God’s will for you is that you work hard.
I want to begin by saying that hard work every day is a very godly thing to do. We often think godly things are just things like reading your Bible and praying but that’s not the case. The Bible has a lot to say about working hard.
Proverbs 12:11 (ESV)
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Proverbs 14:23 (ESV)
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
A hard days work has a way of taking care of a lot of other things we might be tempted to do that God doesn’t approve of. When you work hard and go to bed and sleep you’re not tempted to be involved in other’s lives to the degree of being a busy body or a gossip. You’re not dependent on others but work to supply your own needs. You can be at peace and live a quiet life managing your own affairs not so concerned with the affairs of others.
I love the change that takes place when a thief is converted. Paul speaks about this in Ephesians.
Ephesians 4:28 (ESV)
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
So, Living to Please God Includes Hard Work.
Application
As we look at this section we know this is not an exhaustive list of the things that please God and cause us to grow. We also realize that these things are God’s will for us because they promote sanctification.
So, when we are wondering about a choice we need to make whether it be to move to Timbuktu or marry Nancy Sue? You should think through the situation by asking yourself will this decision to do something or buy something or whatever add to my sanctification. That is God’s will for you, right?
Here’s an example: Let’s say you are making an avg salary at your job. You are meeting the needs of your family. Where you are you and your family attend a Church where everyone is growing in Christ. A job opportunity presents itself in another state. The pay is a lot more but there are no good churches around. Your choice is rather easy isn’t it? The salary increase is not important if the place has nothing to offer you as far as sanctification is concerned.
Specifically with today’s text in mind we might ask things like this:
Will it promote sexual purity in my life?
Is it loving and will it promote brotherly love within the church?
Is it responsible or will it promote dependence on others?
Finally, as we grow more and more in sanctification these questions will be answered with much more clarity and quickness.
*Resources Used:
John Stott, The Gospel and the End of Time
1 and 2 Thessalonians by Robert Cara
1 and 2 Thessalonians by G K Beale
1 and 2 Thessalonians by Leon Morris
1 and 2 Thessalonians by FF Bruce
1 and 2 Thessalonians by G L Green
[1] http://media.virbcdn.com/files/bb/684d9d8d097b75ab-Chapell_KnowingGodsWill.pdf
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