Since Easter we have been talking about the work of the Holy Spirit both within and upon believers.

We have spent a lot of time focusing upon how to cooperate with the inward work of the Holy Spirit so that your life itself can be a testimony He can empower to further the kingdom of God.

All of the things we have covered are intimate and relational.

• Loving Him
• Honoring Him
• Acknowledging His abiding presence in all of decisions, thoughts and actions
• Seeking Him through His word
• Treasuring His words within your heart
• Thinking His thoughts

All of these things happen in natural relationships and are proofs of devotion to another person we admire.

Most recently we have bore down upon thinking God’s thoughts that we might walk in His ways.

That rightstanding with God BEGINS with replacing your thoughts with His.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts” God told Israel through Isaiah. Which in brief is why their ways were not His ways.

This week we are moving forward with this by focusing upon having a walk worthy of our calling which we will see involves putting off what Paul refers to as the “old man”.

For our first example we turn to 1 Thessalonians 2 and then 4 the lessons here are about the result of the gospel preached to these believers. What did the Spirit intend to accomplish in them through the ministry of Paul. So that in the end, both Paul as an empowered witness and the believers in Thessalonica become our examples of having a walk worthy of God and of putting off the old man.

I am reading from the Holman translation

1 Thessalonians 2:1-20, 

“(1) For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result. 

(2)  On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and been outrageously treated in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition.  

(3)  For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive.  (4)  Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts.  (5)  For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives–God is our witness—  (6)  and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others.  

(7)  Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.  (8)  We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.  

(9)  For you remember our labor and hardship, brothers. Working night and day so that we would not burden any of you, we preached God’s gospel to you.  (10)  You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly, righteously, and blamelessly we conducted ourselves with you believers.  

(11)  As you know, like a father with his own children,  (12)  we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, Who calls you into HisOwn kingdom and glory.  

(13)  Also, this is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers.” 

This is an example of what Paul meant when he said to the believers in Rome that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it is the POWER of God unto salvation.

“(14)  For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews.  

(15)  They killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us; they displease God, and are hostile to everyone,  (16)  hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. 

As a result, they are always adding to the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them completely.  (17)  But as for us, brothers, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face.  

(18)  So we wanted to come to you–even I, Paul, time and again–but satan hindered us.  

(19)  For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?  (20)  For you are our glory and joy!”

Now we are skipping chapter 3 only because it would derail you from our objective. Chapter 3 is entirely about wanting to come see them and the encouraging report they received from Timothy about their growth, so that chapter 3 ends with these words…

“(11) Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.  (12)  And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you.  (13)  May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1-18,

“(1)  Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God–as you are doing–do so even more.  

(2)  For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  

(3) For this is God’s will, your sanctification: 

that you abstain from sexual immorality,  (4)  so that each of you knows how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,  (5)  not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don’t know God.  

(6)  This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.  

(7)  For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.  

(8)  Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, Who also gives you His Holy Spirit.  

(9)  About brotherly love: you don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.  (10)  In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. 

But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,  (11)  to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,  (12)  so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.  

(13)  We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.  

(14)  Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.  

(15)  For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: 

We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.  (16)  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  

(17)  Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord.  (18)  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

These words of Paul also bring Jesus back into center focus as our reward or prize for our labors. 

Now turn with me to Colossians 1 where we will continue to see some of this same focus taught to them.

Blessings!