I think Christians often struggle with knowing how to respond to the pressures we feel to lower our standards of behaviour. And there are two extremes that we come across among Christians. One extreme thinks we should forget those old fashioned mores and get with the times: after all, this is a new world we live in. The other extreme is to be so strongly puritanical that all the fun’s taken out of life because they’re so worried about whether their behaviour might be tainted by sin.
Well, in this letter, Paul has been defending himself against the accusations of his opponents largely by reminding the Thessalonians of how he behaved when he was with them, calling to mind the sorts of things he taught, the way he lived among them and the way he made sure that Timothy went to them to strengthen them in their faith. And in so doing he gives us some direction as to how to find our way through the ethical dilemmas of our life.
At the end of ch 3 he prays for them: "12May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints." (1 Th 3:12-13 NRSV) Paul knows that he’s done what he could for them, physically. But that’s not all he can do. Now he prays that God would continue to work in them as they grow to maturity in Christ. What’s more, there are still things that he can teach them and encourage them to do even if he can’t do it face to face. So he goes on to reinforce the teaching that he gave them while he was there.
So what was it that he taught them? Well, we see a number of references to his teaching as we go through this letter. He instructed them to live a life that’s "worthy of God" (2:12); To live lives that are pleasing to God (4:1); he points out that such a life will be one of moral uprightness and concerned love (4:3,10); that it involves things as mundane as honest work and quiet lives and minding your own business (4:11-12). He also points out that this call to uprightness even extends to our personal life, even to the privacy of the bedroom (4:3-7) and warns that God will judge those who live only for their own pleasure, ignoring the needs or rights of their brother or sister (4:6). In other words what he gives us here is a short course in Christian ethics. How do we decide what is right and what isn’t?
In my CRE class this week we were thinking about what it is that makes some things fair or just and what makes other things unfair or unjust. And of course they all knew what was fair and what wasn’t. Young people generally have a strong sense of justice, particularly when they’re the victims of injustice of course, or when they can relate to someone who’s suffering injustice. But not many of them could tell me why those things were unjust, other than they seemed to be unjust. Oh, there were lots of suggestions, most of which applied in some settings but not others, but no-one had a general basis on which to decide whether something is unjust or not. Now they’re not alone are they? There are many time when equally well-informed people disagree as to what’s fair and what isn’t. Even Christians disagree at times on what’s godly behaviour and what isn’t; even if God’s word does give us more grounds for deciding than most other people have. So it’s important that we read this passage and seek to understand what’s behind this call to live lives that are pleasing to God.
So let’s look at what we’re told here in the first few verses of ch. 4.
Live lives that will please God.
One of the things we talked about in CRE was the warning in Amos 2 that God was going to punish the Israelites for taking advantage of the poor, for enslaving them because they had no money to buy food nor the power to defend themselves. So what’s wrong with slavery? We all know its wrong don’t we? Mind you before William Wilberforce and John Newton and their friends fought their long battle, lots of Christians thought it was OK. But we know it’s wrong now. But why is it wrong?
Well, it’s wrong because it displeases God. God desires people to be free. Jesus died to make us free. God has made us in his own image, so for a human being to be enslaved goes against everything that God intended for us. How did William Wilberforce please God? By working his whole life to end slavery.
But how do we please God? Well, first of all by obeying him. That’s fairly obvious isn’t it? So make sure you know what he commands. I’m thinking of doing a series next year on the 10 Commandments. I saw some incredible statistics recently about the general ignorance of the ten commandments even in the USA. I can’t remember the exact figures but apparently in America a huge percentage of people surveyed didn’t even know that ’do not kill’ was one of the ten commandments. So make sure you know what God’s rules for life are.
But then we need to go further, don’t we? What pleases God is more than just obedience to those ten commandments. He also wants us to exhibit Christian character; for example the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. Last week I talked about how Paul urges them to show the family traits in the way they behave, by living godly lives. There he was using the image of a father raising his child. Well the motivation a child has for acting the way the father desires is the love that child has for the father isn’t it? So too for us. If we want to truly show God our Father that we love him then we’ll be seeking to act in ways that please him.
I guess you’ve all seen those wristbands with WWJD on them - "What would Jesus Do?" But I wonder whether it might be better to have wristbands that have WWPG on them - "What would please God?" It might help us whenever we come across an ethical issue that we struggle with; to ask "What would please God in this situation?"
But then he goes on to discuss a number of pressing issues for the church both in their day and in ours.
Sexual Morality
First of all he approaches the issue of sexual morality, or more precisely, self control in the area of sexuality.
You’d have to say that the Graeco-Roman world of Paul’s day was incredibly lax when it came to questions of morality. Promiscuity was the norm, both heterosexual and homosexual. Sounds a bit like the western world today doesn’t it - apart from the fact that they didn’t have our modern media to display it before peoples’ eyes day and night?
Both Corinth, where Paul is writing this letter from and Thessalonica were renowned for religious worship involving gross immorality. So it’s no wonder that he mentions this as a prime example of an area where Christians need to be careful about pleasing God not just themselves.
So what does he say about this? Is this typical Christian prudishness or is there more to it than that?
Holiness and Honour
Well first notice that his approach is positive, not negative. The principle is to control your own body in holiness and honour. In other words understand the precious gift God has given you in the gift of sexuality and use it in the way God meant you to. For those of us who are married, our bodies are especially sanctified, that is set apart, by being given over to the person we’ve married. So promiscuity denies that indissoluble bond. Elsewhere Paul refers to the body in this context as the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is, God’s Holy Spirit dwells in our bodies, so we should treat them with a special honour. For those who are single, promiscuity denies God’s intention for human beings which was that sexual union be a once and for all state within the context of a lifelong marriage and thus denies our worship of the God who has come to dwell within us.
Now as I said before, it seems to me that there are generally 2 extremes in the discussion of sexual morality. One simply ignores God’s law totally and does what it likes. The other applies it rigidly to the point of being puritanical about sex.
The first is happy with a counterfeit. The second takes God’s good gift and throws mud on it.
But there is a middle way. God’s gift of sexuality is something that is meant to be enjoyed in the context of marriage. It’s a good thing. And I take it’s not just there for making children otherwise we’d be like the animals and only be attracted to the opposite sex at certain times of the month.
What’s more, even for those who are single there is enjoyment in the affectionate relationships that we can have with friends of either sex even if the full expression of human sexuality isn’t possible. I’m also conscious of what we read last week, where Paul, apparently a single man, likens himself to one who is a parent of those to whom he ministers.
John Stott, himself also a single man, suggests that one of the outlets he’s found helpful in this area is the loving service of others and the relationships that that’s opened up for him with a whole range of people. And in fact that’s the next thing Paul mentions.
Love of the brothers and sisters
He urges them to love one another more and more. In fact he doesn’t need to say much about this because they’re already doing it so well. Let me read you what he says about them in 2 Cor 8: "1We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; 2for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, 4begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints." Not only did they love the brothers and sisters in their own church, but their love extended to the Christians in Jerusalem who were experiencing extreme financial hardship for their faith.
Their love for God, you see, was reflected in the love they showed for their fellow Christians. And their love for one another was a reflection of the love God had showed them in Jesus Christ. It’s like a circle that goes round and round.
A Quiet Life
Finally he gives a set of instructions to a group of Christians who it seems, had become idle rather than productive. Not unemployed through lack of work but by choice. Again, the motivation he gives is pleasing God and loving one another.
It appears that some of these Christians may have misunderstood Paul’s teaching on the return of Christ. They were so excited about the thought that Christ was about to return that they’d simply stopped working and were waiting around in anticipation and in the process stirring people up. This seems to be the reason for him suggesting that they lead a quiet life. Otherwise it seems a bit odd doesn’t it? I mean if they’re not working their life would be fairly quiet you’d think. But in fact they’re so excited about Christ returning that they’re getting other people excited. These are classic enthusiasts. He tells them to mind their own affairs, as though they’re going around butting into other people’s lives, stirring them up. Maybe they’re even accusing them of being unspiritual because they’re still working for a living, rather than trusting that Christ will return as he promised. But he tells them they should get back to work, to work with their hands so they’ll not be dependent on anyone.
Now there are two issues here. First is the issue of love again. To be dependent on someone isn’t helpful or loving towards that person, is it? Rather they need to provide for themselves. I guess in the context of the collection for the saints they also needed to be earning a living so they could send support to their Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.
But secondly there’s their witness to outsiders. He tells them to behave properly toward outsiders. That is, they’re to demonstrate the character of God not only within the church but outside as well. Christians should be exemplary in the attitude we have towards work. Work, like sex, is a gift of God. Here we see the dignity God gives us by allowing us to work with our hands, just as God worked in creation, just as Jesus worked as humble carpenter and Paul as a tentmaker.
Unselfishness and Growth
Finally I want you to notice two things from this passage. First is the requirement for unselfishness that goes so against the grain of our modern worldview. We’re to please God, not ourselves and we’re to love one another; to seek their welfare above our own. Those people I mentioned, who’d like to ignore God’s laws, think they’re doing it to be free, but true freedom isn’t freedom for ourselves, it’s freedom from ourselves. God wants us to be free of ourselves so we can be free to love others, free to serve him better.
Secondly is the call to growth. He says we’re to please God, how, v1? "More and more." And how are we to love one another, v10? "More and more." The Christian life is always one of growth, of ongoing training, as we press on towards the goal of eternal life.
So he says, "as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more." Maybe that might be your motto for the coming year.
For more sermons from this source go to http://www.stthomasburwood.org.au
