Christian, You Know How to Live Your Life!

6th Sunday after Epiphany, 2/12/17
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12


Christian, You Know How to Live Your Life!
I. Be pure
II. Be loving
III. Be busy


As a child or teenager walking out of the door of your home each day, what did your parent—most likely your mother—tell you every day without fail? In some way, with slight variations for each of us, she reminded us to be good, to stay out of trouble, to be safe. She knew very well the kinds of things you would face once you stepped outside the safe haven of the walls of your home. She knew that you had a sinful nature inside you that pulled and tugged you towards trouble and she knew you would be mixing it up with children who had the same struggle going on inside them. And that mixture made for a high potential for trouble. But you knew better. You were raised to know what’s right and wrong. So, as you left the house, she reminded you how to behave, how to live.

Did you listen to her? Many times you did and you were better for it. But there were times you didn’t and the inevitable trouble resulted. Sometimes the trouble was minimal. At other times it was horrific.

St. Paul wrote these words before us this morning to his spiritual children—people who became Christians through Paul’s mission efforts—in the Greek city of Thessalonica. A decade ago many of these Christians had been living as pagans in a pagan Greek society. Paul shared the truth of God’s word with them regarding their Savior Jesus Christ and how that Savior wanted them to live. As Christians who now trusted in Jesus for their forgiveness and eternal life, they knew right from wrong. But they struggled with it. And when that came to Paul’s attention, he wrote these words to remind them once again. He told them, “You know how to live your life. So do it. More and more each day.”

Paul has that same encouragement for us this morning. Christian, you know how to live your life. Let’s see exactly what this portion of God’s word says about our lives as Christians.

Part I.

Paul’s first subject of encouragement is timely for us, even though he wrote these words nearly 2,000 years ago. It might make you a little uncomfortable, but he addresses our sexual lives.

Let me ask you something. When did the train of sexuality in American go off the tracks? I’m sure many of you would point to the “sexual revolution” of the late 1960s. To a degree I agree with you. But it’s also true that people in our country have always been sexually depraved. I read recently that in the last half of the 1800s there were hundreds of places of ill repute in New York City. STDs were rampant and there weren’t any antibiotics yet to treat them. And it’s not just America. Our entire world is sexually depraved. Just look at the trash that passes for entertainment!

But listen to Paul. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”

Paul tells you that you are sanctified. Just what does that mean? Literally, it means that God set you apart. He did that when the Holy Spirit brought you to faith in Jesus. He set you apart from the unbelieving world and made you one of his own people. He brought you into the Holy Christian Church and destined you for an eternal life of glory with him.

So now live like it! When the Holy Spirit brought you to faith he also took up residence in your heart. You have the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. He empowers godly living. Our sexually polluted world hounds you with temptations. But you know better. Christian, you know how to live your life. Be pure!

The lure of sexual sins is unlike any other. That’s because our God has created us as sexual creatures and he’s given us marriage in which sexual activity is holy and pleasing in his sight, but at times that’s not the way we want it. And our world bombards us with other opportunities. And it looks so desirable and so pleasurable, until you recognize the carnage that sexual sins wreak in people’s lives. When faced with such temptations we need to flee to the holy arms of our Savior. We need to find our refuge in the only One who was always pure and holy. His death on the cross took the punishment for our sins in our place. With faith in Jesus you have a pure and holy heart as well. That pure and holy heart leads us to live pure and holy lives. Christian, you know how to live your life. Be pure!

Part II.

Do you know what the travel slogan is for the State of Virginia? With the number of government employees present, I’ll bet many of you do. It’s “Virginia Is for Lovers.” In fact, that’s been Virginia’s slogan for nearly 50 years. I’m not sure what love has to do with making travel plans to Virginia, but apparently the slogan is effective at promoting such plans.

While I don’t know what love has to do with travel plans to Virginia, I do know that Christianity is all about love—God’s love for us as shown in Jesus, and our love for God and each other.

That Christian love was evident in the Thessalonian Christians. Paul wrote, “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia.” Paul assumes that because they are Christians, they are going to love each other as Christians. And they were.

But, just what does that mean, practically speaking? It doesn’t necessarily mean that Christians who are gathered together in a congregation are automatically best friends with each other. It doesn’t mean that we’re obligated to do things socially with one another.

But it does mean that we genuinely care about one another. If one of us is grieving, we grieve with you. If one of us rejoices, we rejoice with you. If you need help, we’ll try to do what we can. If your spirit is flagging, we’ll encourage you. But it also means that if you’re heading towards spiritual trouble, if you’re flirting with a sinful lifestyle, we will lovingly rebuke you. That’s brotherly love.

I’m going to guess that you probably didn’t need me to explain what brotherly love looks like. You know what brotherly love is. That’s because as a Christian you know how to live your life. Be loving!

We know how to be loving, but it’s so difficult at times even among a congregation of Christians. It’s so much easier to be critical, judgmental, and condescending. Instead of being actively involved in helping someone, it’s much easier to be distant and detached. It’s so easy to think that I know better than someone else does. It’s so easy to think and feel and behave that way because we all have a sinful nature which will not bow to anyone but self. So, where’s the love? Find it in the world’s greatest Lover—your Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves you more than anyone else. His love for you drove him to the cross for you. His love for you forgives you, renews you, sets you apart as one of his holy people, and fills you with love for him and for others. You know how to live your life. Be loving!

Part III.

I mentioned when we began that Paul was the spiritual parent of these Thessalonian Christians. His parental spirit is unmistakable in his final encouragement for them and us. He writes, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

In Greek society Greek men were notoriously lazy. Greek men left nearly everything to their wives while they sat around at their various meeting places and discussed the latest idea or philosophy. When these Thessalonians became Christians, Paul instructed them that laziness was not part of the Christian life. He instructed them to be busy.

And notice his reason why. Let’s look at his second reason first. “So that you will not be dependent on anybody.” I don’t think that’s an issue with any of us. By and large we are responsible people who know that we need to support ourselves and those who are unable to do so. In another place Paul encourages us to work so that we can have something to give those who are in need (Eph. 4:28). As a Christian, you know that.

But Paul states another reason to be busy. “So that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders.” Paul echoes what we heard Jesus say in last Sunday’s gospel. Christians are to be the salt and light of the earth, in order to draw others to Jesus. Paul urges us to do the same with lives that are busy getting our work done. Paul wants the Christian life always to be lived to the glory of Jesus Christ, so that when others see the way we live, they’ll be drawn to Christ. They’ll want to know what makes such a difference in your life, your words, your attitude. And that’s when you’ll have the blessed opportunity to tell them, “It’s Jesus. He changed my life.”

You know that. You know that Jesus has set you apart from our unbelieving world. He did that when he brought you to faith in him. You know and believe that he redeemed you from Satan’s kingdom to his kingdom when he sacrificed himself on the cross for you. And now he wants us all to be busy—busy in whatever calling in life he has given you—in your home, your school, your place of employment. And he also wants us to be busy with the work he has given us to do in his kingdom. Ask yourself, “What’s my part in God’s kingdom work?” Ask yourself and then get busy. But you already knew that because you’re a Christian. Christian, you know how to live your life. Live it more and more each day to the glory of your Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.