Commit to Live in Peace

Commit to Live in Peace

(1 Thessalonians 5:12-28)

Yearly Theme:  “Peace is…”

Series Title:  “Parting Peace”

November 21^st, 2021

Something to think about:

What is holiness, and how does living it give a person peace?

Holiness may seem old, outdated, and odd to many people, but it is something to which all people are called, especially those within the Church.

We come to the closing words of Paul today in his first letter to the Christians at Thessalonica, or what we call First Thessalonians.  In these final words, Paul instructs the Thessalonian Christians to live lives of holiness, and he gives them practical examples of this.  His parting words to them seem to suggest that a commitment living a life of holiness as a follower of Christ is indeed a means to living a life of peace in Christ.  Let’s take a look:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (NLT),

¹² Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work.  They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.  ¹³ Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.  And live peacefully with each other.

¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.  Encourage those who are timid.  Take tender care of those who are weak.  Be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶ Always be joyful.  ¹⁷ Never stop praying.  ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰ Do not scoff at prophecies, ²¹ but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good.  ²² Stay away from every kind of evil.

²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

²⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers and sisters with a sacred kiss.

²⁷ I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.

²⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^[1]

So what’s the takeaway this morning?  Well…

Key Point:  “Living a holy life is an indicator that the GOD of peace has your heart.”

How does this flesh out?  Let’s break it down further today.  Paul says that we should…

•  those who  you in the LORD’s work.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (NLT), ¹² Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work.  They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.  ¹³ Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.  And live peacefully with each other.

Another thing Paul instructs is to…

• Stay  from every kind of  .

1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 (NLT),  ¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy.  Encourage those who are timid.  Take tender care of those who are weak.  Be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶ Always be joyful.  ¹⁷ Never stop praying.  ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰ Do not scoff at prophecies, ²¹ but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good.  ²² Stay away from every kind of evil.

Finally, Paul reminds the Church to be holy and blameless, encouraging them that GOD will make this happen, and he encourages them with this one poignant promise…

• He who  you is  .

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NLT), ²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

Something to take home:

Living a life of holiness is not easy, that’s why we all need a Savior.  Jesus, the very epitome of holiness and love, bore our sins and failure in order to make us holy as GOD is holy.  However, we cannot be holy apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ.  When we surrender everything to Him, and pursue Him with an abandon that draws everything in our life to bear on Him, holiness becomes our reality and peace becomes the indicator of our life captured by the love of GOD.

1. S. Lewis exclaimed, “How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets real thing, it is irresistible.”[2]

Key Point:  “Living a holy life is an indicator that the GOD of peace has your heart.”

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers.  (2015).  Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Th 5:12–2 Th).  Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[2] C. S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady, New Bible Commentary, p. 28.