Paul’s Final Advice

 Meditations on 1 Thessalonians

June 25, 2021

Paul’s Final Advice

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

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

Two things stand out to me in this passage. First, verses 16-22 are like a teacher’s aide in helping students learn the Christian way of life. (Like i before e except after c.) This is an affirmation of the very high standards of moral and ethical behavior in the Christian life. Remember from June 21, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (1Peter 1: 15-16)

In verse 10, Paul affirmed the basic Christian Creed: Christ died for us and rose again. Because of this, in verse 18, Paul can encourage us to be thankful in all circumstances. Sometimes Christians try to muster up faith that God will change their circumstance, and, thus, they can thankful in that hope. But Paul is teaching that regardless of whether the circumstances change, we can be thankful because Jesus, who died for us and rose again, has promised that He is always with us and that nothing can separate us from His love.

My Takeaway: Using this creed may be a good way to begin each day:

Jesus died for me and rose again.

Let this affirmation be ringing in our ears, and heart, as we venture out into the world today, and every day.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.