Better Way Apostolic Church-Biblical Enrichment Class

Subject: Walk in Harmony: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

  The transition from holiness to love is not a difficult one. Paul made this transition in His prayer recorded in 1 Thess 3:11-13. just as God’s love is a holy love, so our love for God and for one another ought to motivate us to holy living. The more we live like God, the more we will love one another. If a Christian really loves his brother, he will not sin against him (1 Thess 4:6).

 There are four basic words for “love” in the Greek language.

Eros  refers to physical love; it gives us our English word erotic. Eros love does not have to be sinful, but in Paul’s clay its main emphasis was sensual. This word is never used in the New Testament. Another word, storge  (pronouncedSTOR-gay), refers to family love, the love of parents for their children. This word is also absent from our New Testament, although a related word is translated “kindly affectioned” in Rom12:10.

 The two words most used for love are philia  (fil-E-uh) and agape  (a-GA-pay).

Philia love is the love of deep affection, such as in friendship or even marriage. But

Agape  love is the love God shows toward us. It is not simply a love based on feeling; it is expressed in our wills. Agape love treats others as God would treat them, regardless of feelings or personal preferences.

 The wordPhiladelphia  is translated “brotherly love.” Because Christians belong to the same family, and have the same Father, they should love one another. In fact, we are “taught of God to love one another.” God has taught us to love each other when He gave Christ to die for us on the cross. “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John4:19, NIV). God has taught us to love one another when He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another” (John13:34). And the Spirit of God hastaught us to love one another when He poured out the love of God in our hearts (Rom 5:5) when we trusted Christ.

 Have you noticed that animals do instinctively what is necessary to keep them alive and safe? Fish do not attend classes to learn how to swim (even though they swim in schools), and birds by nature put out their wings and flap them in order to fly. It is nature that determines action. Because a fish has a fish’s nature, it swims; because a hawk has a hawk’s nature, it flies. And because a Christian has God’s nature (2 Peter 1:4), he loves, because “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

 Faith, hope, and love had been the distinctive characteristics of the Thessalonican Christians from the beginning (1 Thess 1:3). Timothy had reported the good news of their love (1 Thess 3:6), so Paul was not exhorting them to acquire something they did not already possess. He was encouraging them to get more of what they already enjoyed. You can never have too much Christian love. Paul had prayed that their love might “increase and abound” (1 Thess3:12); and God answered that prayer (see 2 Thess 1:3).

How does God cause our love to “increase more and more”? By putting us into circumstances that force us to practice Christian love. Love is the “circulatory system” of the body of Christ, but if our spiritual muscles are not exercised, the circulation is impaired. The difficulties that we believers have with one another are opportunities for us to grow in our love. This explains why Christians who have had the most problems with each other often end up loving one another deeply, much to the amazement of the world.

 Walk in Honesty (1 Thes. 4:11-12)

The word in 1 Thess4:12that is translated “honestly” in our Authorized Version, carries the meaning of “becomingly, in a seemly way.” It is translated “decently” in 1 Cor 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” The emphasis is on the believer’s witness to those who are outside the Christian fellowship. “Them that are without” is a familiar description of unbelievers.

 Christians not only have the obligation to love one another but also to be good testimonies to the people of the world. Paul’s great concern was that the Thessalonican believers earn their own wages and not become freeloaders depending on the support of unbelievers. “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thess4:11, NIV) seems like a paradox; if you are ambitious, your life will probably not be quiet.

 But the emphasis is on quietness of mind and heart, the inner peace that enables a man to be sufficient through faith in Christ. Paul did not want the saints running around creating problems as they earned their daily bread.

 For the most part, the Greeks despised manual labor. Most of the work was done by slaves. Paul, of course, was a tentmaker; and he was careful in Thessalonica to set the example of hard work (1 Thess 2:6; 2 Thess 3:6). Unfortunately, some of the new believers in the church misunderstood the doctrine of Christ’s return and gave up their jobs in order to wait for His coming. This meant that they were supported by other Christians, some of whom may not have had sufficient funds for their own families. It also meant that these fanatical people could not pay their bills, and therefore they lost their testimony with the unsaved merchants.

 ”My wife is going to have plastic surgery,” a man said to his friend. “I’m taking away all of her credit cards!” How easy it is to purchase things we do not need with money we do not have, and then lose not only our credit, but also our good Christian witness. “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon [money] who will entrust the true riches to you?” (Luke 16:11, NASB) Churches and Christians who defend their orthodoxy but do not pay their bills have no orthodoxy to defend.

 ”Mind your own business and work with your hands” (1 Thess4:11, NIV) was what Paul commanded them. Idle people spend their time interfering with the affairs of others and getting themselves and others into trouble. “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies” (2 Thess3:11, NIV). “But let none of you suffer … as a busybody in other men’s matters” (1 Peter4:15).

Dealing with Busybody:

Busybody- looking for small point to criticize, Mark 3:1-6

1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

 [And withal they learn to be idle] They do not love work, and they will not work.

 [Wandering about from house to house] Gadding, gossiping; never contented with home; always visiting.

 [And not only idle] If it went no further, this would be intolerable; but they are tattlers-talebearers; whisperers; light, trifling persons; all noise and no work.

[Busybodies] Persons who meddle with the concerns of others; who mind everyone’s business but their own.

 [Speaking things which they ought not.] Lies, slanders, calumnies; backbiting their neighbours, and everywhere sowing the seed of dissension.

  Believers who are about the Father’s business (Luke2:49) do not have the time – or desire – to meddle in the affairs of others. Unfortunately, even a Bible class could become an opportunity for gossip (“so that you might pray more intelligently”) and a substitute for true Christian service.

 As believers, we must be careful in our relationships with “those that are without.” It requires spiritual grace and wisdom to have contact without contamination and to be different without being judgmental and proud. “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without” (Col 4:5). If we lack this spiritual wisdom, we will do more harm than good.

 There are several good reasons why Christians should work not the least of which is to provide for their own families (1 Tim 5:8). If unsaved people have to work to pay their bills, why should Christians be exempt? We also work in order to be able to give to those who have need (Eph4:28); but “if any would not , work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess3:10). Work is not a curse; it is a blessing. God gave Adam work to do inParadise. It is the toil and sweat of work that belongs to the curse, and not the work itself (Gen2:15and3:17ff).

 As we review this section, we see how practical the Christian walk really is. The obedient Christian will have a holy life by abstaining from sexual sin; a harmonious life by loving the brethren; and an honest life by working with his hands and not meddling in the affairs of others. When unsaved people see Christ magnified in this kind of a life, they will either oppose it with envy or desire to have it for themselves. Either way, God is glorified.

 

 Dr. Harold Durham- Pastor b- walk in harmony  February 22, 2012