Sanctification

1 Thessalonians 4:1 HCSB

Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing —do so even more.

Come to Faith in Christ

you received from us how you ought to walk and please God

The first step in toward a growing relationship with God is to surrender your heart to Jesus.

notice that they had received… this is something that happened in the past.

Paul showed up preaching the Gospel and Acts 17.4 tells us that “some were persuaded”.. They came to faith in Jesus. They surrendered their eternity to Him by repenting of their sins and trusting what Christ had done on the cross.

If you can’t remember a time in your life when this happened to you, you need to be saved from your sins today.

Exercise You Faith

walk and please God- as you are doing

Here we understand that “getting saved” is not the end but the beginning of your “faith walk”

The person who think that salvation is to pray a prayer, get dunked, and do nothing with their faith to grow in it, either didn’t really get saved, or has tragically missed the next steps of being a follower of Jesus.

Paul heard from Timothy that these disciples of Jesus were continuing to faithfully follow Jesus.

Sanctification- being set apart for God and His purposes is an on going process, and Paul could see that it was happening “as you are doing”. They were currently living their life “walking” in such a way that they were pleasing to God.

This should be our goal, to RIGHT now be living for Jesus.

What about you? Are you living for Jesus today?

In your conduct? Habits? Attitudes? Communications?

Increase The Intensity

Do so even more

In the next few days a phenomenon will occur all across the country.

People everywhere will set all kinds of goals and resolutions.

One of the biggest will be fitness. Gyms will fill up in the first few weeks following the New Year.

Good intentions.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

The Sunday after 9/11. Churches filled. Good intentions.

The truth is there is one thing that keeps us from following through long term. And that word is discipline.

Here Paul is seen almost cheering them on… You are doing great, now keep going… keep growing… do more.. .don’t fizzle… don’t stop.. don’t quit.. don’t slack off.

Build on your faith… Go deeper. Walk more faithful. Be Holier. Strive for right living. Grow in right thinking. Dig deeper in God’s Word. Trust Him with more and more details of your life. Find greater joy in Him.

Don’t let pettiness get you off track.

Don’t let someone else’s sin become a sin in your own life by the way you respond.