Final Instructions

In Christ Jesus

Be “in Christ Jesus. A statement used throughout the New Testament. A strange statement I would imagine if you have not been a follower of Jesus for a while or at all. But it is a key understanding of what it means to live the life of a disciple of Jesus.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24, Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica, and he is giving them his final instructions of what it looks like to live “in Christ Jesus.”

He has been encouraging them throughout this letter to continue the good works they have been doing throughout Macedonia, and to not settle with where they are in their faith but to push forward and grow.

He has just talked to them about what will happen when Jesus comes back with those that are “asleep.” They will be taken up first with Jesus, then those of us who are still alive will be taken up with them. He has just said that beautiful passage that we all need to be reminded.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NIV

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Now we get into his final words of instruction to the church in Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–24 NIV

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

This is the summation of what it looks like if we are living our lives in Christ. It also gives us some helpful tips on how to live in Christ.

So let’s dive a little more into this.

Paul begins by telling us how we are to respond to different people within the body of Christ. The “hardworking, leaders” and the struggling. Then expands the discussion to how we should respond to everyone. Then he tells how to do it, but something really jumped out at me as I was preparing for this message. As we go, it may jump out to you as well, but we will emphasize it at the end.

To the Hardworking and the leaders.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 NIV

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Acknowledge/Respect those who work hard, those that are over you in the Lord, and those who admonish you

Acknowledge, other versions use the word respect, is to hold them in the highest regard. To love them. To build them up. To celebrate them. These should be your true heroes.

Those that Work Hard- We know what it means to work hard. I think here Paul is talking about that work hard for Jesus. They really live up to

Galatians 6:9–10 NIV

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Isn’t that what a life in Christ would look like? Someone who works hard at doing good! Isn’t that what Jesus looked like?

So we are called to celebrate those who work hard in Christ.

Acknowledge those that over you in the Lord

We are also called to celebrate those that are over us in the Lord. Now, I don’t know a lot of people who like to think anyone is over us. But the fact is we all have people over us. But here specifically we are called to celebrate those that are over us in the Lord.

What does that mean? It means people who God has put in your life who may be spiritually more mature than you or who God has put in your life to help you be more like Christ. People like the elders and small group leaders. Mentors, disciplers. Teachers of our Bible studies, children and youth. Anyone God is using to lead. Celebrate them. Encourage them. Build them up.

Then we are also to celebrate those that admonish us.

Acknowledge those that admonish you

Admonish. Not something I like to have happen to me. But it is definitely something we all need at times. Admonish definitely means correct, but a better understanding of the word is make us better. That can happen through discipline, but it also happens through encouragement, challenge and pushing forward. We are called to celebrate those that do those things to us.

RICHs

Obviously God thinks these are good characteristics, so we should probably also try to do them in our lives as well. So, be hardworking, leading others in Christ, and building up the individuals in the body so the body of Christ can be stronger.

But check out this little clause in the middle of verse 13

Live in peace with each other

Big one. Peace. the opposite of war. Peace the opposite of hatred. Peace, the opposite of ripping someone on social media. Peace, living like Jesus. Peace is the goal here folks.

And that leads into the next section of what it means to live in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 NIV

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Warn those that are idle

Remember what God wants us to do. Work hard. So of course we are to encourage people not to be lazy or sitting around doing nothing.

Encourage the disheartened or timid

Reach out to those who need a push. A push to be more than they are. To be a disciple.

Help the Weak

We are all weak at some point. We who are in Christ need to never stop helping those in need. The foundation of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

How we are to act to everyone.

Be patient

Period. It takes time.

Make Sure no one pays back wrong for wrong

More than not repaying wrong for wrong it is helping others not to do it. That is a tough one. Maybe it means bringing people to the side when you see they repay wrong with wrong. This is sermon on the mount stuff. Turn the other cheek. Walk another mile. Love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you.

Be Kind to everyone

So just in case you found a loophole on one of the other ones. Paul covers everyone.

Then Paul changes gears a little bit and tells how we can live in Christ. Some practical things. Here they are

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice Always

Pray Continually

Give Thanks in all Circumstances

GOD’s will for you in Christ Jesus. There are those words. in Christ Jesus. We cannot do it on our own we need help.

But there are some Don’t statements to help us as well

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 NIV

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

Don’t quench the Spirit

Don’t treat prophecies with contempt

Hold on to what is good

Reject every kind of evil

But you cannot do this on your own. We need help. We need power. We need Jesus. So Paul reminds us:

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NIV

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

God will do it through you. He gives you peace, he makes you Holy. He makes your whole being, spirit, soul and body blameless. Why? because he is faithful.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

LOVE, Joy, Peace, Patience Kindness Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Throughout this scripture. It is living, abiding, dwelling in, Christ Jesus, that makes this life possible. Not us. It is being his disciples. Not our own works. See that is what it means to be in Christ. It means to let Christ live through you. Giving yourself completely to him.

So live in Christ.