I pulled this picture simply because it makes me grin. Rachel truly was a rose on our trip because she was always in a good mood no matter what situation we were in.
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Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
These verses from 1 Thessalonians 4 have been on my mind for a few weeks. I was thinking about the limits we place on ourselves when it comes the way we live. Dr. Golden touched on this Sunday and that brought it home for me.
I think too often we decide we want to live better, holier even, and we psyche ourselves up for a great lifestyle change, get a fresh, blank journal and put our Bible a little closer to the bedside, and then... ____.
Our Christian life has many seasons of ups and downs, just ask anyone who has been a believer for more than twenty minutes. By ups and downs I mean times when we walk the line and times when we swerve from ditch to ditch. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're a saint. Congratulations.
Paul wrote that when it comes to how we should walk and live to please God, do that then do more. And more. There are no limits, there is no point of achievement, no checklist to complete. There isn't a, "Whew! Made it!" It's an on-going process that takes diligence.
He goes on to say that our sanctification is God's will and we should abstain from sexual immorality and be self-controlled in holiness and honor, because we are called in holiness. I expect we will all hear more on the holiness topic in the coming weeks.
I know we can all pursue holiness more diligently because, honestly, there is always more to pursue. We aren't closer to the finish because we're better than some or most. The benchmark isn't people, people. It's Jesus.
Paul also wrote, and Dr. G also spoke about, "persuasive words", or "plausible arguments" (Colossians 2:4). It doesn't take much to let our guard down and be persuaded by people who want to tear down our beliefs. In fact, Paul says that we should take care that we aren't deceived or deluded by them.
So I see it this way. Since we know how we ought to walk and live, we should just simply live that way. God has given us His Spirit to guide us. To not listen to that voice is to turn our back on God Himself. The enemy is actively pursuing us all, trying to deceive us through any means possible. Pursuing God and holiness is our only defense. And that's the beauty of the simplicity of God's Word. As the good Dr. said, "If the Bible says to avoid something, it says that for a reason."
