Love For One Another

"Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other." (1 Thessalonians 4:9)

In verse 1 of chapter 4 Paul began to exhort the Thessalonian believers to live godly lives. First of all he called them to live lives of sexual purity (verses 1-8). Now in verse 9 he reminds them of their duty to practice brotherly love. The word for "brotherly love" in Greek is philadelphia. It’s a word that outside the New Testament is almost always used for the love of family members for one another. It is particularly appropriate for Christian believers because all of us have been born again of the Spirit of God. Whatever our background, whatever our social standing, whatever our gender, we are all brothers in Christ.

Paul points out three facts about this brotherly love:

1. God himself teaches it to us. (verse 9)

F.F. Bruce comments, "The Thessalonian Christians had learned, almost by the instinct of the new life imparted to them, to love one another." Because we have been born of God we share his basic nature, which is love. To be a Christian is to enter a fellowship of brotherly love.
2.  It reaches out to love all of God’s children. (verse 10)

Christian love is not limited by political boundaries or denominational differences. It reaches out to all who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

3. It should always be increasing in our lives.

While to love other Christians comes naturally to the believer, our love can wane. We need always to be growing in our sympathy for those in need, our patience for those who are struggling and our tolerance toward those with whom we disagree.
" To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind." (Theophile Gautier)

No Good Things Does He Withold....

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." (Psalm 84:11)

Our level of faith is directly connected to our obedience.

Mt 8: 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Obedience is clearly a key to great faith. Understanding and submitting ourselves to authority is crucial to our level of faith. Let’s consider this principle further!
Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good (best) of the land:

Obedience is the key to quality life. Jesus said that, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Abundant life is life to the fullest. It is certain that the finest life is not trouble free. We have far too many Biblical examples to the contrary.This life in Christ even on the worst day is far better than the world can offer on its’ best day!! An obedient life assures us that ALL THINGS will work together for our benefit (Ro 8:28) We must bring in the next verse, which says it is for those that are being conformed to the image of His Son ( Rom 8:29)

Glimpses into our future.

Through obedience, we receive vision and understanding of our calling and direction for life! There is no mistake about it, obedience opens our eyes to the future, at least to a degree ( we see through a glass darkly – 1Cor 13:12)

In 1Cor 2 we discover that those who strive to walk in the Spirit are given special revelation of things to come by the Spirit (vs.10) These treasures are not given to the carnal or fleshly i.e. disobedient, but unto spiritual or obedient individuals. Paul, who was a tremendous example of human obedience, stated that he and the apostles had the mind of Christ!!

Notice in the following passage, the key to understanding the direction of God for our present and future is obedience!
Rom 12: 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
God is a rich and bountiful Father, and He does not forget His children, nor withhold from them anything which it would be to their advantage to receive." (J.K.Maclean)

Psalm 91:1

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

The psalms are full of vivid imagery and this is one of the best examples in Psalm 91. God is portrayed as a majestic mother bird whose large outstretched wings provide comfort and protection for the little chicks. Under those wings we find refuge and safety. This is not the only time in the Bible where the bird imagery is used.

 

In Exodus 19 God’s redemption is portrayed this way: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples."

Even Jesus uses the imagery when he grieves over Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing !” (Luke 13:34).

This psalm is about God’s ongoing care for us. God provides shelter, a home that provides comfort. God provides the shadow of the Almighty, the peaceful, calm presence in God’s care.

"He will cove you with his pinions, and under his wings, you will find refuge.  So this psalm highlights God's care and protection.  It also highlights our trust in God.  We entrust our lives to God's care.

 

All of us at some point face situations where we need to trust. Perhaps we face a serious illness. Or we find ourselves out of work or in work that is not enough for us. Perhaps our family life is turbulent right now. Or God seems silent in the midst of our troubles.

The psalmist encourages us: “Those who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

We are in God’s care. We abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Nothing will be able to separate us from God’s love. Amen.

 

Ephesians 3:20

"God is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (Ephesians 3:20)

God is not just able to do beyond what we ask, but  abundantly beyond.  But that is no enough.  He is able to do far more abundantly beyond what we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.

 

I want to encourage you to pray in faith, asking God to do far beyond all that we can ask or think.

From Genesis to Revelation, we see God’s mighty power at work.  We can summarize it under four headings:

 

(1) God’s power is seen in creation.

God spoke the entire universe into existence out of nothing by His word alone! In Romans 1:20, Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” The psalmist exclaimed (Ps. 33:6, 9), “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host…. For He

spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Or, as Jeremiah (32:17)  exaimed, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You.” Every day all
around us, we have evidence to remind us of God’s omnipotence.
(2) God’s power is seen in His judgments.

Throughout the Bible there are examples of God unleashing a small amount of His power to bring judgment on rebellious sinners. He brought the worldwide flood in Noah’s day. He confused the languages of the proud men at the tower of Babel. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone. He unleashed the ten plagues on Egypt and then destroyed the Egyptian army in the sea. On numerous occasions, God destroyed thousands of people in a short time, through plagues or warfare or natural disasters (Num. 16:25-35, 46-49; 25:9; Judges 7:22; 2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chron. 20:22-23; Ps. 18:12-15).

(3) God’s power is seen in His converting sinners

The apostle Paul is exhibit A, of course. He was persecuting the church with vengeance, when God stopped him in his tracks and changed him into the man who would preach to the Gentiles, whom he formerly detested. In our text, Paul refers to “the power that works within us.” That takes us back to Ephesians 1:19, where Paul said that the same power that raised Christ from the dead (the greatest display of power in human history) is what raised us from

spiritual death to life. In Ephesians 3:7, Paul refers to the working  of God’s power that converted him and made him a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles. In 3:16, he referred to God’s power through His Spirit that strengthens us in the inner man.

(4) God’s power is seen in His working when we are unable to do anything 

Abraham and Sarah were physically beyond the ability to conceive children. Even when they were younger, Sarah had been unable to conceive. When Sarah laughed at the idea that she would conceive, the Lord confronted her with the rhetorical question (Gen. 18:14), “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” In response to God’s promise, she did conceive Isaac. Later, when God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham obeyed because (Heb. 11:19), “He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead….” Nothing is impossible for the Lord!

"Prayer provides power, poise, peace and purpose."

I Count All Things But Loss

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:8)

First, we must go hard after Christ in order to know him. Verses 7 and 8: "Whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Paul went hard after Christ, forsaking all the things people normally boast about; and he did it in order to know him. Notice verse 7 is past tense—probably referring to conversion ("I counted all loss"). But verse 8 is present tense: he continues to renounce everything that hinders his getting to know Christ.

Why? Because knowing Christ is a value that surpasses everything else. The evidence of conversion is whether you become a Christian Hedonist. Christian Hedonists always go hard after the highest value. They sell everything joyfully for the buried treasure and pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44–45). We must go hard after Christ, because not to means that we don't want to know him. And not to want to know Christ is an insult to his value and a sign of spiritual stupor or deadness in us. But when you go hard after Christ, to know him, the reward is your joy and his honor.

Paul prays for us in Ephesians 3:18–19 that we "may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." There is so much of Christ yet to be known! His wonders are inexhaustible to all eternity. You, who claim that he is your pearl of great price and your treasure chest of holy joy and yet who do not go hard after him to know him, are caught in a contradiction that cannot go on. You must go hard after Christ, or eventually surrender your claim to own him as the Lord of joy.

When a man falls in love, he is driven by an inner compulsion to know his beloved. And therefore he goes hard after her and spends time with her.

Second, we must go hard after Christ to confirm our justification. Justification refers to the wonderful act of God in which he forgives all our sins and imputes to us his own righteousness through our faith in Christ. Start with the second half of verse 8: "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith." Notice: present tense, "I am counting all things as refuse"; I am forsaking them; I am pursuing Christ. Why? In order that I might gain Christ and share in God's righteousness.

"Watch your motive before God; have no other motive in prayer than to know Him." (O. Chambers)