Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Strive, labor, study-- to be quiet.
All too often we are caught up in babbling, aren't we? Talking but really saying nothing. Sure it might seem like we are saying an awful lot and probably about a lot of things, but seriously, how often are we talking about God and God's way, about Jesus and His way, about salvation and eternal life? How often? Could someone accuse you of speaking to much about God? We go day in and day out talking to others but unless religion is our actual profession, how much of that talking is about eternal matters? We really do have a lot to say about nothing, don't we? And when I say nothing I mean nothing that is of any real consequence when it is measured to eternity. When we spend a lot of time not being quiet, and not doing our own business but minding the business of others we have no reason to be minding then we are not doing God's work. God would have us support ourselves as much as we are able to, not relying others to support us as we meddle in their business. Do some people make a habit, a living out of meddling and mooching? Sure, but that isn't God's way at all, that isn't walking honestly, that isn't revealing God to those around you, it's revealing something sinister.
Christians aren't truly God's followers if they follow a corrupted path. I can claim to be a Christian, a Christ believer, a Christ follower, but I'm not really one at all if I do not live as Christ commands. If I live in a manner that if far from Christ's, how can I say I am His? I could, but it'd be a lie. The truth is God would have us look inward at our own faults before we ever meddle in another's. God would have us be givers, not takers, not users. I'm not saying there is never a need to accept the help of others, but that should be the exception to the rule. I'm also not saying there aren't people who have to be dependent upon others because of physical or mental infirmities, but those who are fully capable of living otherwise yet choose to spend their life purposefully being bothersome, meddlesome, relying on others to provide for them are not following God's will.
Truly we lack nothing if we strive to do our own business, quietly, humbly, working to provide for ourselves and not to be a burden on others.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
We aren't to be ignorant about those who sleep. He's not talking about sleep-sleep, that much is very obvious. You don't sorrow over someone sleeping. It's another way of saying- dead. Remember Jesus telling His disciples that Lazarus was sleeping? He had to explain that He meant dead, not sleeping as in a good night's sleep, or a healing sleep. Paul hear is telling those in Thessalonica that he doesn't want them to be ignorant, he wants them to know the truth about death. Unlike the popular belief today that we go right to the next world-heaven or hell- upon death these people we under the belief that death was just the end, that everything ended there, you were in the grave where you rotted into dust and then were nothing, finished completely, no hope for anything further. Most of us who have lost loved ones can't stand the thought that death truly means the end of it all- hence the misconception that we immediately switch to another plane of existence. It's natural not to want to lose someone close to us, it's natural to want to hope for something more for them. But unless we believe there is a life after death of some sort there is absolutely no hope, right?
Listen to what Paul had to say--
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
There is hope.
There is an eventual life after death.
Those who die in Jesus will God bring with Him, and those who are alive when the Lord comes again cannot stop those who have died in Jesus from living again.
We have hope.
We all have hope, but only in Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR. We cannot wake ourselves from death's sleep and we cannot wake up anyone else from death's sleep. Yes, back in the days of the apostles there were miracles of bring the dead back to life, but it wasn't a wide scale practice. Not everyone that died was brought back, it was at the Lord's discretion, for His purpose.
More on this tomorrow all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
All in HIS love!
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Strive, labor, study-- to be quiet.
All too often we are caught up in babbling, aren't we? Talking but really saying nothing. Sure it might seem like we are saying an awful lot and probably about a lot of things, but seriously, how often are we talking about God and God's way, about Jesus and His way, about salvation and eternal life? How often? Could someone accuse you of speaking to much about God? We go day in and day out talking to others but unless religion is our actual profession, how much of that talking is about eternal matters? We really do have a lot to say about nothing, don't we? And when I say nothing I mean nothing that is of any real consequence when it is measured to eternity. When we spend a lot of time not being quiet, and not doing our own business but minding the business of others we have no reason to be minding then we are not doing God's work. God would have us support ourselves as much as we are able to, not relying others to support us as we meddle in their business. Do some people make a habit, a living out of meddling and mooching? Sure, but that isn't God's way at all, that isn't walking honestly, that isn't revealing God to those around you, it's revealing something sinister.
Christians aren't truly God's followers if they follow a corrupted path. I can claim to be a Christian, a Christ believer, a Christ follower, but I'm not really one at all if I do not live as Christ commands. If I live in a manner that if far from Christ's, how can I say I am His? I could, but it'd be a lie. The truth is God would have us look inward at our own faults before we ever meddle in another's. God would have us be givers, not takers, not users. I'm not saying there is never a need to accept the help of others, but that should be the exception to the rule. I'm also not saying there aren't people who have to be dependent upon others because of physical or mental infirmities, but those who are fully capable of living otherwise yet choose to spend their life purposefully being bothersome, meddlesome, relying on others to provide for them are not following God's will.
Truly we lack nothing if we strive to do our own business, quietly, humbly, working to provide for ourselves and not to be a burden on others.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
We aren't to be ignorant about those who sleep. He's not talking about sleep-sleep, that much is very obvious. You don't sorrow over someone sleeping. It's another way of saying- dead. Remember Jesus telling His disciples that Lazarus was sleeping? He had to explain that He meant dead, not sleeping as in a good night's sleep, or a healing sleep. Paul hear is telling those in Thessalonica that he doesn't want them to be ignorant, he wants them to know the truth about death. Unlike the popular belief today that we go right to the next world-heaven or hell- upon death these people we under the belief that death was just the end, that everything ended there, you were in the grave where you rotted into dust and then were nothing, finished completely, no hope for anything further. Most of us who have lost loved ones can't stand the thought that death truly means the end of it all- hence the misconception that we immediately switch to another plane of existence. It's natural not to want to lose someone close to us, it's natural to want to hope for something more for them. But unless we believe there is a life after death of some sort there is absolutely no hope, right?
Listen to what Paul had to say--
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
There is hope.
There is an eventual life after death.
Those who die in Jesus will God bring with Him, and those who are alive when the Lord comes again cannot stop those who have died in Jesus from living again.
We have hope.
We all have hope, but only in Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR. We cannot wake ourselves from death's sleep and we cannot wake up anyone else from death's sleep. Yes, back in the days of the apostles there were miracles of bring the dead back to life, but it wasn't a wide scale practice. Not everyone that died was brought back, it was at the Lord's discretion, for His purpose.
More on this tomorrow all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
All in HIS love!
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