The subject of this last passage in 1 Thessalonians is the sanctification of the church. We studied last time the second coming of the Lord, when Jesus comes to claim His bride, the church and live with her forever in a new heavens and new earth. So when Christ comes, the goal of the apostle’s teaching was that the bride of Christ, the church would be found faithful, betrothed to her husband who is Christ, that she should be blameless, holy and sanctified.
Paul used the metaphor of marriage in [Eph 5:25-27 to speak of this necessity that the church is sanctified when Jesus returns for His bride. He said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
That passage defines sanctification, by the way. Holy, blameless, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing. That’s sanctification. And Jesus desires it from His church. So Paul, as he concludes this letter, having stressed in every chapter the imminence of the Lord’s second coming, now stresses the need for the sanctification of the church, that she might be found faithful when He comes again to claim His bride.
So how is Paul going to be assured that the church is sanctified and ready for the Lord’s appearing? Well, he gives a list here at the close of this letter of principles that if implemented, will assure that the church is sanctified. He says as much in vs 23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” God is faithful to bring about our sanctification through our implementation of these principles.
But I want you to notice something there that is very interesting. We often read in the scriptures about disciplining the body, or the saving of the soul, or walking in the spirit. But here Paul includes all three aspects of our being in sanctification; spirit, soul and body. That illustrates a very important principle; that it’s not just our spirit that is saved, but also our soul and our body. When God made man, He made him in His likeness. One way that was accomplished was that we were made a triune being, like God is a triune being. We were made spirit, soul and body - and in that order. But when sin came in, the spirit died. God said in the day you eat of it you shall die. Sin brought forth death in our spirit. And so at that point the divine order of God was overturned. Instead of the spirit controlling the mind which controlled the body, the body controls the mind and the spirit is dead.
Now at regeneration, or salvation, we are given new life in the spirit, and that divine order given at creation is restored. Once again, the spirit is to control the mind, or soul, and the soul is to control the body. That process is what is called sanctification. Our spirit has already been sanctified, made holy, set apart unto God, and now the mind and body are to come under that control so that they are holy and without blame at the coming of the Lord. That is Paul’s purpose in this last section. To give the church certain principles which by implementing, we might be found sanctified at the coming of the Lord.
What follows then is the blueprint for the life of the church, given by the Lord Himself. It is important for a builder, as many of you have experience in, to follow the blueprint for whatever it is you are building. And it is even more so for the church. Many modern church leaders attempt to improve upon what God has established as His plan. But the result is not what God intended the church to look like. They may have a large group of people, they may have an impressive building or campus, but they are not building the church as God would have it. But it is not our church to improve upon. It’s God’s church, and He has designed it for His benefit, to be His bride, and so it behooves us to follow His blueprint.
So in this blueprint for the church’s sanctification, God starts with the leadership. The church is designed to have leadership, a pastor, at the very least. I don’t think the Bible necessarily teaches that there must be a plurality of elders. I think common sense indicates that the number of elders is dependent upon the number of the sheep. When I was in the restaurant business, we used to talk about a syndrome which we said was “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” I think the same can be true of the church if it doesn’t use common sense in trying to fill presbytery positions rather than fill the pews.
But irrespective of how many leaders, the church is to have leaders. And the church is to respect its leaders and their responsibilities. Paul says in vs 12, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”
So really this instruction is to both the leaders and the church members. The church members are to appreciate those who labor among you. To be a pastor of a church is work. It’s not work that is always that apparent. I had someone sarcastically tell me once that he wished he had a job that only required him to work a couple of hours a week. I think he was speaking of the time spent in the Sunday and Wednesday services. I don’t think he thought too much about all the preparation that goes into getting ready for those services. But irregardless of how much prep a pastor might do, or how much time is spent in dealing with problems and concerns of individual members throughout the week, suffice it to say that there is some work involved. Some weeks there is more than others. But there is labor that is done in the church by the pastor, and it should be considered as such, and appreciated as such.
Furthermore,Paul said the pastor has charge over the flock. Peter also said that in 1Peter 5:1-3 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as [your] fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to [the will of] God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” The Greek word for shepherd is the root for the word we translate as pastor. So the elder is the pastor, the under shepherd, and he has been given a responsibility by the Great Shepherd over the flock, over the local church. He is to lead them by teaching, and by example. And the church is to follow the leading of the shepherd, if the shepherd has is faithful to his calling.
Another aspect of appreciation for the pastor is recognizing that they have been given the charge to give you instruction. The pastor’s primary job is to preach the word. Not to be an administrator, or a manager, or even a counselor. All those things might be a part of their duties to some degree, but the primary job is to give instruction. Paul said to Timothy in regards to his duty as a pastor in 2Tim. 4:2-4 “preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
A faithful under shepherd will preach the word of God, giving God’s instructions to his people without alteration, without embellishment, without leaving anything out. But being faithful to what God has said in His word. The preaching of the word of God by the pastor, and the reception of it as the word of God by the church, is the foundation for sanctification.
Not only are you to appreciate them, but in vs 13 Paul adds, “and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.” Now I don’t think he means that you esteem the pastor very highly, as in a degree or two above appreciating them. But I think “esteeming them very highly in love” indicates the desired level of obedience on the church’s part. Jesus said “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” So I think that’s the idea that Paul is getting at. What the pastor instructs you from God’s word, you esteem that instruction very highly and you are obedient to it, as unto the Lord.
Adding to that he says, and live in peace with one another. That’s simply a note to not squabble, not fight, not to find fault with one another, or the pastor, for that matter. Paul said in Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Don’t be contentious, don’t be critical, don’t be bickering between yourselves.
In that same regard, Paul adds in vs 14, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Now contrary to some commentators who think this applies to everyone, I think this is intended just for pastors. I think if everyone were to try to admonish the unruly, then that would negate the previous command to be at peace with one another. I think it would be difficult to do both and would lead to infighting among the church. So I think he’s addressing the pastor(s).
So the pastor’s job is to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. I think this is similar to what Paul told Timothy which I quoted while ago, ““preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” Admonish means reprimand, or rebuke. Exhort means to encourage. So the pastor rebukes those who are in disobedience, encourages those who are weak, and is patient with everyone. Because the goal for the church is sanctification which is accomplished through obedience to God’s instruction.
The next principle of sanctification is found in vs15 “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” The principle taught here is not to take personal revenge, but instead do good to all people. Instead of rendering evil for evil, or a tooth for a tooth, it is the church’s duty to pursue that which is beneficial both to other believers and unbelievers. And doing that is the fulfillment of the commandment to love one another, and love your enemies.
A similar instruction was given in Rom 12:19-21 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God,] for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” So doing good to others is loving others, regardless of whether they deserve it or not, regardless of whether you feel like it or not, which is the fulfillment of the law and the means of sanctification.
The next principle that produces the sanctification of the church is continual prayer. Paul breaks prayer down into three steps; vs16 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” I think the admonition to rejoice always refers to our attitude in prayer. That doesn’t mean we are always laughing, that there is no tragedy in our lives, no crisis. But I think it means to have a settled contentment, a deep sense of joy in what God has accomplished for you.
I am reading a little book by a shepherd about Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And he was saying how I shall not want is not an insurance that you will never lack anything, but that you realize that all your needs are met in Christ. And as such, there is contentment in your life. You’re not always striving for the next rung on the ladder, but you are content with your lot in life. I think that is essential to our attitude in prayer. Not coming to God with a laundry list of what we want Him to do, without recognizing and being content with what God has already done. When we recognize what we are in Christ, then we have an attitude of rejoicing.
Then with that attitude, we are to pray without ceasing. Jesus said that at all times we ought to pray and not to lose heart. Paul said in Ephesians 6 “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.” Numerous times in scripture we are instructed to pray continually. Be in a constant attitude of prayer. Be devoted to prayer. Prayer is not just a means to an end, in other words, a way to get God to give you what you want. But prayer is communication with God. It’s impossible to live in sin and be in constant prayer with God. So consistent, constant prayer with God is a sure path to sanctification.
And Paul adds, in all circumstances, give thanks. That indicates that our prayers are not a means of always changing our circumstances, but being thankful despite whatever be our circumstances. The Lord will be with us in all our circumstances. He gives us strength in all our circumstances. He helps us go through all our circumstances. So we endure in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. James said in James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” So we are thankful in all our circumstances, whether we think they are good or bad, knowing that God is at work in those circumstances to complete us, and perfect us in sanctification.
The next thing in our path to sanctification is found in vs 19, “Do not quench the Spirit.” How do we quench the Spirit? By saying “no” to the Spirit. When the Spirit of God tells us to do one thing, and we do another, that is quenching the Spirit. When we give in to sin in our life, that is quenching the Spirit. God said, “My Spirit will not strive with man.” God gives us His Spirit to lead us, to guide us, to help us to know the truth, to give us the power to obey Him. But when we quench the Spirit we basically say no to His leading.
Let me make sure you understand something as well. The way that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in through the word of God. He is the author of scripture. Peter said “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” So the idea is not to be listening for little voices in your head which will presumably tell you that there is an empty parking space just around the corner. Or a voice that audibly tells you that this girl is one for you, or this job will be the one that will be the best. The Spirit does not audibly communicate with us. But He speaks to us the truth from God by the word of God and by the preaching of the word of God.
Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit, whom He said is the Helper; “John 16:8, 13-14 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ... "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority], but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare [it] to you.”
So then quenching the Spirit would be to disregard the truth, disregard the conviction of the truth in our hearts, and stiffen our neck and go ahead and do what we want to do. And that is a terrible sin because it hardens our heart, and dulls our conscience, so it becomes even harder to hear the Spirit speaking to us. You cannot be sanctified and quench the Spirit.
As I said, one of the primary ways the Spirit of God speaks to us is through the preaching of the word of God. And so Paul says in vs 20, “Do not despise prophetic utterances.” Now understand that this is not talking about speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues and prophecy are two different spiritual gifts. And furthermore , please understand that prophecy does not always indicate fore telling, but forth telling. A lot of people think that telling the future is the only type of prophecy. There were some prophets of old that God used to tell what was going to happen in the future. And by the way, the punishment for your prophecy not coming true was they were to stone you to death. But for the most part, a prophet at the time of the apostles was one who spoke forth the word of God. “Thus sayeth the Lord…” They lived in a time when there was not a complete canon of scripture such as we have today. Paul is writing one of the first books that the church had access to by this letter. So there was a necessity in the early church for prophecy that would supply the word of the Lord to the church that did not yet have the written word.
When the written word was complete, there was no more need for prophecy. That’s why Paul said in 1Cor. 13:8 “Love never fails; but if [there are gifts of] prophecy, they will be done away; if [there are] tongues, they will cease; if [there is] knowledge, it will be done away.”
In addition to that injunction to not despise prophecy, Paul says in vs 21, “examine everything carefully.” In other words, they were to test prophecy by the scripture. There is no prophecy that God gives that is counter to His word. The apostle John said in 1John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” If there are godly prophets, then we can be sure that the devil also has false prophets to confuse and deceive. So they must not despise prophecy, but they must examine it carefully. And for the church today, the correlation is to give heed to the preaching of the word, but to examine it carefully, as the Bereans, who examined the scriptures to see if the things being taught them were so.
Finally, the last injunction towards the goal of sanctification is found in vs 21, and 22, “hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Hold on to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. That really should not need much explanation.
Paul said in Romans 12:9 “[Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” In Philippians 4:8 he said, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” And if we should need further incentive, Jesus said to His bride, the church in Rev 3:11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” So hold fast to what is good.
But on the other hand, abstain from every form of evil. 1 Cor. 6:18 says “flee immorality.” 1 Cor. 10:14 says “flee idolatry.” 1 Timothy 6:11 says “flee from the love of money.” 2 Tim. 2:22 “flee youthful lusts.” Abhor what is evil. Don’t try to walk the line. Don’t see how close you can get to the fire and not get burned. But abstain from every form of evil, and cling to what is good. And in that way, when we apply all the aforementioned principles, we will be assured of our sanctification, and assured that when the Lord comes again, we will be found without blame in our spirit, soul and body. That we might be bride without spot, without blemish, holy and blameless at His coming. May we be found faithful when He comes.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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