1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; 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; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
My Bible titles this section A Brotherly and Orderly Life. In the previous section (which we looked at last week), Paul exhorted the church to continue to obey God and live out all of the stuff that they had learned. He also called them to live a pure life, abstaining from sexual sins and all other things that are inappropriate or impure. It is in this section, then, that he continues to describe the Christian life. Not only should Christians live rightly before God (pure in their thoughts and actions), but also in many practical ways with one another.
Many people today incorrectly subscribe to the fallacy that the Christian life is only a man or woman living righteously before God. If you read the Bible, you'll see that very much involves a man or woman living righteously before and among his fellow people as well. This is the orderly life. The life is arranged in God's order, governed by God's law, well-behaved, and at peace with one another. The first thing that Paul says in this regard is to love one another. In fact, he says that he doesn't even have to tell them because God has already taught them this. You have already heard this command so many times, I do not need to even have a lesson about this life. But, I remind you again anyways, because even in the things that you have been taught and have been obedient, the lesson is for you to increase more and more. That is just like what was said last week. You know the things that we've taught and you obey, but increase! I don't know of all of my audience whether people are having brotherly love one for the other. I'm sure some are and some aren't. But for those of you that already are: increase! Do you have brotherly love for some in the church, but not for others? Shouldn't the work of God in your heart be perfected? So then should the response be perfected. Live righteously before not just some, but all people.
Study to be quiet. Matthew Henry wrote on this subject, “It is very desirable to have a calm and quiet temper, and to be of a peaceable and quiet behavior. Satan is busy to trouble us; and we have in our hearts what disposes us to be unquiet; therefore let us study to be quiet. Those who are busy-bodies, meddling in other men's matters, have little quiet in their own minds, and cause great disturbances among their neighbors.”
There are so many specific things that we could look at, but I think it is probably best for you to pray to God and ask him what areas of your life are not orderly. Where do you lack peace between you and another? Where do you spar with others instead of exuding the love of Christ toward all? In what dealings with others are you dishonest or hurtful? Yes, your life is before God and when you sit in your room and pray and do other righteous things, God is glorified. But your life is also before people. Is your life an example to those outside of the church of real love? Or, is all the righteous stuff you do before God just empty words and actions as you walk dishonestly before men?
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