First Thessalonians 4–5 serves as an encouraging, insightful, and convicting portion of the letters penned by Paul. As evidenced by the compassionate, heartfelt words he shared, the apostle loved his brothers and sisters who belonged to the church in Thessalonica. Because of the deep affection he held toward them, he exhorted them to lean into the special, set-apart lives Christ had called them to as His followers.
What does Paul say is the will of God for his brothers and sisters in Christ—both in the year A.D. 50 as well as in the modern-day church? How are we to accomplish this will according to today’s passage?
We often wonder what God’s will for our lives may be. Yet we see throughout the pages of Scripture: His will is our sanctification—in sexual morality, self-control, holiness, and honor … on account of the knowledge of our God (1 Thess. 4:3-5). Paul writes in the next chapter that His will for us is that we would likewise continually rejoice, pray, and give thanks for all He has done (1 Thess. 5:16-18). He calls for a “whole-person” holiness in all parts of our lives: spirit, soul, and body, which only comes through placing our trust in Jesus—which means trusting in what He says is best for our lives.
For the church of Thessalonica to pursue God’s will for their lives would be entirely impossible if not for the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They had to trust in the Lord to help them obey, believing in Christ’s perfect life and sacrifice as the basis of their faith.
As you take steps toward teaching this session, consider the ways you’ve been faithfully following Jesus. Be encouraged by all that He has done in your life to help you look more like Jesus through the power of His Spirit. Help kids see that they, too, can trust God’s character and goodness, which means that we can believe that His will for our lives—this call to sanctification—is good.
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