Final Instructions

1 Thess. 5:23

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Final instructions! In just 16 short verses Paul has commanded a huge amount of things that need to be obeyed. 

• Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. Esteem them highly in love because of the work. These are my pastor and elders in my body.
• Be at peace among yourselves. No disunity or factions taking sides.
• Admonish the idle. I don't see much admonishing going on, but are these people idle in the faith or in their daily activities.
• Encourage the fainthearted. For sure we reach out to anyone who might be fainthearted because of their particular circumstances. We pray and love on them.
• Help the weak. I am thinking this means those who are weak spiritually. Then this would mean discipleship.  
• Be patient with them all. Now this is a rough one. My culture is in a hurry. Patience is not seen very often. It reminds me of Col. 1:11-May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.  The reason we are impatient is that we are not being strengthened with all power. We are no doubt operating in the flesh instead of the Spirit. 
• No one repays evil for evil, instead seek to do good to one another and to everyone. This is another hard one. When some wrong is done to us, we must do good in return and not seek revenge.
• Rejoice always. This can only come from the Spirit within. This would be amazing attitude that would be noticeable to the world.
• Pray without ceasing. Prayer is so important, yet is so lacking in my life. I love to study and write about the word, but why don't I love to pray?
• Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in everything. This is equally as hard as rejoicing always. But a thankful heart is in tune with God's sovereign plan. This heart is resting in His promises. 
• Do not quench the Spirit.This is of ultra importance! Without the Spirit it is all my flesh. And all is for naught.
• Do not despise prophecies, but test everything. Test everything by the Word.
• Hold fast what is good. This speaks to me of holding fast to the Word. Only God is good and the Word is who He is. 
• Abstain from every form of evil. Being Spirit-filled would enable me to see clearly what was evil. 

And there it is. Quite a lot of things to consider. I think it is super important to be Spirit-filled. Without the Spirit there is no way you could accomplish all of these, or any of these. At the conclusion of these verses, Paul writes an amazing benediction. It is the God of peace who will sanctify. Obeying these commands is what sanctification is all about. God is who will make my heart obey these commands. 

Father,

So much to remember. As I read it, it seems staggering, but I know that that is my flesh. With Your Spirit, I can be living as You want me to live. Teach me how to be Spirit-filled constantly so that I won't lapse back into the flesh.

In Jesus name,

Amen