3 Rapid-Fired Commands for Holy Living

Holy Living
​from 1 Thessalonians 5
(Part 1)

Paul is one of my favorite writers the Holy Spirit used in the New Testament. There are so many ways that I relate to what he struggled with and how he shares those struggles in such a transparent way.

​I Thessalonians is one of the first books of the New Testament written about 52-53 AD. Paul wrote this letter to the church at Thessalonica probably a few months after leaving them on his second missionary journey. He had heard a good report from Timothy about what was going on there and decided to write to encourage the believers there.

Chapter 4 contains the wonderful passage detailing the Rapture and the comfort that we as believers should enjoy knowing that we “sorrow not even as others which have no hope” (4:13). Paul was pointing the first-century believers to the hope of Christ’s return and encouraging them to “comfort one another with these words” (4:18). Here in 2025, how much more should we be looking forward to this day some 21 centuries later! His return must be soon as we see what is going on in our world. Yet there is much work to be done in this world before He comes. Amy Carmichael is reported as saying the following: “We have all eternity to celebrate the victories but only a few hours before sunset to win them.” May the Lord help us to be living lives that help point others to the hope of Christ before it is eternally too late.

Paul now transitions in this last chapter of the book to some exhortations for the believer.

He speaks of that DAY OF THE LORD in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 and then encourages the believers to BE PREPARED FOR THAT DAY in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11. Paul then transitions from the future to the present and exhorts the believers in their RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE CHURCH in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15. He exhorts believers to have the right relationships with those in authority (5:12-13) and with the other Christians in the church as well (5:14-15). These are not easy commands, but they are not the focus of what I want to spend time on today.

This familiar part of 1 Thessalonians 5 gives us a great picture of what holy living should look like even in the unholy world in which we live today. I want to break down 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 over the next few posts so that we can see how Paul was encouraging and admonishing these believers to live. This first section is short, but so powerful in its commands.

Paul begins his exhortations for holy living with a rapid fired list of commands for each of us in our personal living. Look at them with me.

1. “Rejoice evermore.” – vs. 16
   ​This is a simple command that encompasses every aspect of life. Part of holy living is choosing to rejoice even when things are not easy. God’s desire is that believers choose to rejoice in every situation (See also Philippians 3:1 and 4:4). Paul often reminded believers of the need to be joyful because he knew that joy is not the natural response to life’s difficulties. The truth is joy doesn’t come from our circumstances because those change so often. True biblical joy comes from the blessings we have in Christ even in the midst of the hardest of circumstances. The solution to the struggle of rejoicing in life is found in Psalm 118:24 – “…we will rejoice…” It is a choice. The late Evangelist Tom Farrell was often heard making this statement – “Make the choice to rejoice!”
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2. “Pray without ceasing.” – vs. 17
   Again, a short command given here that is another one that is hard to obey. Is our natural reaction to the everyday happenings in my life to pray first? If I’m honest, my version of this verse is probably more something like “Worry without ceasing.” Paul is touching here on simple responses of holy living. Naturally, we don’t usually turn to Christ first, but that is what our Lord wants from us. Philippians 4:4 and 6 echo these two thoughts and tie together rejoicing and prayer. See when we choose to rejoice, it will naturally lead us to prayer. When we are rejoicing, we will also be praying!
   
   
3. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – vs. 18
   I like that Paul doesn’t tell us here to be thankful FOR everything, but instead to be thankful IN everything. I know there are people reading this right now who have heavy things going on for which it would be almost impossible to be thankful for. But I love that we can ALWAYS be thankful for the God who walks with us through those valleys. We can choose to be thankful in every circumstance that comes our way. Ask the Lord to help you every day to be thankful and content in the place He has put you. If you are following Christ, that place is the best place for you to know your God more and learn to be thankful.

God’s will for our lives includes choosing joy, prayer, and thanksgiving in every aspect of life. How are you doing with your holy living in these first three commands?