26/10/2012 - Progressing more and more

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Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.

I Thessalonians 4:1

Apart from going through many useful and necessary issues the apostle Paul had a final message to convey his brothers in Thessalonica: they were expected to progress more and more. That’s the message all Christians ought to always bear in their minds considering that the lesson learnt from the verse above is straightforward: getting stuck in faith is something that doesn’t please God at all and the worst bit is that those who aren’t progressing are bound to go backwards. The Lord has no pleasure in those who go backwards.

The apostle addressed the Thessalonians as brethren. The message was addressed to all those who are called to do the divine will. They were born again and incorporated in the same Body the apostle belonged to. But what differentiates a saved person from an unsaved one is the understanding of what the former must or must not do, and that’s the reason why Paul directs us into progressing more and more.

Even being quite a spiritual authority the apostle uses two verbs which indicate different manners to address his equals, those who were in the presence of The Lord as well. He used the verbs to urge and to exhort. It’s wise to address our peers in the Gospel with care and consideration and though we now and then risk having them do something by force it turns out that exhortation is the best way to go for instead. This way we avoid causing them hurts and we can also prove that The Spirit of love is upon us.

Paul urged and exhorted in The Lord. Therefore, nobody should ever use The Name of Jesus in an irresponsible declaration; on the contrary; it should only be done if it´s completely free from wickedness and also free from any human interest. His words gained even more credibility as he gently and cautiously briefed them saying that they should carry on doing just as they had been instructed to both by him and by his team. It would be good if all servants of God followed suit whenever they had to direct someone.

There’s only one way of pleasing God: doing things according to His Word. If someone strikes you with any sinful, false or self-interest suggestion you must rebuke it at once because it’s not backed up by any divine guidance at all. The servants of God shouldn’t answer nor accept any request not based on holiness established in The Scriptures. Everything in disagreement with The Word of God is actually demonic action (Matthew 5: 37).

If you make sure to walk according to the biblical direction you won’t trip over since you’ll be living under the Light of The Gospel. Don’t accept any other way except for the one The Lord has established for you to take. When we stand before our God, unless we have behaved according to the determinations recorded in His Word, we won’t be successful but condemned instead.

Paul said that his counsels had the purpose of driving people into continuing marching on. That proves that The Most High doesn’t want His children to keep beating around the bush, but He desires them to keep improving and for them to give a true testimony in order to show everybody that He is in deed a good Father.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares