#DailyDevotion Live A Life Worthy Of God

1 Thess. 2¹¹As you know, like a father urging his children we used to urge, encourage, and warn every one of you ¹²to live worthy of God, Who is calling you into His kingdom and glory. ¹³We continually thank God also for this, that when you accepted God’s Word, which you heard from us, you didn’t accept it as the word of men but as the Word of God, which it really is. And it is working in you who believe.

Paul calls the Thessalonians to remember how he used to urge, encourage and warn them to live lives worthy of God who was calling them into his kingdom and glory. Now Paul doesn’t give a big list of what to do and not to do in Thessalonians. He gives a few examples in chapter four i.e. sexual immorality and brotherly love. For more extended list we need to go to Roman, Galatians and Ephesians. As far as negative prohibitions which demonstrate the faith living in us Paul in Galatians says, 5¹⁹ “Now, you know the works of the flesh. They are: sexual sin, uncleanness, wild living, ²⁰worshiping of idols, witchcraft, hate, wrangling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, quarreling, divisions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.” When you are in the faith, don’t practice such things to be pleasing to God (remembering you are pleasing to God when you have faith in his son Jesus Christ.)

Positive things to be doing in the faith, Paul says in Romans 12, ⁹“Love sincerely. Hate evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Love one another tenderly as fellow Christians. Outdo one another in showing respect. ¹¹…Let your spirit glow. Serve the Lord. ¹²Be happy in your hope, patient in trouble, and keep busy praying. ¹³Share what you have with the holy people who need it. Eagerly welcome strangers as guests. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse them. ¹⁵Be happy with those who are happy; weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Don’t be too ambitious, but go along with the humble ways of others. Don’t think you are wise. ¹⁷…Be concerned with things that everyone considers noble. ¹⁸As much as you can, live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹…but let God punish, because the Bible says: “I alone have the right to avenge. I will pay back,” says the Lord. ²⁰But, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you’ll heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good.”

Well that should keep you busy and out of trouble for now if you concern yourselves with these things. Yet in spite of all your doing and not doing pay attention to these words, “Who is calling you into His kingdom and glory.” Indeed this is where our eyes should be fixed and if they are, we will be living lives worthy of God without lots of dos and don’ts. God is calling you into his kingdom and glory and this is his gift to you in Christ Jesus. Your citizenship is no longer of this world but in God’s kingdom which is coming. God is going to clothe you with his glory and indeed is now transforming you from one glory to the next. This is the free gift of God in Christ Jesus won for us by his suffering, death and resurrection. What Jesus has gone through and received he is giving to us by his grace.

Finally be in the Word of God, privately and together in worship, for it is in the Word that God transforms us into his image and likeness. When the pastor is preaching it is not his word but God’s Word that he is preaching and teaching. Heavenly Father, give us your Holy Spirit so we may live lives worthy of your calling and give us your Word so we may be transformed by it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.