◄ 1 Thessalonians 4 Devotional Commentary ►

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Paul begins this chapter appealing to the Thessalonian believers to continue to walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, to grow in grace and to walk in spirit and truth: "Finally then, brethren," he writes, "we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction, as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), and that you excel still more."

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1 Thessalonians 4:3

Having prayed very specifically that the Thessalonian believers would increase in faith, abound in love, and live blamelessly before the Lord, Paul urged each one towards practical sanctification and godly living: "For this is the will of God," he writes, "even your sanctification that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality."

He exhorts each of us to live holy lives that are well-pleasing to the read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:4

Paul was given a unique place in the Church because he was the one who was called and chosen by God to have a special ministry to the Gentiles.

Paul had been halted in his anti-Christian rampage on the road to Damascus. His objective had been to exterminate every Christian man, woman, and child from the face of the earth. But he was arrested in his heart by Jesus of Nazareth and his zealous hatred was turned into a passionate read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:5

As he is drawing his letter to a close, Paul gives some practical instructions on life and living. The Thessalonians were new believers who needed encouragement to stand firm in the faith. Like all believers, they needed instruction in Christian virtue and godly morality. In this passage, Paul reminds all of us how to walk in a way that pleases the Lord, "not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God." Having been saved by grace through read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:6

The word 'defraud' has many synonyms or words that mean exactly the same or are nearly the same in meaning. Words that come to mind are swindle, cheat, rob, and deceive. They include dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, fool, and trick.

When we consider a person who has stolen something, defrauded another person, or double-crossed them, we generally think of thieves who break in and steal. We think of rogue workmen, internet scammers, read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:7

In this Church age, we do not live under the Law but under Grace. Unlike Israel, who lived during the Pre-Cross, 'Dispensation of LAW', we are not commanded to adhere to a specific set of rules, regulations, laws, and legislation, feast days, and sabbath days. We live during the Post-Cross, 'Dispensation of the Grace of God'.

Living during the Church Age, however, does not mean that godly standards in life and living should be read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:13

There are a number of areas in our Christian walk of which we should not be ignorant. We should not be ignorant of the spiritual gifts relating to the Church age nor the cunning devices of Satan who seeks to entrap us in worldly pursuits, fleshly activities and cunning lies.

We should not be ignorant of God's past and future work in connection with the nation of Israel nor of God's dealings with the Body of Christ (the Church) in read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:14

When we first heard the good news that Jesus died and rose again to pay the price for our sins and that salvation is God's gift of grace to all sinners who believe in His only begotten Son, our hearts rejoiced with great joy. But our whole life should be lived in the knowledge that we really do have the most wonderful eternal hope, prepared for us in heaven.

Our salvation is the first step on our Christian journey through this read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:16

'In the midst of life we are in death,' is a well-known saying that is very true of every member of the human race, for we are born dead in our sins and we are spiritually separated from God. Death in the Bible means separation, and although we live in physical bodies on this terrestrial plane, physical death is everyman's eventual destiny, when our spirit and soul are separated from our material body. Physical death is the point where we are transferred forever read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:17

Paul was keen to explain what will happens to Christians at the end of the Church age, as well as instructing us on how to live godly lives during this present dispensation. He did not want believers to remain uninformed about our future destiny, but was eager to enlighten us about the blessed hope we have in Christ.

As children of the light, we are to be alert to the times in which we live and rest our trust in Christ. We are not read more...

1 Thessalonians 4:18

The Church at Thessalonica were commended, by Paul, for their work of faith and their labour of love. But he also recognised that they held a steadfast hope in the return of the Lord Jesus - a blessed hope that He would come in the clouds to take them to be with Himself, into the presence of God the Father.

These Christians believed in the resurrection of the dead, but they also believed in the Rapture of the Church for they had read more...