(1Th 4:11) “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;”   “To do your own business”: we would say, “Mind your own business”. Our pride fools us into believing what we think is always best and right. In reality, we look down upon those who do not think as we think and do as we do. This is the sin of pride. The standard for all things is God’s Word – period. A person’s taste in color is every bit as right as what you might choose. That goes for clothes, cars, homes, etc.. 

(1Th 4:11) “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;”  We live in a society where people boast of their aggressiveness. This is not the Spirit of Christ. We are always to be bold in speaking the truth, but at the same time, harmless as a dove. The wisdom to live this way can only come from a yielded heart to the Lord, asking Him moment by moment to direct us.  

 (1Th 4:10) “And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;”  One might ask, “If this is God’s love coming through His Spirit in me to others, then why would it need to increase more and more?”  Answer: you and I each moment take back or give up ourselves to His service. I remind you of the filling of the Spirit’s instruction: (Eph 5:19) “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” What is that all about? Answer: the focus of the heart. Our minds are thinking of our Lord and thus on his work – therefore we are more ready to yield and love.  

(1Th 4:9) “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”   Question: if you are taught of God to love one another, then why do we not see more sacrificial love? There are only two possible answer I can think of: one, we are so rebellious as to ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit to love; or two, we are not what we profess to be. I ask you before God today, “Which are you?”

 (1Th 4:9) “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”  I believe that in this matter of love, Believers fail the most. We love like the world loves; we love those who love us. Fleshly love is not sacrificial. The love spoken of here is God’s love, His loving through us, for it is sacrificial. It’s the love that is to love the unlovely. We even see sacrificial love less and less in our homes. If we cannot sacrificially love those even in our homes, we won’t love the true brothers and sisters of Christ. And we certainly won’t love those outside the brethren. Challenge yourself regarding the type of love you demonstrate. 

(1Th 4:8) “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”  If you are rejected or in some way persecuted for living for God, then it is not you who they despise, but the Lord in you – the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus told us that men love darkness rather than light. This is absolutely true. Fallen man will love you as long as you walk in agreement to them. But light reveals what is in darkness and who wants their sin revealed? Regardless, walk in way of the light, for you have been called to that life.  

(1Th 4:7)  “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”  We do not come to the knowledge and salvation of everlasting life without the Lord’s calling, “drawing”. The Bible says all men have gone “out of the way”. It says, “ No man seeketh after God”. Since that is true, God then draws us to Himself. Oh how wonderful and merciful our God is! He seeks out those who have sinned against Him and saves them through the blood of His Own Son!

(1Th 4:7)  “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”  A holy thing is anything that is separated unto God. If an unholy, unclean, person touched it, it was made unclean. The saved have been separated, made holy, unto God. We are to keep unclean things from it. That is, we are to seek to maintain our bodies, holy in thought, thus in what we see and hear. Actions are the result of what we think, who and what we are. Keep yourself holy for your God and Savior

(1Th 4:5) “Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:(6) That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” We often find ourselves discouraged when we discern someone we esteem not doing what we believe to be right to do. This is especially true when that someone is a spiritual leader. Always remember, the Epistles were given because we need instruction on how to overcome the old nature. Our sin nature gets in the way of living and doing right. Keep your eyes upon the Lord, not man – no matter who that man is. I follow Him. Do not let the sins of any man keep you from serving the Savior!

1Th 4:5) “Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:(6)  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.”  There is a group of people today who say they are Christians but instead worship a God of their imagination, not the God of the Bible. Our God not only loves the sinner, but also hates the sin. The death of His Son proves that fact. He chastens true Children for their rebellion, just as a good parent punishes the rebellious child. Is your God the God of the Bible?