CHAPTER 4
The first section of this chapter deals with MAINTAINING our
VESSEL (which means MORE than just the body) which is ALL
that we are!

1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the
Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to
walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication:
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in
sanctification and honour;
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.

It is the "will of God" that Christians LIVE in the process
of SANCTIFICATION.
Sanctification is a life-long process.
It begins with salvation and ends with glorification.

Sometimes we try to make the Lord's sanctifying process like the
guy that arrives late at work. The boss asked, "Why are you late?"
Man, "Well, it was so icy that every time I took a step, I went
backwards two steps!"
Boss, "Wow! How did you ever get here?"
Man, "I finally decided to give up and go home!"

We as Christians are to "possess your vessel in sanctification
and honour."

The word "concupiscence" is the Greek word ipithumia
(pronounced ep ee thoo mee' ah).
It essentially means to lust for forbidden things.

The Lord WORKS sanctification by teaching us to KEEP the life
CLEAN.
WE must ALSO work sanctification by TRYING!

There is a warning in verse 6!!
If someone TEMPTS a Christian to partake of fleshly lusts, the
Lord Himself is an "avenger" toward the temptor!!

ANGER is a fleshly lust.
It is not advisable to tempt a Christian to be angry!!

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Paul concludes the thoughts of verses 1-6 with a Biblical
admonishment.
Instead of being UNclean (spiritually & physically) work on living
in HOLINESS!!
That's a GROWING process!!

** A man had been fishing all day, and caught nothing.
Finally, a small fish took the bait, and the man reeled him into the
boat.
He took the small fish off the hook, threw him back in the water,
and said, "Come back when you GROW larger!" **

1Timothy 1:18 says, "This charge I commit unto thee, son
Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee,
that thou by them mightest war a good WARFARE!"

SANCTIFICATION is WARFARE!!!
It is an act of God upon a true believer.
But it MUST BE accompanied by the believer TRYING.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath
also given unto us his holy Spirit.

One might ask, WHY is this verse included among the context
of those Scriptures above?

To put it simply, to "despise" maintaining the body
and spirit in honor, is to despise the sanctification WORK of God!!

Now, the Scripture turns to LIVING WITH PURPOSE.

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.
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;
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;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and
that ye may have lack of nothing.

Any Christian who is truly studying the Bible will be taught to have
"brotherly love."
Now, Paul says they (the Thessalonians) are exhibiting that
love; but, he begs them to "increase" that action "more
and more!"

The Greek word for "study" in verse 11 is a long word.
Philotimeomai (pronounced fil ot im eh' om ahee) means
to LABOR, or STRIVE EAGERLY!

The Bible teaches us to "search the Scriptures."
That same word was used by Jesus in John 5:39.
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of me."

Even in the greatest of spiritual battles, the church tends to
become drowsy.
Jesus called the church in Rev. 3:14-22), lukewarm!

Is that us?
Is it time for our Lord to return for the church?
Will He find us SLEEPING, or LUKEWARM?

This leads us to a conclusion of the chapter.
And, it is about BEING PREPARED!!

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The word "ignorant" in vs 13 is translated from the Greek
agnoeo (pronounced ag no eh' o)
It simply means to be wihout knowledge.

The only way to be without knowledge (spiritually) is to NOT study
the Bible!

The word "asleep" in verse 13 is from the Greek
koimao (pronounced koy mah' o).
It is sometimes translated as sleep, and sometimes as DEAD!

Christians are not like other people who "have no hope."
See in verse 14, If one truly believes in Jesus, they believe that
He AROSE from the grave!
AND, they believe then that there is LIFE after physical death!
The HOPE we have is that the physically dead, in Christ, will
RISE AGAIN to have LIFE ETERNAL!

Verses 15-17 should be read as one sentence.
The word FOR in verse 16 means BECAUSE.

Those who are living FOR Christ, and still alive, will NOT PRECEDE
those who have physically died before His
visible return.
((I remember, in the first church that I was pastor, we had a
funeral for one of the members. Bro. E.A. Bounds was asked
to deliver the sermon. After the service, we were going in back
of the church to the cemetery. It had rained the night before.
Bro. Bounds was 45 or more years older than I, and didn't walk
with sure steps. So I was walking along with my arm in his arm.
At one point, the pathway became narrow and I stepped on a
grave.
Bro. Bounds said, "Better watch where you step brother."
Me, "I don't think they mind Bro Bounds, they aren't really here."
Bro. Bounds said, "Yes! But if the rapture occurs right now,
YOU WILL MIND! 'Cause they will knock you DOWN!"))

The LORD will descend with a SHOUT!
The archangel will sound the TRUMP OF GOD!
The physically dead believers will rise FIRST!!
THEN, those who are believers and physically alive will
DEFY GRAVITY and RISE to MEET CHRIST!!

Now:
The PURPOSE of Chapter four is this:
When we are MAINTAINING our VESSEL, and
LIVING WITH A PURPOSE,
We are PREPARED for the imminent return of our Lord!!

In Matt. 26:41, Jesus said, "WATCH and PRAY that ye enter
not into temptation: the spirit indeed is WILLING, but the flesh
is WEAK!"

Chapter 4 ends with verse 18.
May I give you a McGee paraphrase?
Be COMFORTED with this understanding that Jesus WILL
return to receive His believers; AND comfort other believers
with this truth!

My Christian friends, God is working to MAKE you ready!
Are you working WITH HIM?