1 Thessalonians 4:1-3a

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”

The apostle Paul began this letter to the Thessalonians with a tone of thankfulness for their faith. Because of their devotion and service to the Lord and His ministry, they have become an example to believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Paul expresses his joy in seeing their faithfulness to God’s Word, and consequently, encourages them to do so more and more.

“You can do more” or “you can do better”, these are common statements we come across. As a student, you probably heard this from your teacher. As an employee, you probably heard this from your boss. As a child, you probably heard this from your parents. These are often what people say to encourage and push the recipient of the message to pursue excellence. And here in this passage, we read of Paul having a similar message: do so more and more (ESV) or excel even more (NASB). But do more in what or excel even more in what?

In the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians, we read of Paul exhorting believers with regard to growing in their application of the Word in their lives. As they have received the instructions of the Lord through Paul and his ministry partners, they now know how they ought to walk and please God. Their knowing must translate to doing. And their doing must lead to doing it more. Paul says that by grace they must strive to walk in a manner pleasing to God in an ever-increasing way - do so more and more.

Here we see that the believer is not called to spiritual mediocrity and stagnancy. No, the believer is called to spiritual maturity and development. And the means by which God will bring about this spiritual growth is sanctification. In sanctification, God works in a pruning-like manner. He teaches us to continually cut off our worldly passions and sinful deeds, so that we may all the more bear and conform to the image of His Son.

Dear believer, God has purposed for you to grow in your walk with Him. He did not stop at election and justification. He will surely bring you to glorification. But to get there, He put in place the sanctification process as a necessary means to grow your affection for Him, your faithfulness to Him, and your worship to Him. As you go through your own sanctification journey, ask God to give you a growing fear of Him and a growing delight in Him. These are two elements that cannot be absent as we go through the pruning process.

As we begin another week, may the Lord uphold you with a willing spirit and a yielded heart so that you would strive to honor Him more and more.