Keep These Things In Mind (4)

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 (ESV)

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, [13] and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. [14] And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. [15] See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies, [21] but test everything; hold fast what is good. [22] Abstain from every form of evil. 

We have finally reached our last day with Paul’s letter ending encouragement. These last 3 sentences further our responsibilities to God and others.

First, we need to continue to obey the Almighty. Don’t put your hands over your ears and yell, “LA LA LA!!! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!” when the Spirit talks to you. Some things that God has us do will take us out of our comfort zone (okay, most things He has us do will take us out of our comfort zone). And the Spirit deals with our hearts. He tells us when and what we need to do (just stay connected in PRAYER and BIBLE study).

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” Literally this means not to take sermons lightly; listen and use God’s word to divide what is truth and what is opinion; and to hold tight to what is the truth. All of us, even preachers, let a little too much self get into the message, but Paul is telling us not to throw out the whole message, because God did inspire it. Paul is telling us it is our responsibility to listen to the TRUTH and to embrace that TRUTH.

Paul finally tells us to abstain from every form of evil. If you know its evil you know to stay away from it. If you are embracing God’s truth, you will know how to discern what is evil a little more day by day.