1 Thessalonians 4:1 - "Finally then, brethren, 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), that you excel still more."
In First Thessalonians Paul is writing to encourage the church. This isn't a letter of correction like first and second Corinthians, or Galatians, but a letter of encouragement, commending them for continuing in the faith. He recognized that they were walking in the way they had been instructed and he encouraged them to "excel still more." He says it again in verses 9-10 - "Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. " Again we see that they were practicing what they had been taught, and Paul was simply encouraging them to "excel still more." We never get to the point in any aspect of our christian walk where we can stop growing. If we stop growing it means we're coasting, and someone once said "if you're coasting it means you're going downhill." It's constant work to continually grow in our faith, but ultimately it's God who causes the growth. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 says - "And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you." It's God who gives the increase but it takes effort on our part. 1 Peter 2:2 says - "Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." Growth comes through the Word of God. We are to desire the Word of God, and then discipline ourselves to spend time in it. Of course if we truly desire the pure milk of the word, spending time in it isn't going to be a hard thing to do. In Philippians 1:9 the apostle Paul says - "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment." And we read in Ephesians 4:15 - "But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." In every aspect of our Christian lives the Lords desire for us is that, no matter how good we're doing, we would excel still more.
In 2 Peter chapter 1 we're given a list of 7 qualities that are to define us as believers. These are the qualities: Moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Then it says in verse 8 - "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." No matter how much we grow in any of these areas we can't stop. If we don't continue to grow in these things we are simply coasting and therefore going down hill, which will cause us to be lukewarm and useless to the Master. Let us excel still more in regard to our faith that we may prove ourselves useful for His work.
Hebrews 10:23-25 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching."
In First Thessalonians Paul is writing to encourage the church. This isn't a letter of correction like first and second Corinthians, or Galatians, but a letter of encouragement, commending them for continuing in the faith. He recognized that they were walking in the way they had been instructed and he encouraged them to "excel still more." He says it again in verses 9-10 - "Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more. " Again we see that they were practicing what they had been taught, and Paul was simply encouraging them to "excel still more." We never get to the point in any aspect of our christian walk where we can stop growing. If we stop growing it means we're coasting, and someone once said "if you're coasting it means you're going downhill." It's constant work to continually grow in our faith, but ultimately it's God who causes the growth. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 says - "And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you." It's God who gives the increase but it takes effort on our part. 1 Peter 2:2 says - "Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." Growth comes through the Word of God. We are to desire the Word of God, and then discipline ourselves to spend time in it. Of course if we truly desire the pure milk of the word, spending time in it isn't going to be a hard thing to do. In Philippians 1:9 the apostle Paul says - "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment." And we read in Ephesians 4:15 - "But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." In every aspect of our Christian lives the Lords desire for us is that, no matter how good we're doing, we would excel still more.
In 2 Peter chapter 1 we're given a list of 7 qualities that are to define us as believers. These are the qualities: Moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Then it says in verse 8 - "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." No matter how much we grow in any of these areas we can't stop. If we don't continue to grow in these things we are simply coasting and therefore going down hill, which will cause us to be lukewarm and useless to the Master. Let us excel still more in regard to our faith that we may prove ourselves useful for His work.
Hebrews 10:23-25 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching."
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