“More and More” (1 Thess 3:12-4:12)

“But as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.  And, indeed, you do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase more and more” (vs9-10).

Abound more and more in love and good works.  Don’t stagnate and think of yourself as “arriving”, but grow in grace, and flame on in the Lord.

The gospel changes us, and we’re to change and be changed continually, conforming into the likeness of the Son.  The joy of salvation is LIVING the gospel; it isn’t theory or sinning that grace might about; it is using God’s love to make us loving by the promises and forgiveness of sins.

Five things are mandatory for obedience:

1.  The fear of the Lord and the warnings. Without this, we sin that grace might abound, and we deny the gospel message, living as we please.

2. The blood of the Lord cleanses us from all sin, and He is why we’re accepted of God, by faith in Him.

3. The promises of grace, not only of pardon, but also of power and the ability to conquer sin, that God is with us by the Spirit.

4.  The command: the gospel isn’t merely a promise, but God “commands all men every where to repent”, and without the command, we don’t do God’s will; we do ours.

5. The reward: there must be a blessing in God’s will, if we will do it - the reward of heaven, peace, and life more abundantly.  If I know there’s JOY in obedience, I have conviction to honor God by it.

These are mandatory to growth, and we see them here in 1 Thess 3:12-4:12.

1. The command - “for you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus” (vs2)

2.  The blood of Christ and acceptance with God - “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus” (vs1)

3. The promise - “For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.  He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who has also given unto us His Holy Spirit“ (vs7-8)

4.  The warning - “That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in [adultery], because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified“ (vs6)

5. The reward - “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you; to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (1 Thess 3:12-13)

God is honored by obedience: do this, and blessings are yours.