Category Archives: Obedience

Advice, Career, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Commands, Disciplemaking, Evangelism, Family, Fatherhood, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Surrender, Thanksgiving

BE SANCTIFIED

1 THESSALONIANS 4:3 

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;” 

Just what does this mean? Be sanctified! How is that possible? How can we possibly be sanctified? In this verse Paul tells the Thessalonians to keep themselves pure, to protect their bodies and to flee from immorality. Remember they are in a pagan city surrounded by idol worship that usually involved sexual practices. Enough about that! You get the picture. 

But Paul is saying “Run from that stuff!” However, they need to run to God. He is the only One who sanctifies. We can’t sanctify ourselves. When we surrender to Him and to His Will, then He can begin the sanctification process. He can make us holy, just like Him, if we allow Him to work in and through us. 

APPLICATION 

Now, how do you explain sanctification to your children? Well, sanctification means you are looking more and more like Jesus. Have you ever seen a picture of a child whose face was aged to look older? The program projects what the child would look like in 10, 20 or 30 years. This would be a fun thing to do with your child. 

Then read this verse and explain that the Lord knows EXACTLY what they are going to look like. More importantly, He knows how close they can look like Him if they surrender to Him. Ask your child if they want to be like Jesus (they probably don’t want to look like Him with the beard and long hair, lol). I bet they will want to BE like Him. Your job starts right there. You can help them make good choices while they are young, so they will know how to do that as the age. 

How are you doing with your own sanctification? Are you fleeing from immorality? We may not have pagan temples around us, but we sure have the lures of this world that can rob us of being sanctified. Will you surrender to Him today and allow Him to work on you? 

Lord, sanctify me today. Take my life and make it Yours. I want to look just You. 

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Commands, Disciplemaking, Evangelism, Family, Fatherhood, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Surrender

THIS CAME FROM THE TOP

1 THESSALONIANS 4:2 

“For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” 

In the years I have served in ministry, there have been multiple times I had to pass on a directive to my employees that had come from my boss. His instructions to me were meant to be passed on to all the employees, not just me. If I had kept that directive to myself and not passed it on, I would have caused my employees to be disobedient without even knowing it. 

Paul was simply a conduit of these commandments to the Thessalonians. He had an obligation to pass them on. They had to be informed of the Lord’s requirements for righteousness. And of course, because they came from the Lord, Paul had the authority to dispense them in His name. 

APPLICATION 

Do you remember when you were young when one of your siblings said, “Daddy said…”? If Daddy said it, you had better do it, right? It wasn’t because the message was delivered by a sibling. No! It had come from the top. What a great way to teach your children. 

The next time you need to deliver a message of instruction to one of your children, ask one of your other children to deliver it for you with those words “Daddy said” or “Mommy said.” Then follow up the message to explain this verse and apply it to our walk with Christ. Christ delivered the message from the Father. The message came from the top. 

Are you a message listener or a message denier? Do you only respond to the message if it comes from the person who initiated it? Sometimes the Lord will put others in your life to bring you a message from the Lord. Listen and check it with Scripture. God just may want you to listen to that command which came from the top. 

Father, I know You send commandments to me through Your Word. I know also You can use my Pastor, spouse or best friend to deliver Your truth to me. Help me to be observant and ready to comply 

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