In Everything Give Thanks

Scripture Text:  1 Thess 5:12-18

This passage teaches us how we can give thanks. Last week, we were instructed by the Apostle Paul that we must watch and be sober always as we look forward to the Day of the Lord. For unbelievers, it is a terrible day – a day of darkness, despair, destruction because God would demand justice to be carried out upon all who have sinned against Him. For believers, it is a day of deliverance from the sinful and wicked world. God desires all to come unto Him for salvation to escape the terrible day. Therefore, He gave unto us His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that through Him, we might be saved. Have you believed in Him?

Those who have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light ought to walk in the light. From verse 12 onwards, Paul gave us a list of instructions for holy living before the Day of the Lord comes.

What should be the duty of the people towards the church leaders?
V12-13: The ‘them’ in these two verses refers to Christian leaders. In every church, there must be God-ordained leaders to teach the Word of God faithfully, to impart spiritual knowledge, to comfort, instruct and edify the members, that they may grow in their spiritual life. The leaders are also to give admonition. Admonition is not meant to destroy but to pluck us out of the wrong path that we may walk rightly with God.

We are to esteem the leaders highly and to maintain harmony and peace in truth (v 13). We are to esteem them because they have been specially called by God to take care of the welfare of our souls.

Based upon our oneness in the body of Christ, which is the truth, we are to maintain harmony and peace. Without the purity of the truth, to talk about harmony and peace is meaningless. 

Other instructions:
V14: Warn those that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, patient toward all man.

Being at peace with one another doesn’t mean sitting back and not doing anything. We must warn with love those who are disobedient to God about the consequences of their sins. We are to comfort the feeble-minded, those who are easily discouraged. We are to support the weak, to pray for them and to lend a helping hand. We are to be patient towards all man: to bear and to forbear. This is not closing one eye to sin, but to be patient with those who may be trying very hard to change. God is very patient with us who sin daily. 

V15: Love our enemy.

If someone had done something bad toward us, we are not to take revenge but we are to love them (Rom 12:20). 

V16: Rejoice continually.

To be joyful is different from being happy. It is independent of circumstances. Are we joyful Christians? We can be so because God is with us. 

V17: Pray without ceasing.

Prayer can be trying at times as God may not answer our prayers immediately. But He definitely answers prayers but at His time (Jer 33:3).

V18: In everything, give thanks.

Surely there is something that we can thank God for. Every single thing in our live is all by the grace of the Lord (Rom 8:28). 

There are 4 reasons why we should give thanks to God:
It shows that we are aware of His continual presence in our lives.

We ought to know that Jesus is dwelling within us. Then we’ll flee from all temptations and desire to please Him even in our conversation.

It shows that we are dependent upon Him.

God is the source of all our blessings. We ought to count our blessings daily. By thanking Him, it is an act of submission and gratitude.

It shows that we trust Him.

We may not understand why certain things happen to us but when we thank Him, we are trusting Him that this thing that happened will be good for us eventually.

It shows that we believe He is in control completely.

He is in charge, not us. Our peace is not found in the absence of difficulty.