“God’s Will for Every Christian”

 “God’s Will for Every Christian”

 

Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s Will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.   1Thessalonians 5:16-22

 

The Apostle Paul had just finished speaking to the Thessalonians, about the LAST DAYS and the RETURN of JESUS CHRIST.  And now, in our verses for today, we see that he is talking about the TRUE BELIEVERS LIVING to PLEASE GOD.  The things that SHOULD be the NORM for the TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  

 

The first thing he instructs us to do, is to ALWAYS be JOYFUL.  God wants His Children to be JOYFUL, and there is EVERY REASON for them to ALWAYS BE JOYFUL.  Paul knew HUMAN NATURE VERY WELL and He knew that the PEOPLE NEEDED a REMINDER to REJOICE at ALL times.  JOY and HAPPINESS are NOT the SAME THING; JOY does not come from CIRCUMSTANCES that mankind experiences.  But it comes from the HEART, because of a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with the LORD JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE, to CONQUER DEATH and to GIVE those who will come to HIM for their SALVATION, ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, and to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  That, my dear people, are REASON ENOUGH to ALWAYS BE JOYFUL.  This JOYFULNESS is the WILL OF GOD for all who BELONG to HIM, because of what JESUS has done to give us a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD.  

 

Paul instructs us to NEVER STOP PRAYING. I really don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t talk to my Heavenly Father, EVERY DAY!  What Paul did NOT MEAN was that PRAYER SHOULD BE CONTINUAL without interruption, but he meant that we should PRAY WHENEVER it is POSSIBLE.  In other words, we should have a PRAYERFUL ATTITUDE, one that would ENHANCE our RELATIONSHIP with Father God and Jesus, His Son.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, should TALK to the FATHER EVERYDAY and BE THANKFUL for ALL the BLESSINGS that He is GIVING US, because of our RELATIONSHIP with His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

 

The Apostle Paul also goes on to say that the TRUE CHILD of GOD, is NOT to STIFLE the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD.  The word STIFLE means to SUPPRESS or STOP the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.  The EFFECTIVE WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT could be HINDERED by the believers, IF they RESISTED the HOLY SPIRIT so Paul WARNED AGAINST the RESISTANCE of the HOLY SPIRIT of God.  Paul also WARNS about SCOFFING or REJECTING the PROPHECIES, which were given to the people, mainly in the Old Testament times, by CERTAIN MEN who were GODLY in NATURE, and would COMMUNICATE with GOD, and they would RECEIVE REVELATIONS from God to give to the Nation of Israel.  It was the WORKING of the HOLY SPIRIT and to SCOFF or RIDICULE the PROPHECIES, WOULD be SCOFFING and RIDICULING the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD.  Instead of SCOFFING at the PROPHECIES, they were to TEST EVERYTHING that is SAID.  And to HOLD ON to what is GOOD.  And STAY AWAY FROM EVERY KIND of EVIL.  This is the WILL of GOD for His CHILDREN.  Do these exhortations concern YOU?  It does if you have given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His Son, JESUS, but if you have NOT done that then you are in a WHOLE DIFFERENT CATEGORY.  Your ETERNAL DESTINY will be spending an ETERNITY IN HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  But that is NOT what God wants for YOU.  He wants you to spend your ETERNITY with Him and His SON, in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  The way to do that, is to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.   And you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU must ACCEPT GOD’S Gift of SALVATION and ACCEPT GOD’S WILL for your LIFE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND!!!