Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Warnings of Paul in 1 Thessalonians

Following are serious warnings from Paul's writing in 1 Thessalonians. These are the warnings that are not being preached from the majority of preachers who at best are hirelings. They leave them alone or explain them away. Trust no man with your soul. I recommend you spend time and read them in context, but there is great value in focusing in on each warning. Many believers have never done this.

I see a pattern in much of the New Testament. The writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit greets, commends, praises and then warns. Some warnings clearly reject the so called "once saved always saved" teaching. 

In our day the warnings are left out of most preaching. 

Please brothers and sisters, judge yourselves. When you read the warnings do not read them thinking they do not apply to you and you cannot fall away. These warnings were given by Jesus to his disciples! It is a war to judge yourself. Jesus warned his disciples that if they did not abide in him they would be burned. Read Ezekiel 18. where Jesus gives the gospel.

Warnings of Paul in 1 Thessalonians   NASB

1 Thessalonians 1 NASB
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia

1 Thessalonians 2
3For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing menbut God who examines our hearts.

10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,12so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 3
5For this reason, when I could endureit no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
  • Here again we see Paul clearly acknowledging believers can fall from faith.  
6But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord9For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?

1 Thessalonians 4
1Finally 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. 2For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;6and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

1 Thessalonians 5
1Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape4But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrathbut for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ10who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

19Do not quench the Spirit; 20do not despise prophetic utterances21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.

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