1 Thess 4:9-12, Love one another and abound in it more.

Class Outline:

April 13, 2023

Theme (1TH 4:9-12):

Love one another and abound in love more.

 

We know what divine love is, do we not? Is love specific to a certain class of people, race, religion, creed, socioeconomic background?

 

Tribalism continues to plague mankind in a terrible waste of energy, capital, thinking, and time.

 

1CO 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

8 Love never fails;

 

JOH 13:31-35

Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

 

JOH 15:12-17

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 "This I command you, that you love one another.”

 

1PE 1:22-23

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

 

Also 1JO 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12.

 

We are to continue to increase in God’s love towards one another, and so we must practice love toward everyone.

 

Why is it important that we love one another?

1) Peace, accomplishing work together. We can do far more when we work together than when alone.

 

2) Witnessing to outsiders.

 

1TH 4:1-12

Finally 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. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and 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.  7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

 

9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, 11 and to make it your ambition [strive] to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

 

Strive (make it your ambition)

to be still

work with your hands

hold your vessel in sanctification and honor.

 

Main theme: Love of the brethren and abound in love more.

 

Subtheme: strive to be still and practice (do) your own (stuff) and work with your hands just as we commanded you.

 

Result - walk properly (seeming manner, good vessel) toward those outside and have need of nothing.

 

Love one another and strive to sanctification. Are these separate issues or one?

 

What unites us? We would definitely say love is the answer, but what makes us love one another? There is something common among us, in fact many things, from our one God.