A Study in 1 Thessalonians : Steps to Improve your walk with God (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

This lesson will deal with some steps that will improve our walk with the Lord. In this passage we see things that are said to be God’s will and also things that please him. We should remember that man was created for God’s pleasure (Revelation 4:11) therefore anything that we find in the word of God which pleases God we should strive to do.

After salvation we should walk for the Lord. That is the things we do, places we go, steps we take should have the Lord as our guide and bring honor and glory to him. The key is to remember that our walk is made up of many steps and that we should strive to make even the small ones count for God. Also be warned that when we miss step or fall down that is the thing  that others remember, they want necessarily remember all the hundreds of good steps you took but they will remember the bad ones for sure.

To show that our walk with the Lord is important we will give a small chain reference for the word walk below.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (We walk by faith and not by sight)

Galatians 5:16 (Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh)

Ephesians 4:1 (Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called)

Ephesians 4:17 (Walk not as the other Gentiles walk)

Colossians 1:10 (Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing)

From these verses it is plain that our walk with God is very important and that we should consider it to be a top priority. What makes this passage unique in regards to our walk is that it is connected with the will of God and our sanctification (verse 3). Remember that sanctification means to be set apart for God’s use, so our walk should set us apart from the world.

Steps that improve our walk with the Lord:

1)  Abstain from fornication (verse 3)

• Fornication is sex outside of marriage and note that it is said to be a sin against the body (1 Corinthians 6:15-19).
• If you can abstain from this it will definitely separate you from the world that we live in today.

2)  Possess your vessel in sanctification and honor (verse 4)

• Our body is our vessel and a vessel is anything that carries something. As saved people we carry the Lord Jesus Christ everywhere we go and also we are trying to carry the gospel to a lost and dying world.
• This is why we should keep our body clean and free from sin as much as possible so that the vessel is a vessel of honor.
• In 2 Timothy 2:19-21 we see there are vessels of honor and dishonor in a house. In the old days before indoor plumbing they would use vessels for human waste in the night instead of going to the outhouse during the middle of the night. Those would not be the same vessels that they would serve food or drink from. When we let our walk with the Lord slip and we play with sin our vessel becomes dirty and we must remember who wants to drink from a dirty glass.

3)  Our vessel should not be in the lust of concupiscence as other Gentiles.

• Concupiscence by definition is lust or unlawful or irregular desire of sexual pleasure. It is also the coveting of carnal things or an irregular appetite of worldly goods.
• Therefore our walk should have some self control. This also is missing from the world today.

4)  Do not defraud in any matter (verse 6)

• In Romans 12:17 we are told to provide things honest in the sight of all men. Dishonest or fraudulent behavior should be avoided at all cost, especially among the brethren.

These are some simple steps that will improve your walk with the Lord. But remember that if you reject these things and despise these commands you are not despising the preacher, your parents or any other authority but God is the one you are despising (verse 8).

A Study in 1 Thessalonians

Steps to Improve your walk with God (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

Handout

1)  Give a chain reference for showing that our walk for the Lord is very important.

2)  What is unique about the steps found in this passage in regards to our walk for the Lord?

3)  What are 4 steps from the passage that will improve our walk with God?

4)  What does the passage say in regards to despising these steps?