Matthew Henry Commentary 1 Thessalonians 4
Matthew Henry Commentary
1 Thessalonians 4
Matthew Henry Commentary
1 Thessalonians 4
"Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more. For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you." — 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (ASV)
To abide in the faith of the gospel is not enough; we must abound in the work of faith.
The rule according to which all should walk and act is the commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sanctification, which involves the renewal of their souls under the influences of the Holy Spirit and attention to appointed duties, constituted God's will for them.
In aspiring to this renewal of the soul to holiness, strict restraint must be exercised over the appetites and senses of the body, and over the thoughts and inclinations of the will, which lead to their misuse.
The Lord calls no one into His family to live unholy lives, but rather so that they may be taught and enabled to walk before Him in holiness.
Some make light of the precepts of holiness because they hear them from men; but these are God's commands, and to break them is to despise God.
"But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing." — 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (ASV)
We should notice what is good in others, and praise them for it, so that we may encourage them to abound in it more and more. All who are savingly taught by God are taught to love one another. The teaching of the Spirit exceeds the teachings of men; and men's teaching is vain and useless, unless God teaches.
Those remarkable for this or any other grace need to increase in it, as well as to persevere to the end. It is very desirable to have a calm and quiet temperament, and to be of a peaceable and quiet demeanor. Satan is busy to trouble us, and we have in our hearts what disposes us to be unquiet; therefore, let us study to be quiet.
Those who are busybodies, meddling in other people's matters, have little quiet in their own minds and cause great disturbances among their neighbors. They seldom heed the other exhortation: to be diligent in their own calling, to work with their own hands. Christianity does not take us from the work and duty of our particular callings but teaches us to be diligent in them.
People often by slothfulness reduce themselves to severe hardship and are subject to many needs; while those who are diligent in their own business earn their own bread and have great pleasure in doing so.
"But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ASV)
Here is comfort for the relations and friends of those who die in the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we may weep for our own loss, though it may be their gain. Christianity does not forbid, and grace does not take away our natural affections. Yet we must not be excessive in our sorrows; this is too much like those who have no hope of a better life.
Death is an unknown thing, and we know little about the state after death. Yet, the doctrines of the resurrection and the second coming of Christ are a remedy against the fear of death and undue sorrow for the death of our Christian friends; of these doctrines we have full assurance. It will be some happiness that all the saints will meet and remain together forever; but the principal happiness of heaven is to be with the Lord—to see him, live with him, and enjoy him forever. We should support one another in times of sorrow, not deaden one another's spirits or weaken one another's hands.
And this support may be given through the many lessons to be learned from the resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ. What! Comfort a man by telling him he is going to appear before the judgment-seat of God! Who can feel comfort from those words? That man alone with whose spirit the Spirit of God bears witness that his sins are blotted out, and the thoughts of whose heart are purified by the Holy Spirit, so that he can love God and worthily magnify his name.
We are not in a safe state unless this is so with us, or we are desiring to be so.
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