Some people have the wrong impression of Christianity. They
think it’s a system of behavior, a lot of dos and don’ts—especially don’ts. I
can understand why they might think that way. They read the Ten Commandments
and find dos and don’ts. They might know a self-righteous “Pharisee” who has a
whole list of must dos and must not dos in order to “earn” a place in heaven.
Christianity is, in fact, a relationship with the Person of
Jesus Christ. It isn’t determined by lists.
I was reading 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22 the other day. I
started listing the positives and negatives in the passage, the dos and the
don’ts. Here’s what I found:
POSITIVES:
Comfort
yourselves together. (verse 11)
Edify one
another. (11)
Esteem
Christian leaders highly. (13)
Be in peace
among yourselves. (13)
Comfort the
mentally challenged. (14)
Support the
weak. (14)
Be patient
with all people. (14)
Follow what
is good. (15)
Rejoice
evermore. (16)
Pray
without ceasing. (17)
In
everything give thanks. (18)
Prove all
things. (21)
Hold fast
to the good. (21)
NEGATIVES, actually instructions for their good:
Warn the
unruly. (14)
Don’t pay
back evil for evil. (15)
Don’t
quench the Holy Spirit. (19)
Don’t
despise prophecy. (20)
Abstain
from all appearance of evil. (22)
In this passage, we’re given a total of 13 positive
statements and 5 negative commands. They are all for our good. All are so that church people can live happy,
fulfilled, and joyful lives.
God isn’t an ogre! He doesn’t have a list of impossible
goals for us that make us a good Christian or a bad Christian. We can’t earn a
place in heaven anyway. It is the gift of
God: not of works, lest any man should boast (from Ephesians 2:8-9). After
salvation, sanctification is the process of God’s working in us to conform us
to the image of His Son. Jesus said, I am
come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly
(John 10:10b).
The positives definitely outweigh the negatives!
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