More and More

I Thessalonians 4:1 - "As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

I Thessalonians 4:9-10 - " Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,"

The Thessalonian church seems to be doing everything right. They have a good reputation among all the churches and a great testimony of the Christian life. It seems that they are doing all the right things. Paul does not condemn them in anyway; rather, he says do so more and more.

As believers we are to never be satisfied with where we are at in our Christian walk. We are never to kick back and say, we have arrived. We are to never set cruise control or autopilot. Paul believes that if you are doing it right, you are to continue to do what you are doing and seek to excel even more in Christ. Don't be content in doing well, but seek to do even better. 

For those of us who are not perfectionist, this is a bitter pill to swallow. Even though Christ wants us to be perfect even as He is perfect, he doesn't want it to become a burden. It becomes a burden when we fall into legalism instead of being empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is He who will complete the good work in us as we yield to Him. (I Thessalonians 5:23-24)