Is Good Enough, Good Enough? - December 27

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1 

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 

Reflect 

Will we ever spiritually “arrive”? Will we ever be sanctified “enough” to quit growing this side of heaven? 

It’s human nature to settle. We work until we think it’s good enough and then we slow down. We get satisfied with the status quo. For example, many people work hard enough to graduate from high school or college and then they quit learning. But can you ever be too educated? When have you learned enough? 

In today’s verse, Paul urged the believers in Thessalonica to keep walking in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. Paul had received a good report from Timothy about their spiritual state: “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love…you are standing fast in the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:6, 8).  

Paul, Silas, and Timothy had preached the Gospel to them and after they accepted the Gospel, they taught them how to live out their faith in Christ. They instructed them in godly Christian living and told them how they ought to walk. Now, the Thessalonians’ obedience to the Lord was evidence that their salvation was genuine. Their faith was producing good fruit! They were standing fast in the Lord despite persecution and trials. Paul rightly called that good news! He was relieved and overjoyed to hear it! 

But today, Paul encouraged them to continue to walk in obedience and please God more and more. In other words, there is no such thing as “good enough” when it comes to our sanctification. Being “sanctified” means becoming holy, becoming like Christ. No matter how long we’ve been believers, if we are honest with ourselves, we still have a long way to go before we are as holy as the Lord! 

On one hand, believers are declared holy before God the moment we trust Christ for salvation. For example, Hebrews 10:10 says: “And by that we will have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Once we put our faith in Christ, we are saved and we are declared righteous and holy before God. He saves us and He sanctifies us. 

But as Christians, our salvation is just the beginning of our sanctification story. It doesn’t stop there! We’ve also been called to continue to grow and mature in the faith and in holiness (2 Peter 1:5-8, 2 Peter 3:18). Those of us who love Jesus are called to live in obedience to Him (John 15:10).  

However, we still wrestle with sin. We don’t become morally perfect when we become believers. Becoming more and more like Christ is a process. It is a work that the Spirit does in us and we are supposed to cooperate. We are called to do daily battle with sin. We are called to take off the old self and put on the new self (Colossians 3:5-13). In Christ, we are declared holy immediately but our holiness is made a reality gradually with an ultimate fulfillment only when Christ returns.  

Paul knew the Thessalonians were in a good place spiritually. He just didn’t want them to settle for “good enough.” He encouraged them to keep at it. I like the way the NASB puts it: “Finally, brethren, we request and exhort you…that you excel still more.” They were excelling at faithfulness and obedience. Now, Paul wanted them to be faithful and obedient even more. 

We should never settle for “good enough.” We are saved, yes! But we know that we have growing and maturing to do. We should all have Christlikeness as our ultimate goal. As long as we live, we need to cooperate with the Spirit’s work of sanctification so that we can become like Him more and more, day by day. 

Respond  

Lord, thank You for declaring me righteous and holy before You the moment I put my faith in Christ’s saving work on the cross. But I know that I am not done growing yet. I have more maturing to do. I have not reached perfection and I won’t until You come back and make me perfect forever. Help me yield to Your Holy Spirit’s work in my life. Continue to make me more like You. Amen. 

Reveal  

Consider how our sanctification is a testimony of Christ’s work in our lives. Does the way you live reveal Christ to those you interact with?