Set Apart for God

The passage before us on Sunday is all about love. Paul, for three chapters, had spoken of what had happened during his brief stay with the Thessalonians. He's talked about how much love they had for him and each other. Knowing God chose them, they continued to show great care and hospitality to one another and broadly to all believers throughout Greece. Paul was desperate, like a loving parent, to see and encourage them so that he could help them in areas where they lacked understanding and address any concerns they may have. What mercy God has shown to call them out of their pagan worship, setting them apart for His glory. Paul urges them to continue in the teaching he freely shared while he was with them; that God's will for them (and us) is that they would be holy. He has made us holy in Christ, given us the Holy Spirit, so that we, who have been sanctified, are in Christ, and we continue to learn who we are in Him. As those in Christ, we do not live like the unbelievers in lustful passion, but we are to love and continue in love. But how? It is through the loving grace of the Father and His enabling of us in the command to love one another. We don't love one another to remain holy; we are holy because of Jesus, and we trust the Father's provision of love for one another.