Bible Reading: I Thessalonians 4:1-12
Key Verse: Verse 12 - “That
ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of
nothing.”
Key Words: That ye may walk honestly
I
Thessalonians, chapter four, deals with a sanctified life. You read in verse three, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification...” Then Paul lists for us several prerequisites
for being sanctified. One of those is
found in verse twelve that we walk honestly toward them outside the church.
I read a
humorous story that illustrates the need for honesty.
A wealthy but
eccentric man called his pastor, his doctor, and a political friend to his
deathbed. He told them he disagreed with
the conventional belief that you can’t take your money with you when you die. He said, “I’m taking mine!” He pulled out three envelopes and handed one
to each of the gathered trio. He
explained how the envelopes contained $30,000 in cash, and he wanted each man
to throw an envelope in when they lowered his casket. At the funeral all three men did as their
dead friend had requested.
Upon returning
from the cemetery, the pastor’s conscience got the best of him, and he
confessed to the doctor and politician, saying, “I needed the money for our
church so I took out $10,000 and threw $20,000 into the grave.” The doctor then came clean and admitted to
taking $20,000 for costs he had incurred at his clinic. The politician was appalled at their
dishonesty. He pridefully said, “I’m
ashamed of you gentlemen. I threw in a
check for the full amount.”
And that is
the way it usually is. The reason we are
so often appalled at the dishonesty of others is because we fail to judge our
own actions and motives.
So let me
encourage you to live honestly before God in the upcoming year.
What to do:
✞
Evaluate your
own thoughts and deeds.
✞
Deal honestly
with all men.
✞The truth only hurts for
awhile, a lie hurts for eternity.
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