“… dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NLT). No true Kingdom child has the right to live for himself/ herself because we are not our own; Jesus bought us with his precious blood (1Corinthians 6:20). As God’s people, we are expected and urged to live to please our Lord. Living to please God means to live according to his will; that is, to do what he desires or commands. One of God’s desires for his children is holiness: “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin … God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives” (1Thessalonians 4:3, 7,NLT). Holiness is an important kingdom rule of living. But in the body of Christ these days, this rule has been rejected by many. But we are warned that “Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God …” (1 Thessalonians 4:8, NLT). It is a very dangerous thing to reject God’s will. Rejecting God’s rule of living, many people, especially the youth in our churches freely engage in immoral sexual activities, forgetting that “no immoral, impure … person will inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5, NLT). God hates and punishes sexual immorality. If we really want to inherit the kingdom of God, then we must live to please God in every area of our lives. Do you want to inherit the kingdom of God? Are you living to please God? Meditation and Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom to live to please you always. Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Colossians 1:19-10; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. Key Lesson: Living to please God involves living a holy
life.