3 things not to do
1 Thessalonians (23) 3 things not to do (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)
1. Do not quench the Holy Spirit
You must not quench the Holy Spirit, so it may be misunderstood that the Holy Spirit comes and leaves when you sin, but the Holy Spirit does not leave the saved saints. So what does it mean to “quench the Holy Spirit”? The Holy Spirit speaks from time to time. "Hey! Don't keep that bad habit anymore! Make up with him! Help him in need and live!” If you keep rejecting such words, you will no longer hear them, and you will not feel much remorse even if you live like an unbeliever. That is the life that quenches the Holy Spirit. Therefore, always try to obey God's voice.
One day, a woman, unable to bear the emotion of devotion, broke the alabaster and poured perfume on Jesus. At that time, she must have been hesitant too. Why was there no hesitation and hesitation in giving a year's worth of income? However, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she decided to obey and finally poured perfume on the Lord. That is the life that follows the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If you dissipate the burden and desire for the holy work that the Holy Spirit gives you, you will also miss out on blessings, happiness, satisfaction, and reward. Since there is not always a time for devotion, the Bible always emphasizes 'today' or 'now'.
2. Do not despise prophecy
Many people today mistake prophecy for fortune-telling. However, God considers the practice of fortune-telling to be detestable, and in the Old Testament times, one of the three major crimes of being stoned to death was the sin of practicing divination. Some people just go to fortune-telling to find out what's wrong, but God considers it a great sin even if I think of it as a way to meditate. So, if you prophesy falsely, those who prophesy will perish, those who receive the prophecy will perish, and their descendants will be judged. Also, some people think, “Even if you receive a prophecy, you don’t have to believe it.” But God hates being led by false prophecies.
One day, a 29-year-old girl went to a prayer center and the director of the prayer center gave a prophecy. “The flowers will bloom next spring!” As a metaphor, my parents thought they were getting married next spring. However, after four years passed, she couldn't get married, and after that, her parents cursed the director of the prayer center wherever she went. Such prophecies are not biblical prophecies. A famous theologian named Bruce defined biblical prophecy as “the declaration of the heart of God to others.” In other words, it is a biblical prophecy to realize God's heart and word and to deliver the realized word to others. In that sense, the words proclaimed during worship are also a kind of prophecy.
3. Stay away from evil
Just because we are told not to despise the Word does not mean that we should blindly accept any Word. We must be wise in everything (verse 21). No matter who preaches by quoting the Bible, unconditionally “Amen!” Don't do it. Because there are many heresies and there are many people who preach the word with wrong motives. Therefore, we must not despise the Word, but we must carefully consider the Word and sort out evil things and throw them away (verse 22). Evil deprives the soul of joy. No one does evil and feels good. After all, evil deeds are tormenting others while at the same time harassing oneself. Such an arrow of evil will eventually shoot you like a boomerang, making you mentally handicapped.
No one can live perfectly, but keep evil as far away as possible. How do you keep evil as far away as possible? Should I make as many lists of the evil as possible and avoid the evil actions on that list as much as possible? Impossible. The important thing is to live in obedience to God's will as much as possible. If you understand the word of God, and if it is God's will, do your best to obey it. The most blessed disposition for believers is the attitude of obedience to the Word. When we live as much as we can in the present time according to the inspiration of the given Word, the Word becomes power and a source of blessings.
Some say “Pastor, I will do it, but I will do it gradually.” There comes a time when you say “I’ll do it gradually” like that, and then later say, “Ouch!” and regret it. Nicodemus appeared with perfume after Jesus died, but the woman who broke the alabaster anointed Him with perfume before Jesus died. How different is the meaning? It is beautiful to serve the Lord well in old age, but how beautiful is it to serve the Lord well when you are even a little young? When the Holy Spirit impresses us with goodness, we make a decision immediately and live according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, it is a life that casts away all forms of evil.