2Th 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 

2Th 3:4  And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 

2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 

2Th 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 

2Th 3:7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 

2Th 3:8  Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: 

2Th 3:9  Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. 

Oftentimes the Thessalonians are called by many as the ‘model saint,’ the Thessalonians had learned to think like God does and they were well aware of Satan’s attempt to hinder their edification also. They were taught about the selfless love of Christ, and looked to Paul as an “ensample” to “follow.” However, as man advances through time, he begins to become more and more comfortable, and ‘conformable’ with the “fashion of this world.” The world today has advanced greatly since Paul’s day, and man has created a world as if were his own ‘heaven on earth.’ He has become “conformed to,” and has followed the ‘way’ of this evil world, his heart’s desire is to do the will of this world and his flesh. But our Father has given His sons and daughters the education to “stablish” us, and to “keep” us from this evil world, and its “tradition.” And the “fashion of this world” has also greatly advanced to cater to the mind, the flesh, and the heart of man whereas he continues to love what he sees, love what he hears, and loves all that this world has manufactured to cater to his 5 senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and his taste, and the man becomes addicted unto this world, and desires to walk in its ‘way.’

1Co 7:31  And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

The list of the ‘loves,’ and desires of the man has gotten longer and easier to attain, also the more money you have, the easier it is to follow this world’s system, man can have all this world has to offer, and men can “glory” in other men in their pursuit to attain it as well. The things of this world has become more and more attractive to the man where he has placed a high value upon his way of living over the things that God has to offer. When the natural man ‘weighs his options’ against the things that God has to offer and what this world has for him, he begins to think about his social standing before men and how the world will view him. As we can plainly see the world around us is changing more and more, but the love of God toward us and His “riches” that we have in heavenly places never change, and surpass anything that this world could offer. When we learn to think like God does, we learn to identify the things of this world as if you were viewing them through God’s eyes, you would be just as unimpressed as God would be at what man has accomplished, and just as disgusted with it as well. Renewing our minds is the issue of a son possessing the Father’s thinking toward the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the things of this world, but this is not just the obvious sinful things of this world like crime, fornication, etc., this includes things like bad doctrine, worldly advancements through man’s wisdom, and earthly desires of the flesh based upon our carnal ungodly thinking. However because we are sons we should view “this world” as our Father would view the things of this world, knowing that He would not place any importance upon these “carnal” things, neither should we.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

As stated in the previous study, Ephesians through Colossians deals with a son who is learning how to think like God does, he then begins to learn that he can possess the “fullness” of the will of God in the details of his life, he is also introduced to how a son learns to do things God’s way. We are given the motivating doctrine showing the son why he should “mortify” himself, and how he can “put on the new man” and continue in the doctrine doing things God’s way, not his. He begins to know how to live in godliness, and holiness the way his Father intended for man in the beginning.

Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Finally, in order to ‘do things God’s way,’ we have to first ‘think like God does,’ and it is understanding His will, and how He would have His sons and daughters to “walk” in our adoption as sons. Our “walk” as “sons” should be according to the doctrine given to us by the apostle Paul as being our “ensample” as how a son should “walk,” and when we take a look at today’s church in the world, we see why there are so many people worshiping God differently all around the world. Today’s Church has become “otherwise minded,” and when today’s ‘church’ does not follow our Father’s godly design, they begin to walk in different directions, and they begin to “mind” other things. Paul says those that are not “followers together” of his doctrine,  they have their mind on “earthly things,” and not the Spiritual things that is given to the Church to “walk by,” and is designed to “perfect” the saints. But it is the ones who ‘do things this world’s way,’ are also the ones who ‘think like this world does,’ they “mind earthly things,” and by that; they are “enemies of the cross of Christ.”

1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

1Th 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

1Th 1:7  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

1Th 1:8  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

 Rod Jones