The Command to ‘Be ……………….’
Study Guide, November 30, 2025
Pastor Clay Olsen
Since we are still in the ‘Thanksgiving after-glow’, let’s expand further on this theme. And as far as Thanksgiving itself, let’s focus on how we are supposed to be…as in how we are commanded to be.
But first, think about this: It’s much easier to know what to do about anything when you know what to be in everything. Plus, the benefits in knowing what to be relieves us from much of the pressures that often come with knowing what we are to do. And no, this doesn’t lead to that question of: ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ No, for God has already given us commands and instructions of both what to be and also of what not to be. Therefore, ‘To be’ is no longer a question…it’s a command! The only question is… “Will we ‘be’ who and what we have been commanded to be? That is the question!’ And another plus…it’s when you give more focus to ‘being’ than you give to ‘doing’ that you also become better equipped to deal with whatever it is that you have to do. What do we mean?
Again, since we just celebrated ‘Thanksgiving’, let’s start with the most obvious. Let’s review what God says about that. Col. 3:15- “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” ‘Be Thankful!’ That’s the great thing about a command from God. You don’t have to evaluate it. You don’t have to feel one way or another about it. You don’t have to have circumstantial reasons for it. You don’t even have to fully understand it. No, the commands of God stand alone! God’s commands need no outer props! The commands of God are simply the instructions of the Creator instructing us on how we were created to be, as well as what we were created to do. The commands of God are also the optimal way for us to live in this world, and the optimal way prepare for life in the new world. Bottom line? You can’t improve on God’s commands as the best to live your life. You can’t improve on God’s commands as the best way to glorify God, and to also be happy in this life!
For example: In a previous Thanksgiving message we delineated several benefits of ‘being thankful’, or of practicing an attitude of gratitude. I’m not going to go over that again, but let’s just mention some for emphasis, like: Boosting brain power, lowering depression, strengthening cardiovascular health (no, not like…Thank you Lord for this Moon Pie…no, you’ve got to be discerning about it all…although, those are pretty good…now you want one, right…sorry), (and more benefits of practicing thanksgiving) improves immunity, strengthens relationships, builds resilience, reduces stress, and most of all…strengthens your faith! All of that from practicing gratitude on a daily basis? Yup!
It’s like one Pastor said: “Feed your faith and you’ll starve your doubts to death!” That’s right, by recognizing the many things we can thank God for – even in the tough moments, the practice of thanksgiving feeds your faith. It can strengthen your body, mind, and spirit.
Gratitude can starve the negative thoughts and faith-depleting stresses, all the while reminding us of the blessings all around us. It helps us turn our focus to God, who is the author of all good things. I’m grateful that Jesus said, “In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And, don’t forget Paul, who wrote, while in prison, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 Even in a dark and cold cell Paul could talk about the need to practice gratitude and faith!1
All right, let’s move on to another ‘Be’. ‘Be watchful’… ‘Be on the alert!’ 1 Cor. 16:13- “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Pet. 5:8- “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” Mark 13:33- “And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!”
We are not only God’s witness to this world, we are also God’s ‘watchmen’ in this world. We are to be like the Sons of Issachar, who understood the times, and therefore knew what to do about it. We are to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us. Which implies that people around us will first see the ‘hope that is within us.’ How do they see it? Because they see a different spirit within us. Even though they see us as fellow citizens, they also see us as strangers and sojourners, who are getting ready for something more than this world. They see us as people who are getting ready to go somewhere. They see us as people who are looking for something that’s coming. And that’s when we tell them that they are absolutely right! We are looking for the Blessed Hope and appearing of Jesus Christ! “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:11-14 NASB
Are you watching for Jesus’ return? Are you alert to the signs of the times? Are you on guard against the accelerated works of the devil, knowing his days of having his ways are getting shorter and shorter? Be alert! Be clear minded! Be on guard! And did you also notice that this passage is also a good check for each of us, as in: We should pause and ask ourselves: “Is that how others see me, as looking for the blessed hope of Jesus’ return? Do others see me focusing on godly living, and being zealous for good deeds for God’s sake?” Let them see your hope, and then take opportunities to tell others about your ‘Hope’…your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
And that leads us right to another command to be… ‘Be holy.’ God’s command to His people in the Old Testament was: “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” Lev.11:44 And then God’s commands to His New Testament saints is: “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Pet.1:14-16 NLT
So, essentially, a non-negotiable aspect of being a follower of God is the pursuit of holiness. It’s one of God’s top goals for our lives. Which calls for us each to see where the pursuit of holiness is in the list of our top goals for our life. In other words, make a list of the top 5 goals for your life. Now, is the pursuit of holiness in them? Is it time to make a new list?
Notice how the Apostle Paul puts it in 2 Cor. 7:1 – “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” And then how about this translation…it’s the Aramaic Bible in Plain English (ABPE): “…and let us cultivate holiness in the awe of God.” That’s good! ‘Cultivate holiness’, as in weeding out anything that’s damaging the development of a holy life, or ‘deadheading’ anything that is not producing or adding to the growth of holy living. But again, God’s will for your life and for my life is: “Be holy because I am holy.” It’s not a suggestion. It’s not even a question – like: ‘To be holy or not to be holy’…nope, don’t even ask. It’s a command.
How about another ‘Be’ command? First let’s look at the verse: 1 Cor. 15:58- “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Put that in your favorite verses list! Thank the Lord that nothing we do for God’s glory and other’s gain is ever done in vain. Every good prayer, every good work, every good intention…everything we do for good counts both for now and forever!
But also notice the attitude of the toil: ‘Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.’ One of the best examples of that in nature is a tree…and old tree. Here’s something fascinating about old trees. Old trees may not grow taller every year, but they do keep bulking up—like a human bodybuilder. That’s the summary of recent research into the life of trees. In an article on research into the life of trees it said: “Once trees reach a certain height, they do stop getting taller. So many foresters figured that tree growth—and girth—also slowed with age. “What we found was the exact opposite,” says Nate Stephenson, a forest ecologist. “Tree growth rate increases continuously as trees get bigger and bigger.” Stephenson got together with 37 scientists from 16 nations to answer the question on a global scale. They examined nearly 700,000 trees that have been the subject of long-term studies. Here’s their conclusion: While trees did stop getting taller, they continued to get wider—packing on more and more mass the older they got. And we’re not talking about the tree-equivalent of an aging crowd with beer guts—old trees are more like active, healthy bodybuilders.2 Is that cool, or what? That’s how we can be…be like a steadfast, immovable tree, that just keeps getting more and more built up in the faith, built up in our spiritual fortitude, and built up in our knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like an old tree, we are to keep adding more and more rings of truth and love to our lives.
All right, one more ‘Be’ command for today: And it’s a powerful one…actually, the most powerful one of all. Eph. 5:18 – “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” Again, it’s not a suggestion! It’s not an option! It’s not just an interesting topic for discussion. It’s not just a spiritual practice for some Christians and not others. It’s not just something that will bless your life and others…although it certainly will, but the point is this: It’s a direct command from God for each one of us! ‘Be filled with the Spirit!’
And so the question is: “Are you?” And if not, why not? I have no good reason not to be filled with the Spirit…and neither do you. It’s something I have to make sure of every day and throughout the day. So, okay, what does that mean to be filled with the Spirit? What’s the context of the verse? ‘Dissipation.’ What happens when one is dissipated? What is ‘dissipation?’ The Greek word literally means tossing-head. It was the common term for a hangover. We associate this term with drinking, but the Bible doesn’t limit it to the use of alcohol. Whenever we leave our calling to chase after the world, there’s a wasted period of time while we get back on track again. This is the period of a ‘spiritual hangover.’
Too many Christians are living most of their lives in spiritual dissipation. They’re either giving in to the desire for the things of the world, or they’re simply under the influence of the world…or just their own self-will or self-control.3 God calls us to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. God calls us to daily turn the control of ourselves over to God the Holy Spirit to be in control. It’s pretty much like a surrender of self to the Holy Spirit to be in charge. My son Nate was describing ‘surrender’ as the ‘switch’ that changes everything in your Christian experience. It’s when you surrender to God the Holy Spirit to rule over your life that you move into a new realm of kingdom life and into a new growth of spiritual experience. But without surrender to God’s control, you remain stunted in spiritual growth and stagnant in spiritual fruit.
Again, we come back to God’s commands. God’s commands are not only for the purpose of doing what we were created to do, but foremost for becoming who we were created to be. And only by becoming who we were created to be can we then also experience what God wants to do. For God wants to do something for us, and in us, and through us. As we commit to being filled with His Spirit, He commits to growing His fruit in us…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And of course, the self-control is for turning the control of self over to the Spirit…the Holy Spirit! But, Friends, everything our souls crave are found in these nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. How just like our God to make it so that what blesses God the most in our lives is what will also bless us the most throughout our lives!
So here we have it: Five ‘Be’s’ for the holidays. ‘Be thankful…Be watchful…Be Holy…Be Steadfast…and Be filled with the Spirit.’ You can almost hear God saying to us: “Way to be!”
- momsforamerica.us
- preachingtoday.com/illustrations
- quartermastersministry.com/dissipation