1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

In these brief verses, Paul offers us even more instruction on how to obey God's will in our lives. Remember that when we speak of God's will, we refer to His desires for us and His commands to us. And while we may often seek specific instruction regarding a looming decision, God's will is often presented in the Scripture as a manner of living that enables us to make right choices, regardless of the scenario. In truth, the discipline of learning how to make wise decisions will do far more to benefit us than any momentary revelation focused on the here and now.

We are instructed to not quench the Spirit. In other words, we must allow God's Spirit to have full reign in our lives, and we must obey His instruction, rely on His examination, and accept His conviction. We must ask God to search us [Psalm 139] and we must listen to His evaluation, no matter how difficult it may be. Trying to ignore the Spirit and His work will always put us outside of God's will.

Sober warning is also given here when it comes to prophecies. Any revelation outside of God's Word is to be met with skepticism. Not necessarily because of the prophecy itself, but because that Jesus Christ is the ultimate revelation of God. The divine plan of redemption was accomplished through Jesus, meaning there is no longer any need for another revelation from God. And while prophecy may still be a gift today, it is one that affirms what God has already revealed in His Word, and never contradicts what God's Word contains. We must, like the Bereans in Acts, devote ourselves to the Scriptures daily so that we do not fall prey to a message that does not originate from its pages.

Much damage has been done is believer's lives by the word moderation. It is true that moderation is a far better approach than gluttony, however our human nature is all too quick to use moderation as a justification for whatever we wish to do. Paul tells his brothers and sisters in Christ to hold to the good and to abstain from -- to not have any part of -- every form of evil. While moderation may be applicable in some areas, sin is not one of them.

Scripture is not silent when it speaks of God's will, nor does it remain silent when we seek ways to follow that will completely and devotedly. Let us use the revelation that God has so greatly given us in His word, and seek to know Him and His will increasingly all the days of our lives.