Tag: God is Concerend about Sexuality - 1 Thessalonians 4-5

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Tag:  God is Concerned about Sexual Sin

There is no doubt that our country has a twisted understanding, approach, philosophy and/or practice of sex.    It is also highly hypocritical.  On the one hand they promote sexual mischief and the objective treatment of the sexes by their movies, wardrobe, clubbing and exploitation of women.   On the other hand they opening condemn those who speak of chastity, morals and Godly principles.   In the above text, Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and expressing to them God’s will for them: Sanctification in regard to sexuality.   You can’t convey the message more clearly.   God expects believers to have different approach to sex.    He wants us to be different than the world.   We are not to act in the manner as the world.   That makes us different and that difference will be criticized.    God wants holiness from us.  We are to “control” our own bodies.   Now that the “new man” has been given to us through the grace of redemption, the desires of the “old man” are to be put to death.   And what if we don’t?  God is the judge of those things.  God WILL hold others accountable for what they have done in their bodies.  There is not closing of the eyes for God.  He knows when we feed the old nature and He tells us that He will be the avenger.   We are to use our sexual pleasures for His pleasure.  That is how this entire passage started:

1 Thessalonians 4:1

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

We think of sex as enjoyable to us.  But, God gives us the warning of sexual mischief and starts that passage by telling us that we are to consider pleasing Him, first.    The really great part about this entire thing is that God wants us to be sanctified, it is His will, and He is the One who does the sanctification:

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.