1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 NIV
“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to live our lives to
please God. No, God is not pleased with us no matter what we do, as many are
espousing. He isn’t pleased with us just on the basis of a profession of faith
in him. He wants us to live our lives (in conduct, in action) to please him.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 NIV
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
To Be Sanctified
To be sanctified is to be made holy, to be purified in
heart, mind, and action. And to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different)
from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ by God’s
Spirit. But this is not just a status. It is a lifestyle. It is not just in position,
but in practice.
So, being sanctified by God’s Spirit involves action on our
part, too. We are to avoid sexual immorality. This is a BIG ONE in our present
day in America in the gatherings of the church. For, statistics have it that as
much as 75% of Christian men, a high percentage of young boys, and an
increasing number of women and young girls regularly engage in viewing porn.
But it isn’t just porn that is the culprit. It is sexually
charged TV shows, movies, video games, music (even some Christian music), and social
media memes, and sex texting, lewd conversations and course joking, too. And it
is premarital sex, unmarried couples living together, and homosexuality, too.
And it doesn’t stop there. It is literally in the gatherings
of the church, too, with men and women singing sexually like they are bar
singers, dressed sensually, too, on stage, swaying their bodies back and forth
in sensual ways. Or they act like they are rock stars, instead of Christ’s
servants.
And it is video clips which come from movies with sexual
situations in them, too. And it is course joking or sacrilegious humor coming
from the pulpit. And it is pastors wearing clothing advertising what is pure
evil, too.
Sex sells, and the church, at large, is using it to sell
people on “the church,” too. The modern market-driven church of today utilizes much
of the world’s gimmicks in order to draw in large crowds of people into their
meetings. They are very flesh-driven, and so they have altered the gospel to be
flesh-driven, too, giving people free license to continue living in sin
guilt-free.
But the Scriptures Teach
But the Scriptures teach that we are not to be of this
world, but separate, and that we are not to engage in sexual immorality of any
kind, and there are many kinds, too. But we are to learn to control our bodies
in ways that are holy and honorable. We aren’t supposed to live like the
ungodly.
When certain people or pastors tell you that you can believe
in Jesus, be saved from your sins, and have heaven guaranteed you as your
eternal destiny, but that you don’t have to turn from your sins or obey the
Lord or submit to him as Lord, they are giving you permission to keep sinning.
But when you live in sin, you are not sinning to yourself
alone. You are sinning against God, first and foremost, but you also sin against
other people and/or your sins impact other people. For, if you are married but
you are engaged in sexual immorality of any kind, you are living in adultery
against your spouse. The marriage bed, thus, is not pure, but it is defiled.
But we are not to wrong others. Husbands and wives are to be
faithful to one another and to love and show respect to one another. Husbands
are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
and wives are to show respect to their husbands.
We are not to lie, cheat, steal, live immoral lives, commit
adultery, slander, gossip, kill, and take advantage of sexually or otherwise
abuse others. But we are to be kind, tenderhearted, compassionate, loving and
forgiving with others, and we are to love them as we love and care for
ourselves.
1 Thessalonians 4:8 NIV
“Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”
This is a serious charge. And we need to take it seriously,
too. We can’t just live however we want and claim Jesus as our Savior and heaven
as our eternal destiny. It doesn’t work that way. God did call us to live holy
lives, and it isn’t optional.
For we are slaves of the one we obey. If we obey sin, it
leads to death. If we obey obedience, it leads to righteousness which then ends
in eternal life with God (Rom 6:16-23).
If we walk (in conduct) according to our flesh, we will die
in our sins. We won’t inherit eternal life with God no matter what we profess
with our lips or claim we believe in our hearts (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Lu
9:23-26).
The Lord will indeed punish all who make such sins their
practice. For we are all going to be judged by what we do (by our deeds). If we
sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. If we sow to
please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8; Rom
2:6-8; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6).
So, don’t reject these words from the Scriptures which
instruct us in how we are to live our lives and in how we are not to live, too.
Be sanctified. Live holy lives pleasing to God. Follow Jesus in obedience. Live
at peace with God. And love one another as Christ has loved you (us).
Servant
of the Lord
An
Original Work / July 26, 2012
Based
off Romans 1:1-17
Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.
Servant of the Lord,
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
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