Introduction When our oldest son was little, a very common question from him was, "What dat doooooo?" Everything was new to him, and when he didn't know what something was he asked what it did. Even as a young child, he was trying to understand the world he lived in, and he intuitively knew that understanding what a thing does is a critical piece of information for understanding what it is. This is a good general principle, because rightly understanding what a thing is requires an accurate grasp of what it is supposed to do. It is wrong to get mad at something for not doing what you want it to do when that desire doesn't agree with that things purpose. It is wrong to criticize a car because it doesn't fly--car aren't supposed to fly. It is wrong to get upset at a spoon because it doesn't cut your chicken--spoons aren't supposed to cut meat. This is why something is called good when it does what it is supposed to do. The car is good when it gets me to point A from point B without difficulty, and the spoon is good when I can scoop food without it falling off. But who decides what something is supposed to do? How do we understand what a thing is and does? We must listen to the one who designed it, and we must listen to the creator's instructions if we want understanding. Pretty much anything that comes in a box comes with instructions. And what do the instructions explain? Usually three broad issues: (1) the intended uses, (2) how to keep the item in working condition, and (3) warnings against inappropriate uses. Paul applies similar thinking for Christians. What is a Christian? What do Christians do? Listening to God's instructions about these things is where understanding about the Christian life comes from, and that is precisely what Paul offers. The Text
"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. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor" -1 Thessalonians 4:1-4 1) What Christians Should Do "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." -1 Thessalonians 4:1 There is a very simple and vital truth that serves as a foundation for true understanding: the Sovereign, Holy LORD is God. This, of coarse, requires that all other would-be-competitors be acknowledged as frauds. There is only one true God, and He has spoken clearly, and all are aware of His divine power and attributes (Rom 1:18-20), and the only appropriate response for those who confess the One True God is obedience and praise (Rom 1:21-25). Apart from the Sovereign, Holy LORD being God, the Bible is not trustworthy, there is nothing to learn from nature, and there is no such thing as should--there is only is. True knowledge requires a starting point, and God is that starting point. Apart from God all absolute truth claims are stripped of meaning and relevance. And if there is no God, human beings are nothing more than an accident, and any commitment to morality is arbitrary. Thankfully, not only is there a God, but there is a God who has made Himself known! God's voice is the authority that establishes truth and refutes error. There are countless "voices" that offer instruction, but it is chaos trying to decide which one is right. God's Word brings order out of chaos. Conversely, the rejection of God's Word results in order descending back into chaos, as the removal of an ultimate authority creates an authority war. This is why Scripture holds a central place in the life of the church; we want to see the chaos brought into order under the authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Every true Christian has been brought to a point of seeing the chaos and damage caused by their sin-- which is a rejection of God's voice--and confessing their need to be saved by the Jesus Christ, the Word of God (Jn 1:1, 12-13). So what instructions has God given for Christians? Live in a way that pleases God! Live in a way that aligns with what God says should be. Paul writes to the Thessalonians who previously were living under the chaos of idolatry. They heard the gospel and accepted it as the Word of God, not as the word of men (1 Thess 2:13), and they turned to worship and serve the true God as a result (1 Thess 1:9-10). God worked among these believers to bring order to their lives so they would live according to God's revealed plan. God made man in His own image; humanity was made to reflect the glory of God. We were made to show and tell the truth about our Creator, and we were created with dignity and honor. Sin has frustrated this purpose, but God sent His own Son to deliver us from sin and restore us to our original function. Therefore, a Christian is a follower and worshiper of Jesus Christ. And what does a Christian do? A Christian lives to glorify and enjoy God. Since God is the Creator, this means God designed, owns, and has authority over every single thing that exists. People are fond of saying "my body, my choice," but the problem is its not really your body; rather, you are a steward of "your" body, and you will one day give an account to God. And not only does God own your body, He also owns the ground you walk on, the time you have, the air your breath, and every other thing you ever interact with in this world. God made our bodies, and they are very good. And He gave us bodies for the purpose of glorifying Him. And whether our conduct is good or bad is determined by how well we lived according to our God-given purpose. 2) How Christians Stay "Good" "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" -1 Thessalonians 4:3 So how do we make sure we are "good" Christians? If "good" means we function according to our intended purpose, then a "good" Christian is one who lives a life that glorifies or pleases God. And just like anything else that has a purpose, we need to do certain things to ensure we remain in working condition. One key consideration for keeping something in working condition is appreciating its nature. For example, you cannot leave ice cream on the counter overnight. Why? Because ice cream needs to be kept in freezing temperatures to stay in its proper "working" condition. In a similar way, Christians need to remain in certain conditions to ensure they keep glorifying God. Paul informs us that the proper condition for Christians to remain functional is ongoing sanctification. The word "sanctification" means holy (set apart, special). Holiness is contrasted with "common" in the OT. If something is holy, it is reserved for special use; whereas something that is common can be used for anything. Obviously, something cannot be holy and common at the same time. In the OT, something was made holy in order to be used in service of God. This sanctifying was often represented by anointing with blood or oil, washing with water, or passing through fire. When people were "made" holy, they often were anointed and changed into clothes that God had made for those in holy service. Also, there was often a period of preparation for something to move from "common" to "holy" to highlight the intentional effort that was required to make something holy. Holiness was never an accident, it was always a deliberate effort. This is why even after something was "made" holy, it had to remain holy in order to keep serving. If a holy item was contaminated by something "unholy" it had to be cleansed to be restored to service. This made casual jumping back and forth between holy and common impossible, as the period of preparation rendered defilement inconvenient at best, and permanently disqualifying at worst (often accompanied by death). Holy service is the purpose of the Christian life. Our lives belong to Christ, and we should live so as to glorify Him (1 Cor 6:20). Paul elsewhere encourages Christians to consider themselves vessels that have the privilege of being useful in God's house. However, this usefulness depends on the Christian' pattern of walking away from sinful, defiling choices and pursuing God-pleasing priorities with other Christians (2 Tim 2:21-22). It is a wonderful thing to live with the confidence that our lives please God, and that joyful confidence only comes through through understanding God's instructions and applying them. 3) What Christians Should Not Do "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" -1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 If our purpose as Christians is to please God, and if the condition in which we remain best positioned to fulfill this purpose is our holiness, then what do we need to avoid in order keep pleasing God? Paul's answer is to avoid sexual immorality; instead, we are called to control our bodies in holiness and honor. Broadly speaking, sexual immorality is using our bodies for purposes outside of God's intent for us. More specifically, any sexual activity that is contrary to God's revealed will for us is sexual immorality. Scripture teaches that sex is reserved for marriage between one biological male and one biological female (Matt 19:4-6); all other contexts for sexual activity are contrary to God's Word, which makes them sinful. Another starting principle to remember is sex was God's idea, and it is His gift to people. Human reproduce through sex, which makes it necessary, but that is only because God willed it to be. Also, sex is enjoyable by design, and it is not an unfortunate feature God would have omitted if given the option. When rightly used, sex is a powerful act that unites a husband and wife and blesses them both. When used wrongly, sex brings embarrassment, shame, and emotional harm. Sex is a powerful thing, but all powerful things become dangerous things when they are not used properly. Because of this, Paul warns against using sex outside of God's revealed will. It is no secret that conversations about sex are very touchy in our day, and there are two ditches to avoid when discussing sexual immorality. The first ditch to avoid is saying that sexual sin is not really a big deal. Many are quick to say God is concerned with much more important things than what goes on in someone's bedroom. While that may sound humble, it is actually profoundly arrogant. Paul explicitly says God's will is our sanctification, which requires avoidance of sexual immorality. We should let God tell us what He thinks is important, and humility is accepting what God says. Some also want to claim that Scripture is not clear about the issues surrounding sex, but if 1 Thessalonians 4:3 is not clear, then what in Scripture is? The exact phrase "this is the will of God" is only used three times in the NT--I wrote a separate blog on this topic, which can be found here. This is not to say that only those three occurrences reflect God's will, but I think it is fair to say we should definitely pay close attention to those three. God says His will is we avoid sexual immorality--how much clearer can He be? The second ditch to avoid is treating sexual sin as the unforgivable sin. Christians need to take the gospel seriously enough to remember there is no sin so heinous that it cannot be forgiven if washed by the blood of Christ. Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to take their holiness seriously and urged them to turn completely from sin. He reminded them that those who practice sin, regardless of its particular form, will not inherit the kingdom of God. But Paul also states that they were those kinds of people who lived in sin, but now they have been washed and saved by Jesus Christ (1 Cor 6:9-11). The application here is not to keep sinning as though sin is no big deal; rather, it is to recognize there is freedom to stop sinning because of cleansing in Jesus' name. Freedom in Christ is the basis for gaining "control" of our bodies. Sin is best understood as a hijacker. Sin takes something good that God has made and twists it for unintended purposes. I think of 9/11/2001 when terrorist hijacked passenger planes and used them to crash into buildings. Normally planes are wonderful--they have changed our world for the better. But that day wicked men conceived of ways to take something powerful and weaponize it, and the world, especially airport security, has not been the same since. The same is true of our bodies. They are powerful, wonderful things with significant potential, but they can be very dangerous when not used God's way. Salvation, in many respects, is about taking back the plane that has been hijacked. Salvation is about restoring God's creation to its created purpose. The world is twisted by sin, but through Jesus Christ all things will ultimately be realigned with God's will. FINAL THOUGHTS Proverbs 18:2 says, "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." We live in a nation of fools. People do not want to be told what is right, they want to tell you what they think is right. The path, however, for gaining wisdom is listening to someone who knows more than you do, but what happens to the person who always thinks they know better? As the Creator of the world, God knows what is best. He made everything, and He has a plan for everything. Understanding comes from humbly listening to God's instruction, and foolishness is the inevitable condition of the one who arrogantly refuses to listen. God has given us good bodies that will bless others and ourselves if we use them according to God's instruction. And we will hurt ourselves and others when we ignore God's instructions and do whatever suits our own opinion. Jesus came that we might have joy (Jn 15:11). And the person who will have this joy is the person who commits to turning to Jesus for forgiveness for all the ways they have not followed God's instruction and trust Jesus for the wisdom and power to live God's way moving forward.
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
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