Sometimes, the will of God is not something esoteric, mystical, or hard to discern. Sometimes, God’s will stares right back at us. Our appetite for an alternative to His will is what blinds us at these moments.
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. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-9
In this brief passage, we are confronted with a what, a how, and a why. This particular area leaves little to explain away if I want to deviate from its course. Of note is that word “sanctified.” To be sanctified is to be purified, to be set apart (as holy), or to be dedicated or prepared for a special use. The cleanness associated with being sanctified is not something the person does; God is the sanctifier!
When Paul encourages the believers to live clean lives, he is only speaking the language of the source of the cleansing. What does this imply about God’s desire for our lives if cleanness is a priority of His will? What does Paul state regarding those who would refuse such a call?
“A holy walk involves a right relationship with God the Father (who called us), God the Son (who died for us), and God the Spirit (who lives within us). It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes our body the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19–20). Furthermore, it is by walking in the Spirit that we get victory over the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16.). To despise God’s commandments is to invite the judgment of God and also to grieve the Spirit of God.”
Warren Wiersbe
- In the opening passage, what activities are believers encouraged to perform?
- What activities are believers encouraged to avoid?
- What attitudes likely contribute to our ability (or struggle) to follow suit?
- Does the warning of potential punishment (see 1 Thessalonians 4:6) seem unusual to your perception of God? Explain.
- What comfort can a person derive from these verses?
- How will you respond to the call to cleanness for your own life?
Food for Thought 