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.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
During the time of Paul, normal life in Thessalonica included sexual promiscuity.* Far from limiting sexual activities, the cults of Dionysus, Aphrodite, Osiris and Isis, the Cabirus, and Priapas encouraged sexual “freedom.”* Within this context, limiting sexual activity for the purpose of closeness to a deity and obedience to its will was foreign to the Thessalonians. Paul needed to instruct the Church of Thessalonica that the one, true God desired limitations to be put on their sexual activity.* Why is this?
According to Paul, when one engages in sexual activities outside of the marriage of a man and a woman, one is taking from someone else.* Meaning, when someone commits adultery, they are taking what isn’t theirs, namely, someone else’s spouse.* When someone engages in sexual activity prior to marriage (which was encouraged in Greek culture at the time of Paul), they too are taking what isn’t theirs by engaging with someone for whom God has for someone else.* Thus, the consequences of sexual transgression aren’t just personal and private, but they are communal as well; sexual sins impact the community.*
The call to holiness can feel like a punishment or like something negative to those who wish to live immorally.* To the Church of Thessalonica, it felt like an honor.
Prior to the work of Jesus Christ, the people of Israel were the only ones who could enjoy the title of “Holy unto God.”* They were a people set apart for Him. Because of the work of our Lord Jesus, anyone (including Gentiles) can be grafted into the set apart family of God; anyone can, by way of submitting to Christ, enjoy the special closeness to the Holy God that Scripture calls holiness.*
The call to purity and holy living isn’t a command of man, it’s the will and want of God.* It is best for us; it is best for our community. To do otherwise may be worshiping something other than God.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to step into holiness. Perhaps today He wants you to be holy as He is holy. Maybe today God wants you to repent for following the ways of the surrounding culture. Perhaps today is the day to view holiness as a privilege.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 124–131). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 161–167). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 187–202). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 329–346). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 80–84). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 117–123). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 263–266). Baker Academic.