1 Thessalonians Ch4v1-8 - Holiness Is Good For You

For us this morning, thanks, Christine.

So the reading is taken from 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

! I don't have a page number if someone has one.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

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.

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.

Thanks, Christine.

Well, let's keep our Bibles there as we continue in our studies of Thessalonians.

Now we're going to pray and see what God has to teach us this morning.

Let's pray.

Father, thank you that you have not left us in the dark,

but you have given us your word that has been written down for us today.

A word that is powerful and able to change and transform.

And so we ask that you would do a work in each one of us,

that we would both become aware of our own hearts

and the sin that needs to be dealt with,

but also that we would experience your grace

and your power to change us.

So do a work amongst us individually and together as a church.

And may it be for our good.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

So how would you feel if someone called you holy?

Is that a prized remark?

For most of us being called holy, it's something negative.

You're such a holy Joe.

Anybody ever say that to you?

Rather than a term to embrace,

we can see it as something to erase.

To be called holy,

well, you're just boring.

You're judgmental.

You're just religious.

Why don't you just go and live in a monastery somewhere?

No one wants to be called holy.

Well, in our text today,

we're going to see that holiness

is actually good for you.

In fact, everyone who says,

I'm a Christian,

should pursue holiness.

Look at verse 1.

As for other matters,

brothers and sisters,

we instructed you how to live

in order to please God

as in fact you are living.

We instructed you how to please God.

So how do we please God with our lives?

Well, if we read on,

it tells us.

Look at verse 3.

It is God's will

that you should be sanctified.

Sanctified simply means holy.

It is God's will

that you should be holy.

Verse 4.

That each of you should learn

to control your own body

in a way that is holy.

Verse 7.

For God did not call us

to be impure,

but to live a holy life.

And the God who called us

to live a holy life,

look at the end of verse 8,

is the very God

who gives you his

Holy Spirit.

You see,

we get ourselves

into such a mess

trying to figure out

what is God's will

for my life?

I mean,

what course should I take

in college?

Or what job should I apply for?

Or who am I going to marry?

Or where am I going to live?

What's God's will for me

come breakfast time?

What cereal am I going to have?

Well, God is much more concerned,

not so much with the jobs,

or even the people we marry.

He's much more concerned

about our character

and our behaviour.

Verse 3.

It is God's will,

it is God's design,

his plan,

his purpose,

holiness,

that we should be

sanctified,

that we should be holy.

This is what God

wants us to pursue.

Holiness

is

good for you.

Now,

before we move on,

it's important for us

that we understand

what

holiness

means.

Holy

simply means

to be set apart

for God.

God is

different,

he's separate,

and we are to be

set apart

for God.

In other words,

you belong to God.

You live

for God.

But there's something else

we need to understand

about holiness.

Holiness

is something

we are

and it's also

something

we become.

Something we are

and something

we become.

And to help us

understand this,

I want us to look

at a verse

in Hebrews.

See what it says

there on the screen?

It's been talking

about the death

of Jesus

and the effect

that Jesus'

death has

on us.

For by one

sacrifice,

he has

made perfect

or he has

made holy

forever,

those who

are being

made holy.

Do you know

your past tense

and your

present tense?

You see,

through the death

of Jesus,

all our

impure,

unholy,

sinful life

is taken

by Jesus

as we trust

in him

and in

its place

we receive

the purity

and the

holiness

of Jesus.

So as I

trust in

Jesus,

I am

made

holy

forever.

I am

declared

holy.

God looks

at me

right now

and he

sees me

as holy.

He treats

me as being

set apart

for him

and that

is unchangeable

and irreversible.

I am

declared

holy.

That cannot

be changed

as I

trust in

Jesus.

But it's

also saying

to us

that not

only are

we made

holy,

we must

now become

what we

are.

So daily

I am

being

made

holy.

I am

becoming

more and

more like

the Lord

Jesus.

Think of

it like

this.

Imagine

that you've

been elected

to be the

next

president

of Ireland.

At your

inauguration,

the position

of presidency

is conferred

upon you.

You can't

take it,

you can't

just decide

for yourself.

It is

something

given to

you.

You are

made

president.

And so

from that

time forward,

everywhere

you go

and all

that you

do,

you will

be

treated

as

president.

And now

that you

are the

president

of Ireland,

you must

start living

as the

president.

So every

ceremony you

go to

and all the

different places

you're called

to,

you become

more

presidential-like

with every

event that

you do.

and so

it is

for the

Christian.

We're

made

holy

and we

are

becoming

holy.

Verse

3,

it is

God's

will,

God's

plan,

God's

design,

that you

should be

sanctified,

that you

should be

holiness.

Pursue

a life

of holiness.

It will

be good

for us.

So what

does it

mean for

us to

live a

holy life?

When we

leave this

building and

we go to

our homes and

as we

enter into

a new

week,

what's it

going to

mean for

us to

be holy?

Well,

it affects

every area

of our

life.

Not

least

is

sexual

holiness.

God is

concerned

with our

sexual

holiness.

Two big

things we're

going to

look at

from this.

First,

sexual

holiness

is

best

for you.

So again,

look at

verse 3,

it's so

key.

It is

God's

will that

you should

be

holy.

Well,

what does

that look

like?

Well,

look at

the rest

of verse

3.

First,

that you

should avoid

sexual

immorality.

And

second,

verse 4,

that each

of you

should

learn to

control

your own

body.

And

then verse

6,

that you

should

do no

wrong or

take

advantage of

your brother

or sister.

You see,

it incorporates

a whole

area of

our life.

So we're

going to

look at

these

each in

turn.

First,

it means

that we

avoid

sexual

immorality.

now hang

on a

minute,

you say.

Who are

you to

tell me

about how

I should

live?

This is

my life,

my body,

so I get

to choose

how I

live,

right?

No.

If you

are a

Christian,

remember,

we have

been made

holy.

So we

are now

set apart

for God.

We belong

to God.

So we

become

what we

are.

Now I

know people

think that

Christians

think that

sex is

bad.

It's not

bad.

It is a

beautiful gift

from God

for our

good and

for our

pleasure.

However,

there's

boundaries

for our

life.

Sex is

only good

and right

in the

context of

a faithful

and

exclusive

marriage

between

one man

and one

woman.

Sex in

any other

context is

to be

avoided.

In other

words,

it's not

going to

be good

for you.

We

should,

verse

three,

avoid

sexual

immorality.

So

sleeping

with someone

before you're

married is

wrong.

So too

is sleeping

with someone

who isn't

your husband

or wife.

If you're

married,

that's

wrong.

But it's

much more

than that.

It's also

the programs

and the

films we

watch on

TV.

It's the

images

that we

scroll through

on Instagram.

It's the

porn

that we

watch in

the secrecy

of our

bedroom.

we are

to avoid

it.

Literally,

it means

make a

clean

break from

it.

Remove

the access

that we

have to

the things

that trip

us up.

Block

the content

that we

watch.

Stay away

from the

places that

cause our

eyes to

wander and

our minds

to

fantasize.

Be

holy.

It's

good for

you.

And that

means avoiding

sexual

immorality.

but it

also means

control

your own

body.

Verse 4.

It's

God's

will that

you should

be holy.

Verse 4.

That each

of you

should learn

to control

your own

body in

a way

that is

holy

and

honourable.

Now,

we've got

to take

responsibility

for the

choices and

decisions we

make.

Rather than

feed our

sexual desires,

we're to

control our

desires.

We're not

to be ruled

by or

mastered by

our sexual

appetites.

Now,

in our

culture,

if we're

to say

that in

public,

people will

say,

you're

backward.

You're

repressive.

The message

in our

culture is

my body,

my life,

my choice.

If it

feels good,

if it

makes you

happy,

if it

satisfies

your desires,

then go

for it.

There's no

boundaries.

Do what

you like.

Oh,

there's just

one thing.

Just make

sure everyone

is cool

about it.

As the TV

advert keeps

telling us,

have the

consent

conversation.

no.

As

Christians,

we don't

follow the

standard of

the world.

We don't

follow the

TV adverts.

Look what it

says in

verse 4,

that we

should learn

to control

our own

body in

a way that

is holy

and honorable,

not in

passionate lust

like the

pagans who

do not

know God.

In other

words,

we don't

just take

our cues

and our

standards

from the

world.

We know

God.

We've been

set apart

for God.

We belong

to God.

So we

don't follow

the culture.

We don't

do what

society says

or how

they describe

what is

right.

No,

we follow

God's

word because

God is

the creator

and the

designer of

the universe

and he

knows what

is best

and right

for us.

So be

holy.

control

your body

and what

you do

with it.

But there's

another one.

Verse

three,

it's God's

will that

you should

be holy.

Verse

six,

and that

in this

matter no

one should

wrong or

take advantage

of a

brother or

sister.

You see,

the argument

goes like

this,

that what

I do

with my

life and

my body

is private.

It's none

of your

business.

As long

as my

choices and

my decisions

don't affect

anybody else,

it's okay.

But the

point here

of verse

six is

my actions

and my

choices

are never

ever

private.

I can

never say,

oh,

it's just

my life.

Think

about it.

An

affair

hurts

your

spouse

and your

family

and your

wider

circle of

friends.

Watching

porn

is not

just me

and an

image on

screen.

It hurts

real people

who are

exploited,

abused,

and very

often

enslaved

for my

satisfaction.

Having

sex with

multiple

partners is

not just

my choice

and my

decision,

it's actually

robbing their

future spouse

of what only

belongs to

them.

you see,

sexual

immorality,

the choices

and the

decisions we

make,

are never

ever

private.

It's never

just about

me.

It has a

far wide

reaching long

term effect

on multiple

people.

It wrecks

and breaks

wider

relationships.

Be

holy.

this is

God's

will for

you.

Don't

wrong

your

brother

or

sister.

Now,

sexual

immorality

is not

only

affecting

me,

it not

only hurts

others,

it also

has a

profound

effect on

our

relationship

with God.

Do you

see at

the end

of verse

six?

The

Lord

will

punish

all

those

who

commit

such

sins

as we

told you

and warned

you

before.

You see,

our actions

with other

people,

whether in

person or

online,

are not

just objects

for pleasure.

People,

like us,

you and

me,

are God's

special

creation.

We've been

made in

God's image,

loved and

treasured

by him.

Likewise,

sex is not

just a

commodity

to satisfy

my wants

and desires.

Sex is a

beautiful gift

from God

for our

good.

So if we

go about

mistreating

God's

people,

the people

he designed

and he

created,

and if we

misuse

the good

gifts that

God's

give to

us,

the gift

of sex,

well,

it is

serious.

God takes

it very

seriously.

Verse 6,

the Lord

will punish

those who

commit such

sins.

But,

Johnny,

I thought

you keep

telling us

that God

forgives us.

Well,

good news.

God does

forgive us,

and we're going

to see a little

bit more of

that in a

minute.

But the

problem is

not with

confessed

sin.

Verse 6

here is

talking about

unrepentant

sin.

It's the

person who

doesn't deal

with sexual

immorality

and can't

be bothered

with pursuing

holiness.

This is a

serious matter.

You see,

the sign

that I am

set apart

for God,

the evidence

that we

belong to

God is

that we

strive to

become

holy.

I've been

made holy,

and I

am becoming

holy.

So,

first,

sexual

holiness is

best for

you.

It really

is.

second,

sexual

holiness is

possible

for you.

Well,

I'm not

so sure.

I don't

think I

agree with

you.

I mean,

it is just

so difficult

to avoid.

All those

images and

all those

pictures,

they just

keep bombarding

me.

I try so

hard,

but I

can't seem

to break

it or

stop it.

this holy

living stuff

just seems

impossible.

Well,

I hear you,

and I'm

with you.

None of

us here

is perfect.

Every one

of us has

failed and

are flawed

in our

sexuality.

But in

the midst

of our

brokenness,

there is

good news.

God wants

us to

know that

sexual holiness

is possible.

And we're

going to

look at

two ways

in which

we can

see we

can do

this.

Here's

the first

one.

Remember

our union

with

Jesus.

Go back

to verse

one.

He

tells us

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.

His

motivation

is to

remind us

that we

are in

the Lord

Jesus.

God

and

it reminds

us that

when we

believe the

gospel,

that when

we trust

in Jesus,

we are

united to

Jesus.

And I

know this

is very

simple,

but if this

hand here

of mine

is Jesus

and this

is me,

when I

trust him,

I am

in him.

So where

he goes,

I go.

My life

is united

to him.

His life

is my

life.

one writer

put it

like this,

we are

one with

Jesus,

members of

him.

It's not

just our

souls that

are connected

to Jesus,

but our

very bodies

are too.

Our bodies

are members

of Jesus,

inseparably

part of

who he

is.

Now that

means Jesus

is always

with me.

he never

leaves me,

he never

forsakes

me,

and he's

with me

even when

I sin,

and he

won't leave

me when

I sin.

Now that's

a wonderful

comfort to

know that

when I

fail and

fall,

he doesn't

run away

from me,

he doesn't

abandon

me,

he's there

when I

confess

to forgive

me.

But

united to

Jesus

also means

he is

with me

when I

sin.

In other

words,

Jesus is

so united

to us,

and we

are so

united to

Jesus,

that when

we sin,

when I

fail and

fall,

I am

involving

Jesus

in that

sin too.

In the

letter to

the

Corinthian

church,

Paul

addresses

the

same

issue.

And he's

addressing an

issue there,

particularly

amongst the

men in

the church

who are

sleeping with

and using

prostitutes.

And he

wanted to

address the

issue.

And here's

what he

said.

Do you

not know

that your

bodies are

members of

Christ

himself?

Shall I

then take

the members

of Christ

and unite

them with

a prostitute?

Never.

Isn't it

shocking

what he's

saying?

He's

saying that

if you

are a

Christian

and you

had sex

with a

prostitute,

you are

also uniting

Jesus with

that prostitute.

That's the

depth of

our unity

with Christ.

You see,

we can never

view our

sin as

private and

separate.

We are

united to

him.

Again,

a writer

put it

starkly like

this.

He says,

it means

we can't

spiritually

unhitch

ourselves

from Jesus

to go

off and

sin and

then come

back to

reattach

ourselves.

We can't

say, oh

Jesus, you

just stay

here for a

little minute.

I'm going

off here and

I'm going to

do what I

want to do.

My life, my

choice, my

body, don't

tell me what

to do and

then I'll

come back to

Jesus again.

No, where

I go, he

goes.

Where I

am, he

is.

You see,

Jesus is

with you and

will never

abandon you

when you

sin.

Good news.

But he is

also there

with us

when we

sin.

When we

watch things

on our

phones.

When we

let our

hearts dwell

on things

we shouldn't.

What we

do with

our spouse

or partner.

We are

involving

Jesus.

So

remembering

our union

with Jesus

will cause

us to

remember his

glory, his

goodness and

beauty so

that we

avoid sexual

immorality.

So first

we remember

our union

with Jesus.

Second,

we remember

our source

of help.

Look at

verse 8.

Therefore,

anyone who

rejects this

instruction

does not

reject a

human being

but God,

the very

God who

gives you

his Holy

Spirit.

It's good

news.

He hasn't

left us

alone to

live this

life.

He's given

to us his

Holy Spirit.

It's

extraordinary

that the

God who is

both pure

and powerful

lives in

us by

his Spirit.

He's taken

up residence

in our

life.

Again, from

the same

passage in

Corinthians,

Paul put it

like this,

do you

do you

not know

that your

bodies are

temples of

the Holy

Spirit?

Who is in

you?

Whom you've

received from

God?

You are not

your own.

You were

bought at a

price through

the death of

Jesus.

Therefore,

honour God

with your

bodies.

So the

Holy Spirit,

God himself,

is living in

you if you're a

Christian.

But he's not

just a

lodger.

We're not

just giving

him permission

to stay.

He's a

transformer.

He's not

just sitting

down in

our life,

as it were,

having a

cup of

tea.

No,

he's busy,

he's working,

and his

goal within

us is to

help us

to pursue

holiness.

Now,

his help

comes to

us in

two ways.

This isn't

on the

screen,

but if

you're

taking

notes,

here you

are.

This help

comes to

us in

two ways.

First,

the Spirit

shows us

the beauty

of Jesus.

He shows

us the

beauty of

Jesus.

As we

read God's

word,

the Spirit

of God

helps us

to see how

beautiful

and good

and bright

Jesus is.

You see,

gratifying

sex will

never

satisfy

us,

it will

never

fulfill

us,

it will

leave us

empty,

the pleasure

is always

temporary.

But in

Jesus we

have one

who is

altogether

pure,

altogether

better,

one who

is beautiful,

one who

is good,

one who

does

satisfy,

one who

is truly

pleasing.

C.S.

Lewis,

the author

put it

like this,

it's a

well-known

quote,

I'll read

it to

you.

He says,

we are

half-hearted

creatures,

fooling

about with

sex,

when infinite

joy is

offered us.

We're like

an ignorant

child who

wants to

go on

making mud

pies in

a slum

because we

cannot imagine

what is

meant by

the offer

of a

holiday

at the

sea.

We're

just too

easily

pleased.

Look at

the beauty

of Jesus

who comes

to us

to forgive

and give

grace and

mercy,

one who

is altogether

better.

First,

the Spirit

shows us

the beauty

of Jesus.

Second,

the Spirit

gives us

the power

of Jesus.

You see,

we need

the Spirit's

help.

And as

we ask

him,

he gives

us the

power to

say no

to what

is impure

and yes

to what

is holy.

We come

in humility,

we come

weak,

we put

our hands

before him

and say,

I am

broken,

I am

lost,

fill me

with the

power of

your Spirit

to strengthen

me so

that I

can live

the life

that will

please you.

He will

provide what

we need

in the

fight

and he

will forgive

when we

fail.

He will

provide what

we need

in the

fight

and he

will also

forgive

when we

fail.

Verse

3,

it is

God's

will

that you

should be

holy.

Pursue

holiness.

It is

good for

you and

it's not

just good

for you,

it's

possible.

Through

God,

by the

power of

his

Spirit,

who

enables

us to

see the

beauty of

Jesus

and gives

us the

power of

Jesus.

Let's

just take

a moment

where we

are seated

in the

quietness

just to

reflect

and ask

God right

now to

do a

work in

our

life

that

will

holiness and turn from what is wrong.

As we began our time together this morning,

we said that God's word would make us aware of our sin,

but also that we would experience his grace.

Father, we confess where we have fallen and failed,

where we have acted in purity,

and we ask for your forgiveness

and ask for the help of your Holy Spirit

that you would continue to show us the beauty

and the greatness of Jesus,

and that you would give us the power that we need

to live the life that you have called us to.

Thank you that you do not fail us,

but you are good.

So help us now this week

to pursue holiness,

because it's good for us,

and it will reflect your glory.

In Jesus' name, amen.