Why Should A Believer Be Sexually Moral PT-2 (1 Thess. 4:7)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/12/2014 9:28 AM

My Worship Time                                 Focus:  Why Should A Believer Be Sexually Moral PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thessalonians 4:7

            Message of the verses:  Before we begin commentary on verse seven I want to do a quick review on how we got here.  We are following the outline of John MacArthur’s commentary on 1 Thessalonians.  As we began this chapter which covers verses 3-8 of chapter four MacArthur wrote the following as he ends his introductory commentary:  That this general, preventive exhortation to sexual morality began his list of practical instructions in the final two chapters of 1 Thessalonians highlights Paul’s major concern for sexual fidelity in Thessalonica.  With this background in mind, one can examine this passage by asking three questions:  What kind of sexual conduct does God require?  How can a believer be sexually moral?  Why should a believer be sexually moral?”  As you see we are in the last question that is on this list and as we look at this section MacArthur wrote:  “He (Paul) offered three reasons that the Thessalonians and all believers should abstain from sexual immorality:  because of God’s vengeance, because of God’s purpose, and because of God’s Holy Spirit.”  We are looking at the second reason in today’s SD and God willing we will look at the last reason in our next SD.

            As far as after we finish this last section in our next SD my plans are to try and do two SD’s a day, one beginning back in the book of Jeremiah and then one in our study on 1 Thessalonians until I finish verses 9-12 and then I plan on doing just one SD per day until next month when we will look at verses 13-18 of 1 Thessalonians which are the very famous verses that concern the rapture of the church.  When many people look at what the Bible has to say about the rapture or the church they come to verses 13-18 of the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians.  I look forward to looking at those verses in July.

            Because of God’s Purpose (1 Thessalonians 4:7):  “7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”

            MacArthur writes:  “That Christians should strive to be sexually moral is in complete accord with God’s general plan for their lives.  Therefore, a second reason Paul gave for abstaining from sexual immorality was because that command fit God’s purpose for the Thessalonians.  For the third time in this passage, Paul used a form of the word sanctification, which emphasized to them that when God effectually called them to salvation, He also called them to holiness.  A life of impurity was inconsistent with believers’ high calling (Eph. 4:1).”  “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” 

            As we look at when the Lord created the earth He made a man and a woman who shortly after being created sinned against their creator.  God promised to send a Redeemer to take care of the problem of sin.  Years after creating man we see that all mankind was living in sin and so God (can we say started over) with eight people and a boat as He sent the flood to destroy all people with the exception of those in the boat.  After that God called Abram, who He later called Abraham to begin a people that God would use to bring the Messiah into the world.  Jesus came into the world to purchase salvation for all those who would accept the fact that He died in their place.  Believers are called into salvation in order to be saved from their sins and in order to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.  The word for sanctification means holiness as MacArthur explains:  “The phrase in sanctification indicates that the believer’s position of holiness in the direct result of God’s effectual call.  God’s purpose in salvation was to produce a holy people who would walk worthy of the divine call into His kingdom.  The call to salvation is inseparable from the call to holy and pure living.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says:  ‘8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.’  Paul was intent on presenting the church at Thessalonica and the church everywhere as a bride ‘having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing’ (Eph. 5:27), but as one se apart and pure before God.  Therefore sexual sin is utterly inconsistent with God’s present and ultimate purpose for believers.”

            As we look back at the world we see that God has made a plan to save man, to save all those who would call on His name for salvation.  There is a hymn that goes along with this that I wish to quote at this time: 

1.    I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

o    Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

2.    For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

3.    And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

4.    Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

5.    When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

6.    And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.

As we look at the words of “Jesus Paid It All” we see that He has done everything for us, and that now we need to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and we can do this through the power of the Holy Spirit as we feed upon His Word. 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Remember that Jesus paid it all for me and with this in mind live a life that is pleasing to Him, for all to Him I owe.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to guide my steps in what I do today.

Memory verses for the week:  Philippians 2:5-9

5 Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  9 for this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “A prophet of their own” (Titus 1:12).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who was chosen to replace Judas as an apostle?”

Answer in our next SD.

6/12/2014 10:29 AM