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I think you would agree that our society is literally drowning in a sea of sexual iniquity. It is everywhere, in our literature, in our television programs, in our films and even in our computers. And it seems to be highly approved and millions of Americans are enjoying it. Sexual sins today are tolerated in any form, by any one, with anyone else, any time and any place and advocated through every means available. People who are pure and honest and faithful to their spouses are the oddity today. It is apparent that the sexual revolution which began in 1960's has led us to a place where there are no absolutes, no standards, and no rules for sexual behavior. In some ways Hugh Hefner is the guru who started it all with his lifestyle of sophisticated iniquitous playboy mentality.
Early in his career he said this, "Sex is a function of the body, a drive which man shares with animals like eating, drinking and sleeping. It is a physical demand that must be satisfied. If you don't satisfy it you will have all sorts of neurosis and repression psychosis. Sex is here to stay so let's forget about the prudery that makes us hide from it, throw away those inhibitions, find a girl who is like minded and let yourself go." I think he really authored the underlying philosophy of our day. But he didn't invent it, he just reinvented it. The Greek world in Paul's day also experienced a sexual revolution. In fact the Greek language catalogs all kinds of sexual deviant sins.
Let me give you some examples: There is the word 'porneo' which means a purchasable one, a whore, or a harlot. There is the word 'pornuo' which means to make a living by prostitution. There is another word which mean sex slave, sometimes called a concubine. Sex slaves were desirable in marriages for the gratification of both the males and female's physical gratification. Then there was the word 'moichos' used for an adulterer. Someone engaged in sexual activity with a person who is not their spouse. There is another word for mistress. That was someone that was a friend for conversation and intercourse. There was a word for a homosexual, which was a man with a man committing a coital act. And another term was 'molakos' for an effeminate man used to speak of a passive partner in a homosexual affair. You could add to those terms temple prostitution where you would go to a temple and commune with a god by having a sexual relationship a heterosexual or homosexual partner. All those words reflect what was happening in the culture that Paul was writing to and that is what is happening in the culture we live in today.
So Paul gives this passionate plea to believers in I Thessalonians 4:1-8 and to maintain purity in the sexual areas of our lives. He says in v.1, "I request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus". What is he exhorting us to do? What is his request? Abstain from sexual immorality (v.3).
Why is that such a severe problem? Because desire is strong, temptation is compelling, because or the experiences you had in a former life and because our society is corrupt. As we look at the text three questions will be presented. First, what is the command? To be sanctified. Sanctification is the process of being Holy, to be separated. To stay away from sexual sin. How far away? Far enough away to be holy in thought and deed.
The question is not how far can I go and get away with it but how can I be separate from it. God gave us physical love and physical fulfillment as a gift. What you do in a marriage bed is a gift from God to you. The marriage bed is undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Question 2 is how do I abstain and maintain sanctification? Paul gives us some principles: Don't let your body control you (v.4).
Gain mastery over it. Have enough knowledge about yourself so that you are skilled in gaining mastery over your own vessel. You know yourself. You know where to go and with whom. Don't expose yourself to what you cannot handle. Self-control is critical. Recognize that everything about me spiritually and physically belongs to God. I am not my own, I have been bought with a price. Understand the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. The Spirit will give you the power to do what otherwise you could not do but in order to do that you must allow the word of Christ to dwell in you richly.
There is no way you can fulfill the command of sanctification unless you exercise control over your body. Can't respond to every whim of the flesh no matter what environment you are in. To gain control you must change your thinking, to realize you are not your own but God's. To think like that you must fill your mind with the truth of the word of God so that controls your thinking and when you do that it literally frees the Spirit of God to empower you to have mastery over your body. Now let me add this. It helps if you avoid those kinds of people, those kinds of places, those kinds of experiences which can accumulate in sexual sin. Don't feed your body that kind of stuff. The question is never what can I do and get away with it, or what can I do and not go all the way, how far can I go without getting burnt. The question is how can I separate myself so I can keep this vessel under control? A main principle is don't let your body control you. Also, Don't act like pagans (v.5). You're different. Those things that belong to the unregenerate shouldn't be controlling your life.
The word passionate means an excited emotion, a driving behavior, an overwhelming, compelling feeling. Passion that has taken control. An out of control craving. Don't follow those physical desires and uncontrollable passions that pagans engage in. We expect pagans to sink. We expect them to act like people on the Jerry Springer show. We're not shocked. Unsaved people don't have any capacity to stop the slide. Yes some may restrain themselves but they will always be driven by their bodily desires. We are a new creation, we're not like them. In addition, don't take advantage of others (v.6). To take advantage means to cross the line, to exceed the limits. What line, what limits? The ones God set. An athlete would say don't go out of bounds. Don't go where you are forbidden to go. To wrong or defraud means to take advantage of someone else for your personal gain or personal fulfillment. He is talking about sexual sin in this context so he means don't take advantage of someone else for your own sexual fulfillment. In the O.T. when a married person had an affair with another married person it was like taking their sheep. It was considered stealing for sexual gratification.
So don't let your body control you, don't act like pagans, and don't take advantage of someone. Question #1 was what is the command; question #2 was how do I maintain sanctification. Question #3 is why should I obey this? Three reasons: number 1 is because of God's vengeance (v.6). How will God punish us? There may be a number of ways. It could be a devastated marriage where physical intimacy and trust are destroyed; could be a temporal chastening by disease or negative circumstances; could be the absence of blessings; could even be death. He doesn't tell us the specifics because God has immense latitude in retaliating against those who defile his law and remember he is talking to believers here and God has every right to act in holy vengeance. Reason #2 is because of God's purpose v.7. The very nature of God's calling is that He called us out of sin into righteousness. Consequently, v.8, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Understand, if you despise this command, you don't have an argument with a human teacher, or a religious system, but with God. What is the command? Purity. Sex was designed for a man and woman in a marriage. Don't behave driven by lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God. Don't defraud one another. Don't plunder, rob, or rape someone for your own fulfillment. Why should I obey this command? Because the Lord is the avenger.
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The Rev. Dr. James Barnes is currently the pastor of White Memorial Church in Milroy.