1 Thessalonians 4: 3 It is God’s
will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual
immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control
your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the
pagans, who do not know God; 6 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. 7 For God did not call us to
be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who
rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God
who gives you his Holy Spirit.
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Stumbling onto a
magazine filled with nudity, something inside me caught fire. “This is great!”
I thought to myself. I told a friend what I saw and he got excited! His parents
had a subscription channel, way back in the day, that sent a somewhat scrambled
signal, but you could still make out the distorted images. It was “R” rated and
we celebrated the brief moments of nudity.
- I did not want to control myself.
- Something inside me wanted to see the real thing.
- When I saw the real thing, I wanted to see and do more and more.
Paul, Silas and
Timothy gave some difficult news to a group of people who may have been exposed
to sex in ways that were not pleasing to the LORD. They do not condemn the
people, rather urge the to “learn to control” themselves. This control would
help in GOD’s calling.
My Observations
- GOD’s calling on my life includes self-control.
- The LORD is the one who sees what I do in secret.
- GOD gave me the HOLY SPIRIT to live inside me and wants me to feed HIM with things that are pleasing to HIM.
Self-control is a
learned skill. I mean, when I really, really like something that is not good
for me, I need specific ways to reduce or avoid that thing. Whether it be food,
drugs or sex, addictions can be difficult to stop. BUT GOD provides help.
HE does not want me
to fail, rather HE provides ways to help me live a life that is pure and holy
for HIM. HE guides me away from harmful things that cause insatiable desires
and focuses my attention on HIM. I am glad GOD is the one who provides a way.
Challenge
- What is the will of GOD the writers spoke of?
- Have you ever gotten into a crowd that said “It is okay” to do what you are doing, yet something inside you says it is not?
- Will you ask GOD for self-control so HE can guide you to live a life that is pleasing and purposeful from HIM today?
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