For us this morning, thanks, Christine.
So the reading is taken from 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
! I don't have a page number if someone has one.
1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
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.
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
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.