Holiness

Introduction

For its day, Thessalonica was a modern, fast-paced place. If we could go back almost 2000 years, we would see people on the street conducting business, buying and selling. We would hear different dialects as individuals from different parts of the world would make their way to this crossroads. We would see a lot of places for gods. Some would be majestic; others would be minor in comparison. No less than 25 different gods were worshiped in this city. And it was in these places of worship that contacts were made for social and business engagements.

What might not be obvious to us is the perspective of individuals. Part of the custom of the day especially among the wealthy was that a husband valued his wife as the one who would empower his ascent into the business world. She would give him children that would carry on his name and legacy. But the well known secret of the ancient world is that men engaged in sexual activity with other women. There was great tolerance for sexual misconduct. A man may have a mistress; he may go to certain temples and have sex with a temple priestess; he may have several sexual encounters with other women what today we might call “one night stands.” This activity was known but discretion dictated that the man didn’t make such things public.

Demosthenes who lived in the 4th century B.C. in his praise of wives wrote: “Mistresses we keep for our pleasure, concubines for our day-to-day physical well-being, and wives in order to bear us legitimate children and to serve as trustworthy guardians over our households.” Plutarch, a philosopher who lived in the 1st century, advised prospective brides that it was better to close their eyes to the philandering activities of their husbands than to complain and so jeopardize good relations with them. One more piece of evidence. Not all places of worship were temples. Mostly there were meeting halls for worshipers of a certain god. There were meeting halls dedicated to Dionysius, Cabrius, Egyptian gods Osiris, Isis, and others. These meeting halls had symbols or ways to advertise. Dionysius and Cabrius the symbol was the male sex organ illustrating that sexual activity was part of the worship of these gods.

It is in this historical context that our text is written. Paul is thankful for the faith of these new believers but Timothy’s report has also highlighted some areas that need further instruction. This seems to be one of those areas. Paul doesn’t mention the worship of other gods and that leads us to believe that part of life had stopped for these new believers but the secret liaisons continued and further instructions are needed. Sexual sin tempts many and the result is that it leads many away from what God intends.

God’s Will

Paul commends his readers for living for God. This they need to do more. But there are matters that need further explanation and instruction. The first area is holiness. Paul begins in verse 3 writing that this is God’s will for them and for us. Holiness can have multiple meanings. In this case, the idea is separation. God’s will is that there be a clear separation from the world. Specifically, this separation is going to be seen in sexual purity. One of the distinctive traits of those who follow God is sexual purity. Paul uses a term that encompasses the broadest meaning.

Any form of sexual conduct that violates God’s commands is included in this definition. To augment his point, Paul says in verse 4 that we need control our body. Paul does not use the typical Greek word for “body” but a word that translates “vessel.” Within the historical context, Paul is telling us we need to control themselves.

Paul gives three reasons why we are to control ourselves. First, there is to be a clear distinction between God’s followers and those who are not God’s followers. Sexual activity outside of marriage violates the will of God. Our culture is very tolerant of sexual sin. We have learned that sex sells and so sexual images and innuendoes are used to sell a product. But it isn’t advertising alone.

Our culture lies about sexual sin. Pornography is victimless. A lie. Who does it hurt? It damages the image of God in each person. The man objectifies the woman and the woman finds it difficult to develop a relationship with a man that isn’t based upon a sexual image. We have no filter against images.

Our culture says that sex is natural. In other words, our culture says that sexual activity is as natural as breathing and asking anyone not to engage in sex is outdated and prudish. This is a lie. This reduces sex to merely biological and sex is spiritual. It is the one of the ways that we demonstrate the intended union of Christ and the church.

Paul says there is to be a clear distinction between those who follow God and those who do not. Men we need to make sure that we provide safety for women, both those that follow God and those who do not. Ladies be pure in the way you deal with men both those who follow God and those who do not. Sexual sin is about filling a void. Men want to fill the void of respect and admiration and they try to do that through sexual means. Women want to fill the void of loneliness and isolation and they try to do that through sexual means. This is the way of the world and must not be the means used by God’s followers.

Second, we control ourselves because failure to do so hurts others. Paul writes in verse 6 that sexual immorality wrongs or takes advantage of another. We look at sexual activity as personal and it is but it also involves another. When we engage in sexual activity outside of the will of God then that activity harms another. We are using another person for that which only belongs to a husband or wife. We are using another person so that they cannot see God. We are using another person so that we create memories that only belong to a spouse. We take advantage of another person. We have approached that person selfishly without regard to what is best for them. We haven’t loved that person we have loved what that person can do for us.

Third, God will punish those who engage in sexual sin. This is not a popular stance to take. Paul says that he had already warned them about what would happen and so it appears that he is now restating what he had told them previously. God will punish those who misuse, abuse, and engage in sexual immorality. There is no pleasure in speaking about the wrath of God. It is said as a warning. Paul is writing to people who he has already commended for their faith. Paul has already praised them for their walk with God. Paul has called them his pride and joy. Make no mistake, Paul is not condemning his readers. He is, however, firm in his statement. God’s will is for holiness—separation from this world. Stop the sexual immorality. Remain close to God.

God’s Promise

The last two verses restate the initial statement and then provide a promise. The restatement is found in verse 7. God’s call to us is to lead a life of purity and holiness. His call was not to leave us in sin but to bring us out of that sin so that our lives could be a fuller reflection of him.

Verse 8 is the promise. Paul writes that rejecting his teaching is to reject God. This isn’t Paul’s opinion; it is God’s instruction. It applied then and it applies now. But here is the beauty of verse 8. To reject God is to reject God’s Spirit. In other words, the power to leave behind sexual sin comes from God. When we agree with God that we need to leave sexual sin behind, the power to do so comes God. To reject this teaching is to reject God who is the one who gives you his Spirit who is holy. Or to put it another way, God is the one who gives you his Spirit who is characterized by holiness.

It is God who gives you the power to say no to sexual sin. You must work with God. You must have the mind to leave it. But the power to say no comes from God through his Spirit who is by nature holy. Holiness is from God. Holiness is one of God’s great character traits. God’s will is for you to be holy and he is so determined for you to be holy that to each one who comes to him in faith and expresses that faith in baptism, God gives his Spirit whose nature is holy.

Sexual sin can take over your life. It is difficult to leave behind that which is pleasurable. But God’s will for you is to be holy; to be separate from this world; to demonstrate him in the purity of your life sexually. Not to use another for your own pleasure but to be a place of safety as we try to help them see God. Invitation.

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