...faithful living...

“1 Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Today’s passage is pretty easy to understand but not always easy to follow. Paul is appealing to followers of Christ to move away from fornication and other sexual sins, and instead to live remembering that God has defined for all of us to live holy lives, sanctified lives. Faithful living has no asterisks, no aspects of faithful living we can carve out as exceptions because of extenuating circumstances. We cannot live sinful lives appealing to “youthful indiscretions” or any of the other infinite exceptions or “asterisks” or exceptions in our lives. Exploiting others is completely wrong — on all levels. 

Verse 7 says it all, and so clearly: “7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.”

Take time today and in your daily prayer ask the Lord for faithful living, and when you sin, run back to Him for mercy and for the Holy Spirit to empower you to live faithfully.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy win me a sinner.