The Holy Control of God’s People

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles.”

Here, in 1 Thessalonians 4, we have a contrast — Paul proclaiming that God’s will is for the Christian’s growth in holiness. And that what that growth in holiness should look like is dissimilarity from the world. That, especially in matters pertaining to sexuality, we, God’s people, would control our bodies in holiness and honor, not give over the control of our bodies to passions and lusts, like the world.

But why expect such a contrast? After all, are we, as those who are in Christ, really all that different from those who are in the world? I mean, they’ve got bodies, we’ve got bodies. They’ve got passions, we’ve got passions. They’ve live in this world, we live in this world as well. And so given our many areas of overlap, should we, as the church, really expect to be that different?

Yes, we should.

And Paul explains why:

“That each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

Brothers and sisters, we know God. We know his love, and his Son, and the gospel. We have his Spirit, and by him the promise that we are bound for a world far greater than this one.

Cities Church, the will of God is for our sanctification, therefore: May we abstain from sexual immorality; may we control our bodies in holiness and honor, as those who know their God. Let’s pray.

Father, thank you for giving us one of the greatest gifts a human being could ever receive — knowledge of you. Relationship with you. And we ask now that, from that wonderous reality you would cause us to throw off all remaining habits, actions, thoughts that mark the passions and lusts of this world, and prevent our growth in holiness. Make us more like your Son.

And, in line with this prayer, we bring to you, not only these, but all our other sins from this past week as well. We bring these to you now in this moment of silent confession…