Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

The Thessalonians were now in Christ. This meant that they were in the culture but not of the culture. There was no greater way to be like Christ than to be pure and holy, particularly in an environment where purity was not a highly valued characteristic.

Our Accountability Before God (4:1-3).

Living a life of sexual purity is pleasing to God (v2). Our daily walk should be pleasing to God first.

Sanctified means “to be set apart”:
· It meant that the believer, in this area of sexuality, was to live differently.
· It meant that for the believer, it should be painfully noticeable that the pattern of their life was not one that was one of lust but holiness.
· The believer is called to have nothing to do with sexuality immorality.

The word for sexual immorality is pornea In Greek it covered all kinds of sexual sin – basically everything outside of sexuality between one man and one woman in a lifelong martial relationship.

Ephesians 5:3 drives the point home even more:

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”

Not even a hint! Why is that? 1 Corinthians 6:13-15 tells us:

“Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!”

For a Change: Are you cultivating your union – your intimacy with Christ? This is critical to your sexual purity. You cannot have sexual purity, while at the same time ignoring your relationship with Christ.

Accountability with Ourselves (1 Thess. 4:4-5)

Paul makes it clear that a major component to sexual purity is how we choose to act – how we are exercising self-control over our bodies.

Because temptations are only temptations because of what is happening inside us…then none of us can blame “him” or “her” or “it” ever again. The only person we can blame for that temptation is the lust of our own hearts.

For a Change: You know you! What are the triggers in your life that typically send you down bad paths? Are you willing to take an action step or two to lessen those triggers, like being a part of Biblical community, being more intentional in your Scripture memory and devotional life?

Accountability with Others (1 Thess. 4:6)

The Scripture is clear – others and our relationship with them play a major part in our purity.

Paul says that a believer cannot “transgress” nor “wrong” his brother in this matter of sexual purity.

· “Transgress” means “to step over the line”.
· “Wrong” is how the ESV translates a Greek word that means “to have more”,“overreach”, “take advantage of”. The KJV translated it “defraud” – it carries the idea of reaching in and taking something not yours, to the detriment of the victim.

God is calling men to be a one-woman man and for women to be a one-man woman.

There have to be guardrails for where I will allow emotions to go, physical touch to go, and spirituality to go:

· I cannot allow myself to enter into an emotionally attached relationship with any other woman, other than my wife.
· I cannot allow myself to have a touchy relationship, or lustful engagement with a woman other than my wife.
· I cannot have a spiritually binding relationships with a woman, other than my wife. These are guardrails I have to live by.

God’s Plan for Sexual Purity:

Accountability before God (1 Thess. 4:1-3)
Accountability with Ourselves (1 Thess. 4:4-5)
Accountability with Others (1 Thess. 4:6)

Biblical purity means all three are present in your life…at the same time.

When you seemingly have accountability with God and with others, but not ourselves, you have created a private world of double-mindedness. You are lacking integrity.

When you seemingly have accountability with God and with you but not others, you have defrauded your brother or sister in Christ. You are living in hypocrisy.

When you seemingly have accountability with you and with others, but not God, you have given everyone the impression it’s all good. You’re a legalist.

In your accountability with God – is your union with Christ a genuine concern in your life? Are you cultivating that union, that intimacy with Christ?

In your accountability with yourself – what are the triggers in your life that lead to impurity that you have been ignoring or excusing?

In your accountability with others – are you a one-woman man…a one-man woman? Emotionally, physically, spiritually?