Paul's Exhortations to the Thessalonian Church Volume 22

Paul's Exhortation to the Church @ Thessalonica for Purity/Chastity Part 3

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit. KJV

Paul concludes his exaltation, exhortation, and encouragement of abstinence from fornication by these Thessalonian believers then and we believers today and of every generation and era by reminding them and us this reality, rule, and right of God the Father concerning every son and daughter He adopts as His own, "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." (1 Thessalonians 4:7) (KJV). The little English phrase 'hath not' is translated by one little Greek word ou which is a primary word; the absolutely negative adverb; no or not: - never, or cannot. In other words, this creation that includes all of the stars, planets, solar systems, galaxies that are out there and even God the Father's greatest creation 'man' are all subject to Him and must abide by His precepts. Therefore, since He has forgiven us eternally through the sacrificial death, buriel, and resurrection of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, then He gets to declare to us what His desires for us are and are not, for it is for our good that He desires us to refrain from fornication because it only brings harm to us.

The temporary sexual gratification does not override the long term destruction that breaking these spiritual laws of God bring to a person, just ask any man or woman who contracted HIV through having sex outside of marriage, surely they would agree now with our Heavenly Father, for this is why the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian believers these words in order to prevent such scenarios like this from occurring, "But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]." (1 Corinthians 7:9) (Amplified Bible). The English word 'uncleanness' is translated by the Greek word akatharsia meaning impurity (the quality), physically or morally: - uncleanness. The English word 'holiness' is translated by the Greek word hagiasmos meaning properly purification, that is, (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier: - holiness, sanctification.

In other words, God the Father through God the Son (Christ) and by God the Holy Spirit has called us out of the realm of the darkness of fornicating with many women for only the purpose of gratifying our sexual lust and appetites into His marvelous light of faithfulness in pleasing one wife sexually every day gratifying our sexual desires and her sexual desires in the boundary that our Heavenly Father sets up for our good and wholeness, for in being  sexually faithful to your one wife, you completely eliminate the possibility of the contraction of any of the many sexually transmitted diseases that are in this world. This is our Heavenly Father's surpreme love for His adopted sons and daughters that motivates these exhortations from Paul to these believers in Thessalonica and to us today as we also we remember these words Paul wrote to the Colossian believers, "So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed {and} covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God)." (Colossians 3:5) (Amplified Bible).

Paul now declares to these believers in Thessalonica that he is not speaking by his own authority or for his own agenda or for his personal appeasement, but instead he declares this to them, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 4:8) (Amplified Bible). The long English phrase 'He therefore that despiseth' that begins this verse is translated by one Greek word atheteo meaning to set aside, that is, (by implication) to disesteem, neutralize or violate: - cast off, despise, disannul, frustrate, bring to nought, reject. In other words, Paul says you are not despising my desires or precepts or commands, you are not violating my will for your sexual behavior, you are not rejecting my rule over you, but you are despising, you are violating, and you are rejecting God the Father who has forgiven you of your sins, who has adopted you into His Eternal Heavenly Family as sons and daughters and most important who has sealed you/us as His own by giving to you/us His Spirit to cry out to Him Abba Father and just like every son and daughter want to please their earthly father in all that they do in their lives, how much more should you/we want to please our Heavenly Father more so.

We recall Paul saying these words to the believers in Rome, "For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory." (Romans 8:13-17) (Amplified Bible).

"He is the creator of male and female, and the institutor of marriage, and He has called men and women to this state; but the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness, not uncleanness. And they who use the marriage state as He directs, will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection." Adam Clarke

"Margin, 'rejecteth.' That is, he who disregards such commands as these which call him to a holy life, is really rejecting and disobeying God. Some might be disposed to say that these were merely the precepts of man, and that therefore it was not important whether they were obeyed or not. The Apostle assures them in the most solemn manner, that, though communicated to them by man, yet they were really the commands of God." Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…