THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS

1. THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS

2. APOSTLE PAUL: GOD’S WILL REGARDING SEXUAL CONDUCT. “FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR SANCTIFICATION; THAT IS, THAT YOU ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY.” (4:3) • GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SEPARATED . • GOD WANTS YOU TO ABSTAIN COMPLETELY FROM OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY. • GOD WANTS YOU TO FULFILL HISPURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE. • PAUL’S TEACHING ON SEXUAL MORALITY EXTENDS BEYOND JUST THE PHYSICAL ACT. “BUT IMMORALITY OR ANY IMPURITY OR GREED MUST NOT EVEN BE NAMED AMONG YOU, AS IS PROPER AMONG SAINTS.” (EPH. 5:3)

3. THE COMMAND, THEN, IS FOR TOTAL ABSTINENCE FROM SEXUAL ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE. • THE APOSTLE PAUL COULD WRITE A SIMILAR WARNING TO AMERICA AND TO AMERICAN BELIEVERS!!! • 2012 - AMERICA IS NO LONGER DESCRIBED AS A CHRISTIAN NATION. • SOME 180 YEARS AGO, “THERE IS NO COUNTRY IN THE WHOLE WORLD, IN WHICH THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION RETAINS A GREATER INFLUENCE OVER THE SOUL S OF MEN THAN IN AMERICA; AND THERE CAN BE NO GREATER PROOF OF ITS UTILITY, AND OF ITS CONFORMITY TO HUMAN NATURE, THAN THAT ITS INFLUENCE IS MOST POWERFULLY FELT OVER THE MOST ENLIGHTENED AND FREE NATION OF THE EARTH.” (ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE ‘DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, 1835) UNFORTUNATELY, AMERICA, HAS TURNED AWAY FROM ITS CHRISTIAN ROOTS:

4. 52 OF 55 SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WERE CHRISTIANS! • THESE SAME MEN FORMED THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY! • GEORGE WASHINGTON SAID, “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOVERN THE WORLD WITHOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE! • JOHN QUINCY ADAMS SAID, “. . . . . IT IS THE DUTY AS WELL AS THE PRIVILEGE AND INTEREST OF OUR CHRISTIAN NATION TO SELECT AND PREFER CHRISTIANS FOR THEIR RULERS.” • OF THE FIRST 108 UNIVERSITIES FOUNDED IN AMERICA, 106 WERE DISTINCTLY CHRISTIAN. • IN 1782, CONGRESS RECOMMENDED AND APPROVED THE HOLY BIBLE FOR USE IN ALL SCHOOLS. • IN 1963, THE SUPREME COURT RULED BIBLE READING AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM!

5. IN 1947, THE SUPREME COURT BANISHED THE FOLLOWING PRAYER: ‘ALMIGHTY GOD, WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DEPENDENCE ON THEE. WE BEG THY BLESSINGS UPON US AND OUR PARENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR COUNTRY. AMEN.’ • IN 1963, PRAYER WAS BANNED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. • IN 1965, THE COURTS DENIED THE RIGHTS OF A STUDENT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAFETERIA TO BOW HIS HEAD AND PRAY AUDIBLY FOR HIS FOOD. • IN 1973, ABORTION WAS LEGALIZED. • IN 1980, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE OUTLAWED IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. • ETC., ETC., ETC., ETC., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • FRANCIS SCHAEFFER WROTE THAT THE CHRISTIAN’S BASIC PROBLEM IS THAT HE TENDS TO SEE THINGS IN “BITS AND PIECES INSTEAD OF TOTALS.” WE GRADUALLYBECOME DISTURBED OVER PERMISSIVENESS, PORNOGRAPHY, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY, AND FINALLY ABORTION. WE SEE THEM AS INDIVIDUAL PARTS, BUT NOT AS SYMPTOM OF A MUCH LARGER PROBLEM.

6. SO, IN OUR PRESENT CULTURE, HOW CAN A BELIEVER REMAIN SEXUALLY PURE IF HE IS INCESSANTLY, CONTINUALLY, PERSISTENTLY EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF TEMPTATIONS? “ . . . . USE NOT LIBERTY FOR AN OCCASION TO THE FLESH, BUT BY LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER.” (GAL. 5:13) “ DEARLY BELOVED, I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST YOUR SOUL.” (1 PET. 2:11) “ . . . . SEE THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH A PURE HEART FERVENTLY.” (1 PET. 1:22) “ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL. “ (5:22) “ FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, EVEN YOUR SANCTIFICATION, THAT YE SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM FORNICATION . . . THAT NO MAN GO BEYOND AND DEFRAUD HIS BROTHER . . . FOR GOD HATH NOT CALLED US UNTO UNCLEANNESS, BUT UNTO HOLINESS.” (4:3-7)

7. THE RESULT OF IMPURITY TO OUR CONSCIENCE. • GOD’S WILL IS THAT WE EXPAND THE SCOPE OF OUR MORAL CONSCIENCE SO THAT WE ARE AWARE WHEN WE OFFEND GOD AND OTHERS. CONSCIENCE • WHEN WE ALLOW MORAL IMPURITY TO EXIST IN OUR LIVES, IT SOON BECOMES JUSTIFIED BY OUR MIND AND CONSCIENCE. AT THIS POINT THEN, IT DOESN’T BOTHER OUR CONCIENCE. CONSCIENCE

8. PAUL GIVES THE THESSALONIANS THREE TIMELESS PRINCIPLES: • THE BODY SHOULD NOT CONTROL THE BELIEVER. • THE BELIEVER SHOULD NOT ACT LIKE THE UNBELIEVER. • THE BELIEVER SHOULD NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS.

9. THE BODY SHOULD NOT CONTROL THE BELIEVER. “THAT EACH OF YOU KNOW HOW TO POSSESS HIS OWN VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR.” (4:4) • BELIEVERS MUST MAINTAIN SELF-CONTROL OVER THE DESIRES OF THEIR FLESH. • PAUL EXHORTED THE THESSALONIANS THAT EACH OF THEM HAD TO KNOW HOW TO CONTROL THEIR OWN BODY’S APPETITES. • EVERY CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO KNOW HIMSELF WELL, SO AS TO UNDERSTAND HIS WEAKNESSES AND EVIL PROPENSITIES AND, THEREBY, “GAIN MASTERY OVER” HIS OWN VESSEL (BODY). • “FOR I KNOW THAT IN ME (THAT IS , IN MY FLESH,) DWELLETH NO GOOD THING: FOR TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME; BUT HOW TO PERFORM THAT WHICH IS GOOD I FIND NOT.” (ROM. 7:18)