Sober Subject
“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not men but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.“ 1 Thessalonians 4: 7 – 8
This key section on “abstaining from sexual immorality“ contains a language selection by the Holy Spirit that says this is a “solemn warning“. It appears that for the Christian, sexual immorality is a particular sin that involves a particular response from God. The text calls it an “avenging“ done by God Himself. It seems that sexual immorality in the life of the Christian is a sin at a particularly serious level in God’s eyes. Perhaps this is because elsewhere the Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is in a sense striking at the design of God for faithfulness in marriage, as an expression of His faithfulness to us. It may also be serious in the eyes of God because of the deep damage that immorality causes to anyone who is involved in it. God, out of a heart of love, wants to protect us from such damage. Therefore, God acts with particular discipline in the lives of those who are involved in immorality and yet claim to belong to Him. A sobering text, with a sobering possibility.
Lord, you know that I live in a society that’s “sex crazy“. Every day I feel my Christian standards worn down by the world, and I fight against the temptation in my own flesh. Help me to know that by Your power, I can stand in purity today. And help me to know how much it matters to You. In the name of Jesus, who stood against all sin with victory. Amen.
This key section on “abstaining from sexual immorality“ contains a language selection by the Holy Spirit that says this is a “solemn warning“. It appears that for the Christian, sexual immorality is a particular sin that involves a particular response from God. The text calls it an “avenging“ done by God Himself. It seems that sexual immorality in the life of the Christian is a sin at a particularly serious level in God’s eyes. Perhaps this is because elsewhere the Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is in a sense striking at the design of God for faithfulness in marriage, as an expression of His faithfulness to us. It may also be serious in the eyes of God because of the deep damage that immorality causes to anyone who is involved in it. God, out of a heart of love, wants to protect us from such damage. Therefore, God acts with particular discipline in the lives of those who are involved in immorality and yet claim to belong to Him. A sobering text, with a sobering possibility.
Lord, you know that I live in a society that’s “sex crazy“. Every day I feel my Christian standards worn down by the world, and I fight against the temptation in my own flesh. Help me to know that by Your power, I can stand in purity today. And help me to know how much it matters to You. In the name of Jesus, who stood against all sin with victory. Amen.
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