Lesson 32 Walking by the Spirit: The Cross Motivates Us To Live Differently
Questions 4 and 5
The will of God for us is not unclear in these verses: God desires our sanctification, which is “abstaining from sexual immorality.”
This word “abstain” can mean “to hold oneself off from” or to restrain from something, in this case, sexual immorality. This word “abstain” is also used in these passages:
1 Thessalonians 5:22 ESV Abstain from every form of evil.
Acts 15:19-20 ESV Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, (20) but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
1 Peter 2:11 ESV Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
And so we should understand the will of God for us: we are to abstain from pornography, refrain from any impurity, hold ourselves off entirely from all passions of the flesh and sexual sins, any illicit relationships, etc.
Next, the Apostle Paul states that we must know how to control our body:
1 Thessalonians 4:4 ESV that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.
Question 4. Within the context of the 1 Thessalonians 4 passage, to what is Paul referring when he says we should know how to “control our own body” in holiness and honor?
The context of this passage is sexual purity, and so when Paul says that we should know how to control our own body, he is referring to our sexuality. We should know how to control our sexual desires and live in holiness and honor.
1 Thessalonians 4:5 ESV not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Question 5. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:5, how does knowing God change our behavior?
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