07 March - Right Passion
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
People need encouragement to live rightly, even Christians! However, as Christians we look heavenward for divine help (James 1:5). We need the Lord to show us how we must walk to please him (1 Thessalonians 4:1). How should one walk in holiness? By remembering God’s call to sanctification (v.3a). Here in vv.3-8, Paul begins with the most basic of the meaning of human existence, sexual passion. Paul understood the prevailing culture and philosophy of the Graeco-Roman world. The very Gentile Christians he was addressing came out of that milieu. Under pressure, one can easily backslide.
First, Paul reminded them it was God’s will they should be sanctified – since it was God’s initiative (divine sovereignty).
Second, Paul reminded them that within God’s positive will, they must make a ‘clean cut’ from sexual immorality (porneia) (human responsibility).
Third, Paul laid down two important but practical principles to guide the Thessalonian Christians in their sexual behaviour namely, sex has a God-given context – heterosexual marriage (v.4a) and sex must operate in the manner of holiness and honour (v.4b).
Verse 4a sounds strange but its accepted meaning is ‘to take a wife’. Thus, the first practical principle is that heterosexual and monogamous marriage is the only context in which God intends sexual intercourse to be experienced and enjoyed. By implication, sex in other contexts is wrong, whether before marriage (fornication) or outside marriage (adultery) or in a homosexual relationship.
The second principle explains the manner in which sex within marriage is to be conducted – not with ‘lustful desires like the Gentiles who don’t know God’ (v.5). These pagan ‘lustful desires’ have to do with crossing a forbidden boundary and coveting and possessing something forbidden. Whatever Paul is getting at must be something totally contrary to treating our spouses with “sanctification and honour”. Hollywood movies provide us a glimpse into abhorrent sexual perversions such as sadomasochism, domination, strangulation and snuff. Be warned, such dishonourable sexual practices can only invite God’s wrath (v.6b). The Gentile pagans indulge in perverse sexual practices because they don’t know God. How much more we who know God, who has called us to be sanctified for him! How can we rebel against God who has given us his Holy Spirit as a seal of ownership? (v.8).
PONDER
Marriage is God’s idea and a wonderful gift to be honoured and cherished.
PROMISE
For those of us who are married, we must keep faith with God by keeping the marriage bed with sanctification and honour. (See Hebrews 13:4)
PRAYER
Pray especially for couples contemplating marriage or soon to be married to understand and commit to the Apostle Paul’s encouragement on biblical sexual ethics.
Article by the Reverend Lee Kon Yim, a Chartered Quantity Surveyor by training and Priest at St Mary’s cathedral, Kuala Lumpur.