[:en]SCRIPTURE: 1 THESSALONIANS 4
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable” ()1 Thessalonias 4:3-4)
“For God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7)
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12″
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
The kind of life a believer should have:
- Holiness – to live a holy blameless life by sanctification. To be sanctified means to set apart for a special purpose. Marriage vow condemns immorality. Christian couples should live in harmony with love and purity.
- Love – Love is one of the birthmark of a believer. We are to love one another
- Quietness – Many Thessalonian believers misunderstood the promise of Christ’s return. The became lazy and became busy bodies. Paul admonished them to stay quiet and attend to their own affairs.
- Work – They quit their jobs and became parasites depending on others to feed them. Paul said that those who do not work should not eat.
- Hope – Due to persecution, many believers died. In their sorrow and loneliness, they mourned and grieved for their love ones. Paul told them not to grieve as those who have no hope. Christians must have the testimony of the eternal hope we have in Christ. He assured them that death means the body “sleeps” and the soul goes to be with Christ. While the body sleeps, resurrection is forthcoming. When Christ comes, we will be “together with the Lord” forever with the comfort of eternal blessings.
LESSON:
God created sex for procreation and pleasure with the expression of love between husband and wife. Sex outside the marriage has the physical consequence of hurting someone, breaking relationships and causing diseases to our body. It has the spiritual consequence of bringing disgrace to the name of God. So surrender yourself to God and let Him control your sexual desires and activities.
We should work hard and earn our own living. Do not remain idle and depend on hand-outs. Let us not practise unscriptural “Christian Charity” by supporting lazy people with the Lord’s money.
We must not interfere with other people’s affair. Live a life that can earn respect from others.
As Christians, we must not view “death” as total lost and hopeless. When Christ returns, all believers – dead or alive – will be re-united. So we must comfort and encourage one another with a great hope of the promise of the resurrection. God will turn our pain to glory and all believers will stand safe and secure in God’s presence.[:]