Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

1 Thessalonians 4:1-4

Just like we didn’t talk about sex at home, we definitely did not talk about sex in church. I have heard sermons on sex but never in a church in which I personally sat. I believe that this is a trick of Satan, shrouding something in darkness that has such power to railroad our lives, if used incorrectly.

Despite our closed lips about sex in church, we have to speak up to counter our environment. Nearly 8 of 10 prime time TV shows contain suggestive content. These are not quick snippets of bathing suits or hidden comments but are passionate sex scenes. Even comedies revolve around sexual story lines. You can see soft porn in just about any magazine, and there are tons of sexual images in our commercials. Just think about the $10 billion dollar pornography industry in the US alone. We have massage parlors, strip clubs, adult book stores, modeling and escort agencies, and virtual sex services.

I remember when I was in seminary, this passage of scripture was one of the first ones that we studied. The professors clearly shared that we don’t have to be concerned about God’s will being concealed. He makes his will clear in His word. In this passage of Scripture, Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to walk to please God. God’s will is that we live a life set apart for his service and ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY, posing our own vessel as the temple of sanctification and honor that God created.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, so many times I don’t even blink when I see sexual images on television or in magazines. It has become such a part of our culture that I have become desensitized to it. Lord, your word says that a young person can stay on the path of purity by living according to your word. Lord, don’t let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:9-11). In the name of Jesus, Amen.