Called To Holiness - January 1

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Reflect

According to Paul, what is God’s will for our life and how does He help us accomplish it?

One of the greatest tragedies in many of our churches today is the rejection of God’s teaching on sexual matters, even from the pulpit. I have seen Christian leaders who take a stand for a biblical sexual ethic get harassed and “canceled” by other leaders who also call themselves Christians. They get mocked, laughed at, name-called, disregarded, and even outright rejected by the very people who are supposed to be our brothers and sisters in Christ. As discouraging as this is, Paul makes it clear that whoever rejects this teaching isn’t really rejecting the Christian leaders who preached it. They are rejecting God, not man.

In today’s verses, Paul reminded us of God’s will for our lives. God’s will is not our happiness, but our holiness. Not our personal satisfaction, but our personal sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). He said that God hasn’t called us to be impure. He didn’t save us in order for us to remain sinful like the rest of the world. He saved us to be set apart.

Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us His purpose in our salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” He created us and redeemed us for good works. Those good works don’t save us. Our salvation is a work of God. But those works are evidence that we have been saved by Him.

Paul had been discussing sexuality and reminded the believers in Thessalonica that he had taught them to walk in holiness and obedience to Christ in this area. Given that Thessalonica was a pagan city with sexual rituals used in worship, the way that Paul called them to conduct themselves would have been completely counter cultural. No doubt many of them had to do a complete 180 in their personal lives. But if they disregarded Paul’s instruction in this area, they were really disregarding God because these instructions came from Him.

Paul was a pastor who held his congregations to a high and holy standard—God’s standard.

In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urged the believers at Ephesus to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called….” In Colossians 1:10, Paul exhorted believers there to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him….” In Philippians, he admonished them to let their “manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (Philippians 1:27).

In addition, he reminded them that they do not have to do this complete 180 on their own. They don’t have to fight their temptations all by themselves. He reminded them that God gave His Holy Spirit to all believers. We are no longer slaves to our flesh (Romans 8:9). “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). With the help and power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the temptations and desires of our flesh.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not called to pursue our own personal happiness and satisfaction. We weren’t saved so that we could continue to live immoral and impure lives. We have been called to pursue holiness and sanctification. And God gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to help us and give us the power to do what He’s called us to do. In the Spirit, we aren’t our old sinful selves, so we shouldn’t live like it! Let’s walk according to the Spirit in a manner worthy of our calling to holiness.

Respond

Lord, I want to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel and worthy of my calling to holiness. I know that You didn’t save me so that I could continue to live an immoral and impure life. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help me live a life of holiness. Sanctify me, Lord and make me pure. Amen.

Reveal

I urge you to take a stand for a biblical sexual ethic, both through your words and your lifestyle. When Christians walk in a manner worthy of our calling, we reveal God’s holiness to a world that needs that light.