1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

1 Thess 4:1 “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” Paul both beseeches and exhorts the brethren and sisters in the church at Thessalonica. These terms are both endearing and encouraging terms to direct the brethren and sisters to a course of action. Moreover, Paul invokes the name of the Lord Jesus in beseeching and exhorting them. This shows us that it was not just Paul’s desire but also the desire of the Lord Jesus that they would follow this course of action. Next, Paul points them to the example and instruction of himself and the brethren with him in encouraging and instructing them in this course of action. Moreover, Paul tells them that to follow this course of action is pleasing to God and that they should abound more and more in this course. This teaches us that we should be more than just hearers of the word, but also doers of the word and that we should be bountiful doers of the word as the disciples of Jesus Christ.

“For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.” As ministers of the gospel the instructions, exhortations, warnings, and commandments do not originate with the ministry, but are the instructions, exhortations, warnings and commandments of the Lord Jesus. However, we as ministers of the gospel should set examples of abounding in the instructions, exhortations, warnings, and commandments of the Lord Jesus to the congregations to which we labor.

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” The word, “sanctify,” means to “set apart.” We are set apart first by God’s election of us to be his people. Then we are set apart by the sovereignty of God in causing us to be born of the Spirit. Based on those two setting aparts, we are to set ourselves apart from the world in which we live by living lives that are holy unto God. A part of this sanctification is to abstain from fornication, both natural and spiritual. God has designed that sexual intimacy is to be limited to be between the husband and his wife. Moreover, spiritual intimacy is designed to be between the child of God and God. We are not to have spiritual intimacy with false gods.

“That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:” The body is the vessel in which of our spirit and soul reside. Thus as born again children of God we are to mortify the deeds of the flesh and bring our bodies into subjection as Paul taught in 1 Cor. 9:27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” In this manner we possess our vessel (body) in sanctification and honor. The lust of concupiscence is defined as the forbidden desires of the flesh. We all have these forbidden desires present in our flesh. However, we are to mortify them and keep ourselves from acting out on those forbidden desires.

“That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.” Most of us have had experiences of others defrauding us in different matters. However, as a disciple of Christ we are not to defraud others in any matter. Unfortunately I have had different ones who called themselves Christian to practice fraud on me. However, I am comforted knowing that I don’t have to avenge those who defraud me but as the following scriptures show:

1. Gal. 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
2. Rom. 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

“He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.” He that despiseth the Lord’s ways are despising God. They may show their displeasure is the form of persecution against man, but the root of the problem is that they despise God.