Scripture Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
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.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
In this generation where everything is easily accessed through our smart phones, temptation is lurking around the corner which might lead to sinning if we are not vigilant enough to walk wisely in the sight of God.
When we talk about purity, oftentimes we see it in a sexual sense. But when it comes to God, it is much more than that. The Word is teaching us to have an undivided attention to God and to be a stranger to sin—this is purity from the heart.
Apostle Paul, with His co-disciples, was teaching the people from Thessalonica to live in accordance to the will of God and seek to please Him continually by knowing God through His words, which also teaches us that we should be sanctified through the renewal of mind in Christ Jesus through His words.
God's Word, the way to know the will of God, teaches us what to do and what not to do, but above from that, it also teaches us that the content of the heart also matters. That is why we need to be sanctified from the inside, then our minds will be renewed through the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Word teaches us to abstain from any immorality, which is sin and will corrupt us and hinder us from being sanctified. Abstaining is controlling not only our body to do immorality, but our mind as well, preventing it to enter our thoughts because we know that Christ should be the one ruling our hearts and our minds.
The bottom line of all these is to be pure in mind because God called us not to be corrupt in mind, but to be sanctified and holy in all our actions which may sound hard, but is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper.
Reflect
1. Do we keep ourselves pure by cooperating with the Holy Spirit and keeping His word in our hearts?
2. Do we constantly remind ourselves that immorality is a sin and shouldn't be done by God's people?
Remember
Our God is Holy, so we should be holy and pure from the inside out. We are no longer living our lives for ourselves, but for the glory of God, so we must make sure that we have an undivided attention towards God and never let any sin invade us—this is purity.
Read
Ephesians 5:15-16; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:18
Pray
Gracious and loving Father who is Holy above all, I ask for Your strength to have a heart that desires nothing, but only You and Your approval; that my life will be a pleasing sacrifice to You. Teach my heart to find contentment and full satisfaction in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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