T
TriuneUnity
Guest
1 Thessalonians 4:1-7: Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. Lent is happy in its simplicity: God
desires you to flee from sexual immorality.
Immorality and the sins of the flesh—the sins of your body–are contradictory to
the faith of Jesus. You cannot be in both at the same time. One or the other. Either
uncleanness or holiness.
You were not called; you were not baptized for the sake of impurity or
uncleanness. He didn’t wash your sins away that you might continue to live in those
forgiven sins, continuing your fornication, your self-gratification, or your adultery.
The Gentiles, who don’t even know God, even they know those things are not
proper. Do you really think they have a place in your life?
The Son of God Himself lived His life for you—every minute of every day. He
endured the temptations you endure every day. He was not exempt from them, yet
He lived through them—without sin.
He has pushed the earnings of His perfect life into your corner. They are yours
now. Then He took the earnings of your immorality-filled life upon Himself and took
what you deserved for them from God.
Now you are forgiven. You are holy. You are righteous by His holy life and bitter
sufferings and death alone. He has given you His Holy Spirit and has called you by
the Gospel.
His gifts enliven you; they empower you to flee the life that you used to live—
with all its concessions for the desires of the flesh and to find your joy and
happiness in His forgiveness alone.
You aren’t holy because you gave up this sin or that one. Nor are you forgiven
because you don’t go to those websites anymore or watch those kinds of movies.
You are forgiven; you are holy, solely by the merits of Christ given to you. Your
salvation is by His cross alone and is received by faith alone.
You are a child of God. You are baptized. You have no need of those websites
or those types of videos. You have no need of tickling your flesh any more.
When you do feel that need, when you have an itch you feel desperate to
scratch, run again to His forgiveness in Christ. Run to your baptism, remember who
you are, remember what you are: You are a child of God.
The joy of Lent is that God has freed us from the need to sin. Christ has freed
you and His freedom is not found in what you can do and keep from doing, it’s what
you are free to not do for the sake of the will of God and your neighbor. So, happy
fleeing from sexual immorality for Jesus sake! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. Lent is happy in its simplicity: God
desires you to flee from sexual immorality.
Immorality and the sins of the flesh—the sins of your body–are contradictory to
the faith of Jesus. You cannot be in both at the same time. One or the other. Either
uncleanness or holiness.
You were not called; you were not baptized for the sake of impurity or
uncleanness. He didn’t wash your sins away that you might continue to live in those
forgiven sins, continuing your fornication, your self-gratification, or your adultery.
The Gentiles, who don’t even know God, even they know those things are not
proper. Do you really think they have a place in your life?
The Son of God Himself lived His life for you—every minute of every day. He
endured the temptations you endure every day. He was not exempt from them, yet
He lived through them—without sin.
He has pushed the earnings of His perfect life into your corner. They are yours
now. Then He took the earnings of your immorality-filled life upon Himself and took
what you deserved for them from God.
Now you are forgiven. You are holy. You are righteous by His holy life and bitter
sufferings and death alone. He has given you His Holy Spirit and has called you by
the Gospel.
His gifts enliven you; they empower you to flee the life that you used to live—
with all its concessions for the desires of the flesh and to find your joy and
happiness in His forgiveness alone.
You aren’t holy because you gave up this sin or that one. Nor are you forgiven
because you don’t go to those websites anymore or watch those kinds of movies.
You are forgiven; you are holy, solely by the merits of Christ given to you. Your
salvation is by His cross alone and is received by faith alone.
You are a child of God. You are baptized. You have no need of those websites
or those types of videos. You have no need of tickling your flesh any more.
When you do feel that need, when you have an itch you feel desperate to
scratch, run again to His forgiveness in Christ. Run to your baptism, remember who
you are, remember what you are: You are a child of God.
The joy of Lent is that God has freed us from the need to sin. Christ has freed
you and His freedom is not found in what you can do and keep from doing, it’s what
you are free to not do for the sake of the will of God and your neighbor. So, happy
fleeing from sexual immorality for Jesus sake! In the name of Jesus. Amen.