160 SeSSion LifeWay

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1 160 SeSSion 6

2 The Point Help others to practice purity. The Passage 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 The Bible Meets Life Viewed in biblical perspective, sex is a good and natural part of our lives. After all, God created us as sexual beings. As fallen people, though, our culture has lifted up sex as a god and condones any sexual practice. Pornography which is so readily accessible turns people into objects for personal gratification and cheapens the gift God has given us. The Bible calls us to be people of purity, people who reject sexually explicit materials in favor of God s standard. When we develop clear convictions and guardrails regarding pornography, we can help others who may be struggling in this area of purity. The Setting Paul established the church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. While some Jews received his message, many did not. Some of the latter incited a mob, accused Paul of acting against Caesar, and sought to drive him out of town, and even followed him to Berea and stirred up trouble there. Out of concern for the believers in Thessalonica, Paul wrote to encourage them in the faith, including in the ethics of the faith in chapters 4 5. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 161

3 What does the Bible say? Key Word Sanctification (v. 3) Sanctification is the process of being made holy. When we come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us and makes us more like Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (HCSB) 3 For this is God s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4 so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, 5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don t know God. 6 This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. 7 For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. 8 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit. 162 SeSSion 6

4 THE POINT Help others to practice purity. GET INTO THE STUDY DISCUSS: Invite your group members to turn their attention to the image on page 135 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: What s good and bad about a secret? RECAP THE PSG: Some secrets are fun, like knowing about a surprise party, knowing the best place to fish, and knowing the secret to a card trick. Other secrets, though, are anything but fun. In fact, we may wish some secrets would stay deeply buried. For example, the number one secret in America might just be the scope and prevalence of Internet pornography. 10 minutes Notes TIP: For this session, consider dividing your group members into a guys group and a girls group to ensure a safe environment for honest conversation. Make sure each group has a meeting space and a leader. Twenty percent of all search engine requests are related to pornography. Almost 9 out of 10 young men (85 percent) and almost half of young women (48 percent) report viewing pornography 1 (PSG, p. 136). SAY: So what does the Bible have to say about this tsunami of sexual content that is washing over our communities? Sexual temptation and immorality was a big issue in the early church, and the apostle Paul had much to say regarding sexual purity. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point on page 136 of the PSG: Help others to practice purity. Explain that this key idea will drive your discussion today. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study with prayer. Thank God for His design of healthy relationships and for His instructions that allow us to pursue purity within those relationships. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 163

5 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Notes 3 For this is God s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality, READ: Ask a group member to read 1 Thessalonians 4:3 aloud. RECAP: Paul said it is God s will for us to be sanctified, or set apart and growing in spiritual maturity. In verses 3-6 he gave us three ways that we can be set apart: 1. Avoid sexual immorality. 2. Practice self-control. 3. Don t take advantage of others (PSG, p. 138). RECAP: The root word for immorality is a very broad word in Greek: porneia. It s the root word from which we get our word pornography and was used to refer to all sorts of sexual distortion: adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and all behaviors associated with those sins including sexual fantasies and lust. All such practices are prohibited by God and are morally wrong (PSG, p. 138). SUMMARIZE: Avoiding sexual immorality isn t easy; it requires resolve and diligence. Even if you don t go looking for sexual content, it is likely to come looking for you. Seven out of ten youth have accidentally come across pornography online. Nearly 80 percent of unwanted exposure to pornography takes place in the home. 2 ALTERNATE QUESTION: What is the connection between sanctification and abstaining from sexual immorality? DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 138 of the PSG: Why is pornography so prevalent in our society? TRANSITION: When it comes to sexual immorality, the Bible instructs us to run or flee from temptation (1 Corinthians 6:18). Because we know the danger of sexual immorality, we can make wise choices to avoid situations where we might be tempted. 164 SeSSion 6

6 THE POINT Help others to practice purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Commentary On his second missionary journey, Paul was directed by a vision from God to evangelize Macedonia (the northernmost province of ancient Greece). He first preached in Philippi, then traveled about 100 miles west to the city of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9). A church was formed, but persecution forced Paul to flee. Later, in Corinth, he wrote 1 Thessalonians to address some errors in the church and to continue their instruction in basic doctrines. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Paul addressed the need for Christians to be sexually pure. Paul boldly declared sanctification as God s will for every believer. Sanctification means to be made holy and is important in understanding the doctrine of salvation. Justification describes the immediate declaration of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 5:16-17). Sanctification points to the process of the Holy Spirit s moving a believer in Jesus Christ toward spiritual maturity. Paul described sanctification as the will of God for every believer. In discussing the will of God many Christians focus on important life decisions regarding choices such as marriage, job opportunities, and education. Here, God s will refers to the revelation of truth found in God s Word regarding conduct. God is specific in revealing His will for the moral choices of His people. Seeking to do the will of God was the passion of Jesus life in His earthly ministry (John 4:34) and should be ours as well. Paul explained that part of God s will for believers lives is to abstain from sexual immorality. The Greek verb translated abstain from means to stay away from or avoid. Paul used the Greek noun translated sexual immorality (porneia) to refer to any form of sexual conduct contrary to biblical teaching. The Bible teaches that God intended sexuality for a husband and wife in the covenant of marriage. While some Greek philosophical sects such as the Stoics urged sexual restraint, Gentile society in the first century A.D. was very permissive compared to biblical morality. Prostitution was common, including cultic prostitution at idolatrous places of worship. Writing from the notoriously wicked city of Corinth, Paul had ample opportunity to be reminded of Greek immorality. Paul would later describe the converts in Corinth as previously sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9). 1. Pornography Statistics (2014 edition), [cited 13 May 2014]. Available from the Internet: 2. Ibid. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 165

7 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 Notes 4 so that each of you knows how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, 5 not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who don t know God. READ: Ask a group member to read 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 aloud. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What are some things you have pre-decided that guide your behavior? DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 139 of the PSG: Why is the battleground of the mind so important? RECAP: In verse 4, Paul wrote that everyone should learn to control his own body ; by doing so we can avoid porneia. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we re to be in control of our conduct even when we re tempted. We can learn to recognize temptation and flee from it in order to pursue purity (PSG, p. 139). RECAP: A major component of self-control is pre-deciding. As much as you seek to avoid sexual temptation and put up healthy guardrails in your life, sexual temptation will still cross your path. How do we do this? Make the decision up front about what you will do and not do to avoid temptation. Decide what you will do when temptation shows up. Be specific. Consider making specific pre-decisions about what you watch, what you read, where you will go, and with whom you will be alone (PSG, p. 139). DO: Divide your members into groups of three or four people each. Within each small group, direct members to take turns sharing aloud their responses to the activity on page 140 of the PSG. Pursue Purity: A pop-up ad on your computer catches your attention and invites you to view pornography in one simple click. In your opinion, what s the danger in viewing internet pornography? What strategies can you adopt that will help you avoid the temptation of these kinds of internet sites? 166 SeSSion 6

8 THE POINT Help others to practice purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 Commentary Commentators are divided over the proper meaning of the phrase rendered, to control his own body. The King James Version translates it as to possess his vessel. The Greek noun literally means thing or object. Scholars have variously translated the word metaphorically to refer to one s body or wife. The Greek verb literally means to acquire. It is also used in a metaphorical sense. If we adopt the meaning wife for vessel, the phrase encourages a husband to be faithful and satisfied with his wife. If we choose the translation body, the emphasis is upon the believer s responsibility to control all sexual desires. The technical issues are interesting but do not substantively change the core meaning of Paul s command. Paul urged believers to be self-controlled and to maintain sanctification and honor in their sexual conduct. We will deal with sanctification in verse 7, but we should take note of Paul s use of honor to describe a spiritual position of obedience to God. The Greek noun refers to something or someone of value. God is worthy of the highest honor (1 Timothy 1:17). Jesus sacrifice for our sins is said to be precious blood (1 Peter 1:19). For the Christian, the command to maintain honor in matters of sexuality implies holiness and a standard worthy of God s calling. When we obey the Lord s will, we are honorable and we give honor to Him. Paul s concern for the Christians in Thessalonica recognized the power of sexual urges and the addictive nature of sexually immoral practices. For us, such such practices would include viewing pornography. Christians need to recognize these dangers and be able to practice self-control personally and help others who struggle with sexual sins. We must first realize that self-control is impossible apart from salvation and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Paul warned believers about the lustful desires that characterizes those who don t know God. Sexual immorality is a manifestation of the flesh or sinful nature of people who are sinners by nature and choice (Galatians 5:19). Self-control is possible only though faith in Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit resulting in the fruit of the Spirit (vv ). Paul warned believers who engaged in sexually immoral conduct that they were in those moments acting like unbelievers. In Corinth, Paul confronted a man who was living with his father s wife (mother or step-mother). He described the professing believer s behavior as depraved even by the standards of unbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:1). The result was a total loss of witness to unbelievers in Corinth and Paul demanded the unrepentant person be removed. Christians who fail morally place obstacles in the paths of unbelievers seeking deliverance from their own lustful desires. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 167

9 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 Notes 6 This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. 7 For God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. 8 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit. READ: Ask a group member to read 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 aloud. DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 140 of the PSG: What is your initial reaction to the references to God in this passage? RECAP: Whenever a person engages in sexual sin, it doesn t just impact him or her. The ripples of sexual sin are felt by others. Like shrapnel, the devastation of sexual sin will damage and wound those around us. When we commit sexual sin, we end up wronging and taking advantage of those involved. This means that whenever a married person looks at pornography, it often ends up damaging the relationship with his or her spouse and even the trust and intimacy of the marriage bond itself (PSG, p. 141). SUMMARIZE: These verses contain a very strong, straightforward warning for when we engage in sexual sin like pornography: ALTERNATE QUESTION: How can we address the broader damage pornography causes in our society? We invite God s judgment and discipline into our lives. We are living contrary to our new nature and calling as Christ-followers. We are rejecting God Himself (PSG, p. 141). DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 141 of the PSG: How can we help a family member or friend who is struggling with pornography? TRANSITION: God gives us strong prohibitions against sexual immorality because He knows how He designed us. He knows that within marriage, sex is a precious gift of intimacy, pleasure, and love. But, when sex is experienced outside the bonds of marriage, it creates all kinds of problems and consequences. Because He loves us and wants to protect us, God has put up high fences for our sexual purity. 168 SeSSion 6

10 THE POINT Help others to practice purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 Commentary Paul turned his attention to the impact of sexual immorality on others and God s response to immoral persons in judgment. Believers, not unbelievers, are the focus in these verses. The sin of adultery not only involves the two people in the immoral relationship but also their spouses (and by extension other family members). Paul said that for a man to enter into a sexual relationship with another man s wife was to transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter. To take another s spouse violates the commandment to love our neighbor. For the spouse, adultery is treachery to one s mate; for the person who takes another s mate the sin is covetousness and theft. Adultery is a sinful choice and God will hold us accountable. Sexual immorality, like every other sin, always results in consequences. This holds true even for a believer because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses. The only other New Testament occurrence of the word translated avenger is in Romans 13:4 where Paul said government was an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Paul broadened the warning beyond adultery with the phrase the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses. Paul summed up his admonitions by stating that God has not called us to impurity but to sanctification. The Christian life is a call to spiritual transformation. God did not save us so we might continue our sinful ways. God saved us to make us holy as He is holy. The Christian life is intended to be a progression in putting to death the sinful nature and living as new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The ultimate goal of sanctification is to think, speak, and act in all ways as Jesus would. Jesus stressed that sins of the mind, such as lust, were the equivalent to adultery in God s sight (Matthew 5:28). Paul anticipated some might think his view of sexuality was too strict. He warned that the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God. God s standards are fixed and eternal. The definition of marriage and the boundaries of sexual morality are eternal. Those who disagree with these standards often attack the messengers such as Paul, but they are really rejecting God who established and will judge on the basis of His law. Finally, Paul mentioned the gift of the Holy Spirit for each believer. The Holy Spirit empowers and directs believers in the process of sanctification. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we fail to follow His leadership but pursue sinful practices, including sexual immorality (Ephesians 4:30). Christians today, like those in Paul s day, are called to shine as lights in an increasingly dark world. We have the opportunity to demonstrate God s intention for sex within the context of Christian marriage. In order to do this we must be controlled in our private behavior. Our commitment to Christ is no better than our conduct in the privacy of our thoughts and deeds. May God grant us strength to live sexually moral lives in sanctification and honor. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 169

11 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes SAY: All of us are vulnerable to sexual temptation and immorality. How can we fight the allure? GUIDE: Lead your group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 142 of the PSG. Develop some clear convictions. You will never drift into sexual purity. It takes a commitment to the truth that God s standards are in your best interest. Get accountable. Find and download an internet filter and accountability application for your computer, tablet, and phone. Ask a trusted friend to monitor this application. Have a conversation with your roommate(s) or family members. Determine some basic guardrails like internet filters, TV parental controls, and other pre-decisions to avoid the temptation of sexual immorality. Wrap It Up SAY: It s no secret that there is great value and benefit in maintaining purity even in those times when no one is around. Be a person of purity and be ready to minister to others dealing with the crisis of pornography. 170 SeSSion 6

12 My group's prayer requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, collegiates, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. I'd Love You All Over Again I was completely caught off guard. Thinking that we were going to have lunch with friends, I didn t question my wife, Melody, when she jumped into the driver s seat. It was our fifth anniversary, and I probably should ve been aware that she was up to something. To continue reading I d Love You All Over Again from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 171

13 Ready: Ministering Life to Those in Crisis God calls us to be ministers. Are you ready? We don t have to know all the answers, but we can point them to the One who is the answer. Let s prepare to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus did not live in isolation from others, simply waiting for His time on the cross. Jesus lived among people; He loved and ministered to them. Jesus has placed His Holy Spirit in our lives and He desires to minister to people through us. 172

14 The church is a place for broken people. Even as believers, we need to experience help and ministry from others. God wants believers to love, serve, minister, and be a conduit of His grace to one another (1 Peter 4:8-11). The problems, challenges, or sins of other people are never an invitation to judge them. Rather, the issues they are facing are opportunities for us to minister the love and grace of Christ. When we step in to help, encourage, or minister, we point to the One who is the ultimate help we each need. Helping you move from where you are to where God wants you to be. This is your passion for your class or group. Yet helping different individuals each take their next step to grow as disciples is challenging. The Transformational Discipleship Assessment (TDA) is a quick and easy tool to help you discover how you and the members of your group are doing in eight essential areas of discipleship. The TDA provides next steps to help your group move from where you are to where God wants you to be. The assessment is online which allows each group participant to take it in the comfort and privacy of their home, office or even on their mobile device. Discover more at: TDA.LifeWay.com BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 173