A Sanctified Life

1 Thessalonians 4 is a chapter regarding sanctification and in these verses Paul is at pains to remind the Christians that though they were in Thessalonica, they were no longer of it. He wanted them to live not as Thessalonians but as Christians. He wanted them to see that God’s purpose for them was to live a holy life! This is a vital subject for Christians today. Let’s face it: we are in the midst of a perverse and wicked and evil minded world. This is a day of explicit images and filth…. an age of open fornication – interesting to note that the word translated fornication in v. 3 is the Greek word porneo – it gives us the English word pornographic – our nation is awash with that kind of thing….. These are evil days. Men are lovers of pleasure and lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. There is a rush to push back the boundaries of decency and morality. It is a day where anything goes and the liberal lobby are quick to promote all kinds of sin. It doesn’t matter what God’s law states – every man wants to do that which is right in his own eyes and consequently, society runs into the vilest of immoral filth, and few if any say anything about it. This nation is a modern Sodom – a modern Thessalonica – and sadly even Christians can become tainted and affected and conditioned by it.

This message, one in a series of messages on Thessalonians deals with the important subject of sanctification.