1 Thessalonians 4:3

Text (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;

Translation and Paraphrase

3.

For (among other things) this is the will of God (for youyes, it is even) your sanctification, (the process of your becoming free from sin and consecrated to Godand it is this:) that you should abstain from (every form of) sexual vice.

Notes (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

1.

Christianity never delivers us, as by the stroke of a magician, from the lusts and wickedness which have become habitual in the heathen world. Rather a long and constant fight is necessary for vanquishing them.

2.

For example, fornication was considered no sin among the Gentiles. Therefore, Paul often had to warn about it in his letters. Fornication refers to unlawful sexual intercourse in general. Adultery is generally used to describe the sin of married people who are unfaithful. Fornication is a broader term. It includes adultery and all related vices. Notice some of Paul's words about fornication:

1 Corinthians 6:1-20; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13The body is not for fornication.

1 Corinthians 6:18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without (outside) the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

Hebrews 13:4Fornicators and adulters God will judge. (See also Revelation 21:8)

3.

If our sanctification is the will of God, we ought to give more attention to the subject than we usually hear given. Sanctification is the action of making us free from sin and consecrated to God. It is the opposite of pollution. It means holiness in its general sense, and the same word which is translated holiness is the one translated sanctification. Sanctification (or holiness) is commanded in 1 Peter 1:12. In Hebrews 2:11 Christ is described as he that sanctifieth us.

4.

In this verse Paul makes it very plain that the sanctification that he is referring to is abstaining from fornication. There are other things necessary in sanctification, of course, but that is the only matter that Paul is dealing with in this verse.

5.

It would be wrong to quote just part of this verseThis is the will of God, even your sanctificationand then by using that part of the verse to urge people to seek a second work of grace. Some denominations hold to a doctrine that after a person has been saved, he may have a second work of grace, a sanctification by baptism of the Holy Spirit, in which all desire for and practice of sin is taken out of his nature.

John the apostle says, If we say we have no sin (present tense), we deceive ourselves. 1 John 1:8. Surely this verse cancels out any doctrine that we can be so totally sanctified that we utterly cannot sin.

6.

The two stages in sanctification:

(1)

Sanctification at conversion.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. The spirit of every believer is sanctified, cleansed, and set apart for the Master's use at conversion. 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 5:26.

(2)

Sanctification after conversion.

Hebrews 12:14-': Follow. the holiness (or sanctification) without which no man shall see the Lord. Sanctification is something we must follow or pursue (Gr., dioko) constantly. We cannot get a one-shot inoculation of sanctification that will permanently guarantee our immunity against sin.

Now being servants of God, we have fruit unto holiness (or sanctification). Romans 6:22.