A1 Scripture
B1 Furthermore we plead with you, brothers, and urge you by the Lord Jesus that just as you received from us how you must live your life and please God, and that this would increase more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your purity. You must stay away from fornication. Each of you must know how to take control of his body in purity and honor, not in the passionate lust, like the Gentiles, who don't know God, have. Let no one go beyond these limits and take advantage of his brother in any thing, because the Lord is an avenger of all these, as we also forewarned you and earnestly testified. For God has not called us to be impure but to be pure. Therefore the one who despises, doesn't despise man but God, who has also given us his Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, WEL).
B2 Finally then, brothers, we request of you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you should abound more. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication, that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one should transgress against and to defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger concerning all, just as we told you before and solemnly testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has given His Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 EMTV)
A2 Outline--Continue in the process of sanctification
B1 A pleading--build on what you have, increase
B2 Commandments--the Kingdom Laws
C1 Purity
C2 No fornication
C3 Self-control
C4 Not to take advantage of brethren
B3 A judgment and punishment
C1 Jesus is Judge
C2 There is a Judgment Day
C3 He is the avenger
B4 A call
C1 To be pure
C2 Not to despise these rules
C3 God is witness
B5 A giving--the Holy Spirit
A3 Notes
B1 A pleading
C1 The word pleading is erotao and means to ask with emotion and seriousness, thus plead, beseech, and entreat.
C2 Compare Mark 7:26, John 4:40, and John 17:9 for examples.
C3 The plea here is for the Thessalonians to live by God's rules and to obey them consistently.
B2 A law
C1 The legislator and King of these laws is Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church
C2 Obeying these laws is good and pleases God.
C3 Our consistency needs to increase.
C4 Sanctification
D1 The Greek word is hagiasmos and means purification. In the Christian sense it would be a purity as defined by God.
D2 Sanctification means to make holy. Holy is not to sin in thoughts, desires, words, or deeds.
C5 Given by Jesus and passed to the Christians by the Apostles and those who were taught by them.
C6 Will of God
D1 There are consistent rules of the Kingdom.
D2 Humans rebel against these rules.
C7 Some ways to grow and stay in sanctification
D1 Don't sin in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds
D2 No fornication
E1 Lustful passion
E2 Something non-Christians are prone to
D3 Don't defraud brother
E1 Brother means fellow Christian either male or female
E2 Basically it is to cheat someone out of something.
F1 Selling something as high quality when it is junk.
F2 It is a form of lying to induce another to buy something when they don't need it or use it.
F3 It is getting rich at someone's expensive.
F4 It is taking advantage of someone.
F5 It is making false promises about something that is not true.
F6 It is deceiving another for financial (or some other) gain.
F7 It is false promises.
F8 It is not paying what was promised whether it be wages or anything else. James 5;4
B3 A judgment and punishment
C1 Jesus is the judge. 2 Timothy 4:1, Matthew 16:27, Acts 10:42, Acts 17:31, etc.
C2 There is a Judgment day. Matthew 10:15, Matthew 11:22, 2 Peter 2:9
D1 There is no judgment based on the balance scale as in "I have done more good than bad, so God will let me in heaven."
D2 It will be based on God's rules primarily the Ten Commandments (a summary of God's law).
D3 Even one sin leads to punishment, and all people have committed many sins every day of their life.
D4 Consider the list in Romans 1:28-32 or Galatians 5:19-21
C3 Jesus is the avenger
D1 Avenge is to pay back something for the harm they did. In this case Jesus pays back those who have ruined creation by their sins. Jesus is the one who punishes. Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 1:18, Ephesians 5:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:8
D2 Paul has warned them and testified of these things when he was there.
B4 A call
C1 To be pure
D1 This is pure by God's standards not ours. We are not to compare ourselves to another and think we are better. We are to compare ourselves to God's rules.
D2 Pure is without spot or stain. The only one who did this correctly is Jesus Christ. The rest of us must confess our sins and ask forgiveness from the one we offended, sinned against. That one is God.
C2 To not despise these rules
C3 God is witness
D1 He knows what we say.
D2 He knows that we are telling the truth.
B5 A giving--the Holy Spirit
C1 All Christians have the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9
C2 The Holy Spirit is a gift to us. Acts 2:38
C3 The Holy Spirit helps us.
D1 Teaches us 1 John 2:27, 1 Corinthians 2:13
D2 Prays for us Romans 8:26
D3 Clarifies our prayer Romans 8:27
D4 Helps us to respond verbally, gives us a wise answer. Matthew 10:20
D5 Convicts of sin John 16:8
D6 Encourages us 1 John 3:24, 1 John 4:13
