Study 6: Holiness

Thessalonians 4:1-12

Big Idea: Holiness in our relationships pleases God and honours each person in God’s family.

Aim: To help us to keep on seeking to grow in personal and relational holiness

1. In what ways do you live that is different from the world around you?

Story so far:

After leaving the Thessalonian church at a time of persecution, Paul is keen to hear how they are doing and sends Timothy to bring back a report. Generally speaking, things are good but there are some things Paul thinks are lacking in their faith, and he wants to see them again to give them further teaching. He is particularly keen to encourage the Christians to grow in Christlikeness.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (NIV)

4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality*; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable, ⁵ not in passionate lust** like the pagans, who do not know God; 

*sexual immorality is any kind of sexual behaviour contrary to God’s design for sex which is between one man and one woman within a marriage relationship

** lust is a strong intense distorted desire… therefore not just sexual

⁶ and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸ Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

⁹ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

First Impressions

Why does living in a holy way honour and please God?

Digging in

V1-8

2. Complete the table below. What is Paul instructing/calling the Thessalonians to do/ not do?

3. What motivation does Paul give for living according to these instructions?
4. What might the church have been in danger of doing for Paul to use the words “more and more” in v1b and v10b?
5. Paul is urging holiness during a time of trial and opposition. Why might this be something he is concerned about while the church had so many other challenges?

V9-12

6. Contrast the better way of love to the way of lust we have seen so far in v 3-8.
7. Discuss how verses 9-12 might help us see how to live lives of love towards one another
8. Can you think of an occasion when living to please God won the respect of outsiders?

Talk:

Living it out

9. What does living to please others and living to please God look like in your life?
10. In what area of personal holiness would you like to grow?
11. How do we help one another to strive for holiness more and more and not grow apathetic in our spiritual lives?
12. Which outsiders in your life would you like to be a witness to? How can you personally, and as part of the church community, show them the way of love is better than the way the world lives?

Pray

Spend time praying for one another in relation to personal holiness.

Going Further

Take a quiet minute to reflect on your own heart.

 If we put lust and love on a sliding scale where 0 is lust and 10 is pure Godly love. Where would these attitudes and activities be on this scale?:

1. The way you think about brothers in Christ
2. The way you treat others in the church family
3. Your relationship with someone you are attracted to
4. Your TV watching
5. Your desire to be liked or noticed
6. Other…

0                                                      5                                                    10

I_________________________I_____________________I

Lust                                                                                                  Love

Growing in holiness requires us to take a hard look at the state of our hearts, confess God’s way is better and turn to him for forgiveness and help to live in the way he designed us to live. The GREAT news is God sees our hearts and knew our motivations and desires when he died for us. He is quick to forgive and He loves when we come to him to ask for His help to align our desires with His.

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Phil 2:12-13

This week, take some time to look up and share some verses relating to the area of personal holiness that you thought of in Question 10. The instructions given in God’s word come with the promise that God will help us in these areas by His Spirit in us.

Pray for yourself in this area.

Ask a friend/ mentor/ someone you meet with to pray for you in this area too.

Read 2 Peter 1:3-5, 7-11 NIV

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

• What does this passage say?
• What timeless principle does it teach?
• How do I apply this to my life?