1 Thessalonians 4:3-12

There are those, Christian and non Christian, who will tell you anything in order to seduce you. We must be wise as serpents but as gentle as doves. We must set up boundaries and not let our kindness be taken advantage of. Our society does not support Christian values and it is easy to overlook God's way in our quest for love and acceptance. He gives us boundaries because He loves us and He knows the depth of emotional pain and the shame that come after relationships that we should not have entered into to begin with. It is no small feat to balance the great love for others that the Holy Spirit places in our hearts with common sense when it comes to those of the opposite sex. We must love others, especially other Christians, but we must trust no one but God alone. We are failed human beings striving to live holy lives worthy of our calling in Christ….a truly humbling experience. We need to live a peaceful life supporting ourselves with the talents and gifts that the Father has given to each of us. Satan roams the earth searching for those that he can devour let us help one another who have fallen victim to his wiles.

A major problem for the early church was maintaining sexual purity. The body should be honored as created by God and should be sanctified in keeping with its holy purpose. Sexual involvement outside of marriage dishonors God, one's marriage partner or future spouse, and even one's own body. In a world that is filled with self-serving individuals, the genuine love of Christians should attract others to the faith. Paul exhorted the Thessalonians believers to lead a quiet life, not referring to a lack of activity but rather to an inner quietness and peace befitting the Christian faith. Paul admonished the Christians to be dedicated and productive workers so that they might bring honor to Christ's name.

4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.