Kingdom Ethics
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Main Idea: We should strive to please God in all of life as a compelling witness to the gospel.
“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Foundational Kingdom Ethic (4:1-3a)
Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica that the will of God for them (and for all Christians) is “your sanctification.” The guiding ethic behind all of the Christian life & our sanctification should be a desire to “please God.”
This foundational ethic for the Chrsitian life entails:
A life deeply impacted by a relationship with the Lord Jesus & his Church
A radical “reorienting” of our lives
“Whether in the ancient world or today, the chief end of humanity has often been to take pleasure in this life. In contrast, our passage begins by affirming the opposite: humanity’s chief goal ought to be to take pleasure in pleasing God.” ~ G.K. Beale
John 8:29: “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
Progressive growth (“that you do so more and more”). The power for sanctification comes from the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (4:8). It is the Spirit who transforms us into the image of Christ “from one degree of glory to another” (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18).
The Kingdom Sexual Ethic (4:3b-8)
Paul first applies the principle of sanctification and pleasing God to the issue of sexality. The Graeco-Roman world was full of sexual immorality; sex was viewed as a “commodity” and there was little to no expectation of sexual restraint, particularly for men.
Paul indicates there are two basic ways to approach sex:
Lust (4:3b, 5-6): “exploits” & objectifies another in order to please yourself. Paul says that the Lord is an “avenger” in these things to remind them of the seriousness of sexual sin (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18-19, Matt. 5:27-28)
Love (4:4): exercises self-control and treats sex with “holiness and honor” in order to please God
For those who “know God” and have the Holy Spirit, we have been empowered to live holy lives in this regard. We can acknowledge the good gift of sex while also not making it the ultimate thing, embracing that it points to the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church (cf. Eph. 5:31-32).
As the early church lived out this radically different sexual ethic, they promoted:
Mutuality & Self-Control (cf. 1 Cor. 7:3-5)
Consent
The opportunity for faithful singleness & celibacy
“Sex as a commodity was a pillar of the Roman Empire. Christian sexual ethics developed as a rebuke of that world. Christians claimed that Christ gave us the kind of freedom that allows us to choose sexual holiness. Truly consensual sex was a rarity in the world in which Christianity got its start. Christianity, we might say, invented consensual sex.” ~ Beth Felker Jones
The Kingdom Work Ethic (4:9-12)
Though the church in Thessalonica had a track record for contagious love for one another, they failed to connect this to the realm of work. For some reason (either cultural practice or a misunderstanding of Christ’s return), many in the church had stopped working altogether & were meddling & disturbing the lives of others.
Paul exhorts them in 3 ways (4:11):
“Live Quietly” (Lit. ‘ambition to have no ambition”)
“Mind your own affairs,” and do not meddle unnecessarily in the lives of others.
“Work with your hands,” something the Greeks looked down upon as the work of slaves.
The church is to live this way so they might gain a good reputation before outsiders and not be unnecessarily dependent on the church. This all pleases God and showcases the love of Christ to others as they are faithful to God in the ordinary, everyday stuff of life.
* NOTE: For a further in depth look at “A Biblical Sexual Ethic & The Beauty of the Gospel” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8) you can reference our sermon archives from August 30th, 2020 HERE.
