1 Thessalonians 4:6-The Thessalonians Were Warned to Not Exploit Their Fellow-Believer in Regard to Sexual Immorality Lesson # 56

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brothers and sisters, we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. 6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly. (NET)

1 Thessalonians 4:6 contains five assertions.

The first two define what it means to experience one’s sanctification but from a negative perspective.

They assert that experiencing one’s sanctification is not to transgress, and specifically it is not to exploit one’s spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality.

The third assertion is a causal clause and presents the reason for these first two assertions and asserts that the Lord is an avenger concerning all these sins which transgress God’s law and exploit one’s spiritual brother or sister.

The fourth assertion emphatically marks a comparison between the Lord being an avenger of those who transgress God’s law by exploiting their fellow-believer for sexual purposes and Paul, Silvanus and Timothy in the past communicating this doctrine for the benefit of the Thessalonians.

The fifth and final assertion in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 is also emphatic and also defines specifically for the reader what Paul means when he says that he, Silvanus and Timothy in the past communicated that the Lord is an avenger concerning all these sins which transgress God’s law and exploit one’s spiritual brother or sister.

It asserts that these three men for their own benefit and for the benefit of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community solemnly warned of this fact.

So therefore, Paul first asserts in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 that experiencing sanctification as a child of God is not existing in the state of transgressing, which refers to transgressing God’s law in the sense of going beyond the proper limits of behavior which He has prescribed in His law.

It refers to violating a command or a law of God by going beyond the prescribed boundaries or limits of this command or law.

Here it refers to sexual activity in which one goes beyond the boundary of acting in a particular manner which results in a child of God not experiencing their sanctification.

Thus, it speaks of the believer transgressing God’s commands by breaking His law by practicing sexual immorality.

Then, Paul defines specifically what he means by existing in the state of not transgressing by asserting that experiencing one’s sanctification is not existing in the state of exploiting one’s spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality.

Notice, he does not identify specifically the nature of this advantage or exploitation.

However, the context indicates that he has sinful sexual activity in mind based upon the contents of 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.

Now, in 1 Thessalonians 4:6, “in this matter” refers to the noun porneia (πορνεία), “sexual immorality” which appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:3.

As we noted, the third assertion in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 presents the reason for the first two assertions in the verse.

Specifically, it presents the reason why the Thessalonians must not transgress by exploiting their spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality and asserts that the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things.

When Paul makes the assertion that the Lord Jesus Christ is an “avenger,” he means that the Lord functions as the Father’s agent in punishing or disciplining a child of God for transgressing His law by exploiting their spiritual brother or sisters with regards to the practice of sexual immorality.

It speaks of the Lord as God the Father’s agent who administers justice as restitution and retribution for those transgressing His law by exploiting their spiritual brother or sister with regards to the practice of sexual immorality.

The prepositional phrase “in all these cases,” refers to the various kinds of sexual immorality which not only transgress God’s law but also exploit one’s fellow-believer for sexual purposes.

These would include any type of sexual activity outside of marriage including fornication, adultery, polygamy, incest, prostitution, and homosexuality.

Now, we also noted that the fourth assertion in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 is an emphatic comparative clause.

This is indicated by the fact that it is emphatically marking a comparison between the Lord being an avenger of those who transgress God’s law by exploiting their fellow-believer for sexual purposes and Paul, Silvanus and Timothy communicating this doctrine previously to the Thessalonians.

The fifth and final assertion in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 we noted is also emphatic and defines specifically for the reader what Paul means by the fourth assertion.

Thus, it defines for the reader what he means when he says that he, Silvanus and Timothy in the past communicated for the benefit of the Thessalonians that the Lord is an avenger concerning all these sins which transgress God’s law and exploit one’s spiritual brother or sister.

It asserts that these three men solemnly for their own benefit and for the benefit of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community solemnly warned of this fact.

When Paul says that they solemnly warned the Thessalonians, he means that they instructed the Thessalonians of the danger of being disciplined by the Lord if they transgressed God’s law with regards to sexual activity by exploiting their spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality.

Now, we noted in our study of 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that Paul does not identify for the Thessalonians how they were to make it their habit of abstaining from the practice of sexual immorality.

Also, he does not identify for them in 1 Thessalonians 4:4 how they were to make it their habit of possessing their own bodies with regards to experiencing their sanctification which would result in the Lord Jesus honoring them at the Bema Seat.

Furthermore, he does not identify for them in 1 Thessalonians 4:5 how they were to obey the prohibition in this verse, which required that they not practice lustful passions like unregenerate humanity does.

Lastly, in 1 Thessalonians 4:6, Paul does not identify how the Thessalonians were not to transgress God’s law with regards to sexual activity as well as not exploiting their brother or sister in Christ in regard to the matter of sexual immorality.

However, as we noted in our study of 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 3:1-5 does identify how the Thessalonians were to abstain from sexual immorality and possess their own bodies with regards to experiencing their sanctification and not practice lustful passion like unregenerate humanity.

Romans 6:1-11 and Colossians 3:1-5 also teach how the Thessalonians and all Christians can keep from transgressing God’s law with regards to sexual activity and not exploiting their spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality.

Therefore, a comparison of all these passages indicate that the Thessalonians were to experience their sanctification and were to abstain from sexual immorality as well as not practice lustful passion like unregenerate humanity by putting to death the members of their sinful nature by considering themselves dead to the sin nature and alive to God.

They also teach how the Thessalonians and all Christians can keep from transgressing God’s law with regards to sexual activity and not exploit their spiritual brother or sister in Christ with regards to the matter of sexual immorality.

Putting to death the members of that which belongs to the Thessalonians’ earthly nature would demand that they completely cease from practicing sexual immorality, sexual impurity, sexual lust, evil desire and greed based upon the fact that they are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.

It would constitute appropriating by faith their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.

By obeying the commands in Romans 6:11 and Colossians 3:5, the faithful believers in Rome, Colossae and Thessalonica would be appropriating by faith their identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death and burial.

Therefore, Paul is spelling out for the Thessalonians and for all Christians in every generation of the church age what is involved in appropriating by faith one’s identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death and burial.

To appropriate by faith one’s identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death and burial would demand the believer putting to death the members of their human body with regards to any thought, word or action which would manifest their sin nature.

To appropriate by faith one’s identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death and burial would demand the believer considering the members of their human body as dead to the sin nature and alive to God.

Faith is submitting to the Father’s will for one’s life and is submitting to the sovereign will of God and manifests itself in obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.

The Father’s will for the church age believer is that they are crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with His Son at His right hand.

The believer who agrees with this by viewing himself or herself as identified with Christ in these events in our Lord’s life is appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ.