Abstain from Fornication 1 Thes 4:3-5 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
People often inquire about the will of God for their lives. Well, in several texts in the Bible you can find the will of God, clearly and unmistakably. Such is the case with our text today. The will of God in 1 Thes 4:3 is right there in black and white where you couldn’t possibly miss it. The will of God is that ye should abstain from fornication. It can’t be put any plainer than that. So, we are going to preach the will of God in hopes that when you see it, you will do exactly what the Lord wills. In order to help you abstain from fornication we will thoroughly cover the subject.
What is abstaining from fornication? Abstaining from fornication is abstaining from flesh joining flesh [1 Cor 6:13-20]. When you are married you become one flesh and the union pictures the union of Christ and the church [Eph 5:30-32]. Therefore, marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled [Heb 13:4]. Fornication is committed when your flesh joins with someone to whom you are not married whether YOU are married [Matt 19:9] or not [Jn 8:41, this is the accusation that Jesus was born out of wedlock].
How do you abstain from fornication? The simplest way to abstain from fornication is to do exactly what the will of God says to do, “Abstain.” Just don’t do it. The Bible says that you need to know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honour [1 Thes 4:4]. So, you will definitely benefit from some other scriptural counsel, as well. Prov 6:25 says that you are not to lust after her beauty in your heart [you have to control your heart and she must modestly present her beauty]. Prov 6:24 tells you to keep from the flattery of her tongue [you need to quit conversing with her and she needs to quit seducing you]. Matt 5:28 shows you that you need to control your eyes and she needs to quit trying to catch your eye; notice he commits adultery WITH her in his heart. 1 Cor 7:1 shows you that you are not to touch her because that is more than most folks can handle [and it shows you that doing other things physically while avoiding joining flesh is still wrong]. Prov 5:8 shows you that you are to remove thy way far from the woman to whom you are drawn by lust. 2 Tim 2:22 says that you are to flee also youthful lusts. 1 Cor 6:18 says flee fornication [just like Joseph did (Gen 39:12)]. You must control your thought life, your heart, your eyes, your ears, your mouth, and your vessel and you are to run like the wind to abstain from fornication.
Why must you abstain from fornication? I am well aware that there are numerous Christians today who see absolutely nothing wrong with fornication as long as it doesn’t involve someone who is married. 1 Thes 4:5 says that if you believe that you are dead wrong. You hold a godless opinion. The Gentiles “which know not God” believe that fornication is okay; not God’s children. So, you should abstain from fornication because it is ungodly and because God will judge you [Heb 13:5]. If you are a fornicator, you will lose your eternal inheritance [1 Cor 6:9-10, fornicators are first on the list]. Fornication is unhealthy [Prov 5:11]. People talk about safe sex today; God never intended for it to be dangerous. Like all sin, once you start it, it is impossible to stop on your own [Rom 8:13]; you’ll eventually carry it right into your marriage and destroy your home [Jas 1:14-15].
Conclusion: If you are contemplating fornication, forget it, run away from it. If you are involved in fornication right now, quit it. You are disobeying the plain will of God and don’t think for a moment that God will give you anything else from his word to help you until you get back in his will. Your spiritual growth is stunted and you will not grow until you abstain from fornication.