Called Unto Holiness 1 Thessalonians 4:7

As Paul the apostle continued his letter to the Thessalonians, he gave them practical Godly instructions concerning the manner in which they lived. They were to follow the “will of God” for their lives in “sanctification”, abstaining from “fornication”, knowing how to “possess” their “vessels in sanctification and honor”, not having the desires of “concupiscence”, and not “going beyond or defrauding” their “brother in any matter”. Paul and his traveling companions had previously warned them of these things, and in chapter four and verse seven of his letter, Paul added how they were “called unto holiness” where we read:

For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

The verse begins, “For God has not called us unto uncleanness,...” Paul continued his directives with the word “For” which means “because, since, on account of, indeed, even, no doubt, therefore and seeing then” “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “has not called us” which in Greek is the phrase “kaleō ou kaleō” and means “utter in a loud voice, invite, call and salute one by name” “unto uncleanness” which means “impurity of lustful, luxurious and profligate living”. Paul's idea was that God had not called Christians to live lives with immoral acts and impure motives.

The verse goes on to say, “...but unto holiness.” In contrast to “uncleanness” Paul employed the word “but” which is a disassociation conjunction which means what is about to be stated takes precedence over what was just stated, “unto holiness” which is “consecration, purification and sanctification of heart and life”. In contrast to the immoral and impure life, Paul wrote that God desires for us to live consecrated, purified and sanctified lives both inwardly and outwardly.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, we may feel conviction in certain areas of our lives. Do we involve ourselves in immoral activities? Do we contain impure motives within our hearts? God Almighty, who created the universe and us has “called us” individually “unto holiness”, and there is no higher One who can beckon us. Perhaps as we think through this idea we should ask the Lord Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit to reveal in us any area in which we are “unclean”, and as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm chapter one hundred and thirty nine and verses twenty-three and twenty-four:

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Next time Paul writes to the Thessalonians concerning “despising God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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