So then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to keep living the way you already are and even do better in how you live and please God—just as you learned from us. You know the instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. God’s will is that your lives are dedicated to him. This means that you stay away from sexual immorality and learn how to control your own body in a pure and respectable way. Don’t be controlled by your sexual urges like the Gentiles who don’t know God. No one should mistreat or take advantage of their brother or sister in this issue. The Lord punishes people for all these things, as we told you before and sternly warned you. God didn’t call us to be immoral but to be dedicated to him. Therefore, whoever rejects these instructions isn’t rejecting a human authority. They are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. You don’t need us to write about loving your brothers and sisters because God has already taught you to love each other. In fact, you are doing loving deeds for all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Now we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do so even more. Aim to live quietly, mind your own business, and earn your own living, just as I told you. That way you’ll behave appropriately toward outsiders, and you won’t be in need. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, CEB)
What is immoral? M-W.com defines immoral as “not Moral”. Thanks for that. Really?
So it does give a broader definition of “conflicting with generally or traditionally held moral principles.” Which again doesn’t really say what is immoral it merely tells us what it means. How do we know what we shouldn’t do now today? Because what was immoral when 1 Thessalonians was written may not be immoral today.
There are still nuggets of wisdom in here, “Don’t be controlled by your sexual urges” and “No one should mistreat or take advantage of their brother or sister in this issue” and “God’s will is that your lives are dedicated to God”.
Sexual immorality is not homosexuality. We should also not hold our siblings down because they see things differently than we do and have sexual urges that are different than ours. God wants God’s will to be the focus of our lives and not how our sisters and brothers are not living up. Maybe if we focus on our own lives and strive to be who God is leading us to be we will love the world rather than judge the world.
Focus on your own life and share grace and mercy and love with everyone around you, not judging what they are doing, but loving them and reminding them they are loved by God.
Love Out Loud.
Loving People. Loving God.