For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to possess his own vessel in sactification and honor; (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4)
Nothing damages a believer as much as fornication. According to Paul's word in 1 Corinthians 6, fornication ruins a person's body. Other sins may not damage us subjectively, but fornication damages our body, contaminates our entire being, and makes us utterly unholy. Moreover, fornication is used by God's enemy to spoil the man God created for the fulfillment of His purpose. Therefore, fornication must be altogether abandoned. This is the reason Paul says in 4:3, "Abstain from fornication." The word "abstain" is strong, and it indicates that we should run away from fornication.
Sanctification refers more to a holy condition before God; honor, more to a respectable standing before man. Man was created for God's purpose with a high standing, and marriage was ordained by God for the propagation of man to fulfill God's purpose. Hence, marriage should be held in honor (Heb. 13:4).
Verse 8 says, "Consequently, he who rejects, rejects not man but God, Who also gives His Holy Spirit to you." This verse is the conclusion of the section which begins in verse 3. The word "rejects" here refers to the charge given in the preceding verses. Here Paul seems to be saying, "I have given you a warning. If you reject it, you are not rejecting me, but you are rejecting God, the One who gave His Holy Spirit to you." Here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Holy One who sanctifies us, making us holy before God (Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Cor. 6:11).
God has given His Holy Spirit to us to sanctify us, to make us holy, to separate us unto God for His purpose. Thus, this Holy Spirit is moving, working, and acting within us constantly for a purpose. If we fall into fornication, we reject this indwelling Spirit who is working within us to sanctify us unto God. This is Paul's meaning here, in the verse that concludes a section on sanctification versus fornication.
May we all, especially the young people, be impressed with Paul's word of warning. The age in which we live certainly is no better than the age in which Paul lived. Furthermore, the cities where we live today are not better than Corinth or Thessalonica. On the contrary, both the age and the cities may be worse. Therefore, we need this warning concerning sanctification versus fornication. (Life-Study of First Thessalonians, Message #15)
http://ministrybooks.org/life-studies.cfm
聖別和尊貴
神的旨意就是要你們聖別，禁戒淫亂；要你們各人曉得，怎樣用聖別和尊貴，持守自己的器皿，(帖撒羅尼迦前書四3,4)
沒有一件事比淫亂更破壞信徒。根據保羅在林前六章的話，淫亂破壞人的身體。淫亂以外的罪還不會切身的破壞我們，但是淫亂破壞我們的身體，污染我們的全人，使我們全然不聖別。不僅如此，神的仇敵也利用淫亂，破壞神所造為要完成祂定旨的人。因此，我們必須徹底棄絕淫行。所以保羅在帖前四章三節說，『要…禁戒淫 亂。』禁戒是很強的用辭，指明我們應當逃避淫亂。
聖別，重於指在神面前聖別的光景；尊貴，重於指在人面前可敬的地位。人為著神的定旨被造，有崇高的地位；而且婚姻是神為著人的繁衍所命定的，以成就神的定旨。因此，婚姻當受尊重。（來十三4）
八節說，『所以那棄絕的，不是棄絕人，乃是棄絕那位將祂的聖靈賜給你們的神。』本節是從三節開始的這一段的結語。這裡的『棄絕』，是指棄絕前面經文中的囑 咐。這裡保羅似乎是說，『我給了你們一項警告。你們如果棄絕，不是棄絕我，乃是棄絕那位將祂的聖靈賜給你們的神。』這裡的聖靈，是指那聖別我們，使我們在神面前成為聖別（羅十五16，彼前一2，林前六11）的聖者。
神將祂的聖靈賜給我們，為要聖化我們，使我們成為聖別，將我們分別出來歸神，以完成祂的定旨。因此，這聖靈一直在我們裡面運行、作工、活動，為要完成一個定旨。我們若犯了淫亂，就是棄絕這位在我們裡面運行，要使我們聖別歸神內住之靈。這是保羅在這裡的意思，這節經文乃是論到聖別對淫亂這段話的結語。
但願我們眾人（尤其是青年人），對保羅警告的話有深刻的印象。我們所處的時代絕不比保羅的時代好。不僅如此，我們今天所住的城市，也不比哥林多或帖撒羅尼迦好。相反的，今天的時代和今天的城市都比從前更壞。因此，我們需要這個關於聖別與淫亂相對的警告。
(摘自『帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經』第十五篇) http://www.lsmchinese.org/
Nothing damages a believer as much as fornication. According to Paul's word in 1 Corinthians 6, fornication ruins a person's body. Other sins may not damage us subjectively, but fornication damages our body, contaminates our entire being, and makes us utterly unholy. Moreover, fornication is used by God's enemy to spoil the man God created for the fulfillment of His purpose. Therefore, fornication must be altogether abandoned. This is the reason Paul says in 4:3, "Abstain from fornication." The word "abstain" is strong, and it indicates that we should run away from fornication.
Sanctification refers more to a holy condition before God; honor, more to a respectable standing before man. Man was created for God's purpose with a high standing, and marriage was ordained by God for the propagation of man to fulfill God's purpose. Hence, marriage should be held in honor (Heb. 13:4).
Verse 8 says, "Consequently, he who rejects, rejects not man but God, Who also gives His Holy Spirit to you." This verse is the conclusion of the section which begins in verse 3. The word "rejects" here refers to the charge given in the preceding verses. Here Paul seems to be saying, "I have given you a warning. If you reject it, you are not rejecting me, but you are rejecting God, the One who gave His Holy Spirit to you." Here the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Holy One who sanctifies us, making us holy before God (Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Cor. 6:11).
God has given His Holy Spirit to us to sanctify us, to make us holy, to separate us unto God for His purpose. Thus, this Holy Spirit is moving, working, and acting within us constantly for a purpose. If we fall into fornication, we reject this indwelling Spirit who is working within us to sanctify us unto God. This is Paul's meaning here, in the verse that concludes a section on sanctification versus fornication.
May we all, especially the young people, be impressed with Paul's word of warning. The age in which we live certainly is no better than the age in which Paul lived. Furthermore, the cities where we live today are not better than Corinth or Thessalonica. On the contrary, both the age and the cities may be worse. Therefore, we need this warning concerning sanctification versus fornication. (Life-Study of First Thessalonians, Message #15)
http://ministrybooks.org/life-studies.cfm
聖別和尊貴
神的旨意就是要你們聖別，禁戒淫亂；要你們各人曉得，怎樣用聖別和尊貴，持守自己的器皿，(帖撒羅尼迦前書四3,4)
沒有一件事比淫亂更破壞信徒。根據保羅在林前六章的話，淫亂破壞人的身體。淫亂以外的罪還不會切身的破壞我們，但是淫亂破壞我們的身體，污染我們的全人，使我們全然不聖別。不僅如此，神的仇敵也利用淫亂，破壞神所造為要完成祂定旨的人。因此，我們必須徹底棄絕淫行。所以保羅在帖前四章三節說，『要…禁戒淫 亂。』禁戒是很強的用辭，指明我們應當逃避淫亂。
聖別，重於指在神面前聖別的光景；尊貴，重於指在人面前可敬的地位。人為著神的定旨被造，有崇高的地位；而且婚姻是神為著人的繁衍所命定的，以成就神的定旨。因此，婚姻當受尊重。（來十三4）
八節說，『所以那棄絕的，不是棄絕人，乃是棄絕那位將祂的聖靈賜給你們的神。』本節是從三節開始的這一段的結語。這裡的『棄絕』，是指棄絕前面經文中的囑 咐。這裡保羅似乎是說，『我給了你們一項警告。你們如果棄絕，不是棄絕我，乃是棄絕那位將祂的聖靈賜給你們的神。』這裡的聖靈，是指那聖別我們，使我們在神面前成為聖別（羅十五16，彼前一2，林前六11）的聖者。
神將祂的聖靈賜給我們，為要聖化我們，使我們成為聖別，將我們分別出來歸神，以完成祂的定旨。因此，這聖靈一直在我們裡面運行、作工、活動，為要完成一個定旨。我們若犯了淫亂，就是棄絕這位在我們裡面運行，要使我們聖別歸神內住之靈。這是保羅在這裡的意思，這節經文乃是論到聖別對淫亂這段話的結語。
但願我們眾人（尤其是青年人），對保羅警告的話有深刻的印象。我們所處的時代絕不比保羅的時代好。不僅如此，我們今天所住的城市，也不比哥林多或帖撒羅尼迦好。相反的，今天的時代和今天的城市都比從前更壞。因此，我們需要這個關於聖別與淫亂相對的警告。
(摘自『帖撒羅尼迦前書生命讀經』第十五篇) http://www.lsmchinese.org/
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