Physical Sanctification (I Thessalonians 4:3-5)

(Class Notes)

• It is the will of God that the believer abstain from fornication and, therefore, know how to possess (acquire) his vessel (wife) - NOT according to physical lusts as ones that "know not God" (I Thessalonians 4:3-5)
  • The term "fornication" is Biblically defined as "going after strange flesh" (Jude 7)
  • This is why Paul exhorts the believer to have physical relations within the marriage relationship which is "honorable" to God (Hebrews 13:4) in which the man and the woman are joined together as "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24)
  • The man should seek his wife according to the knowledge that BOTH his body and spirit belong to the Lord (I Corinthians 6:13-17)
  • Faith that honors God is that which honors His Temple - the believer's body (I Corinthians 6:18-20), which is indwelt by His Spirit (Romans 8:8-11)

• The marriage relationship has a sacred meaning for believing couples under this dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 3:2) - it represents in miniature the Body of Christ (Ephesians 5:30-32)
  • Wives should submit to their husbands as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24), Who willfully submitted Himself to His Father (Matthew 26:39,42,44)
  • Husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25-29) - He became poor so that we could become rich (II Corinthians 8:9 cf. Matthew 8:20)
    • Love seeks the edification of others at one's own expense (Philippians 2:4-8)
  • The members of the Body of Christ are members of Him physically as Eve was physically a member of Adam, which is a "great mystery" concerning the Church (Ephesians 5:30-32 cf. Genesis 2:21-23)
    • Just as Eve shared the name of her Head (Genesis 5:2), so the Church shares the name of its Head and is called "the Christ" (I Corinthians 12:12)
    • Just as Eve shared the earthly dominion of her Head (Genesis 1:27-28), so the Church shares the heavenly dominion with its Head (Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:4-7)

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