Love is not the same as lust. But whether on TV, social media, or in books, sexual immorality and lust are often tied to love: If it’s not passionate (i.e. lustful and between people not married to each other), it’s not love!

But God is clear that true love cannot be defined by sexual immorality. To God, love does not rejoice in sin, but rejoices in God’s commandments (1 Cor 13:6).

The world’s standards are clearly different from God’s. And we Christians are in the business of doing what the world says is “weird”, specifically when God’s teachings go against what the world preaches.

The Bible proclaims to God’s children: Do not be conformed to this world, for you and your God do not belong to it! (Rom 12:2, Jn 17:16)

Now on the matters of sexual purity, God is clear:

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thess 4:3-5).

If we truly know this holy God, then we will live out our knowledge of His holiness by staying holy (1 Cor 15:34).

Is this easy? Clearly not.

That’s why 1 Thessalonians 4 calls us to control our bodies in sanctification and honour. This needs effort, because it’s so easy to succumb.

The good news is that we don’t rely on our own willpower to do so. The same passage reminds us that God has given us the Holy Spirit, our Helper in overcoming sin (1 Thess 4:4 ESV, 4:8). This is even after the blood of Christ has set us free from sin in Water Baptism (Rom 6:17-18).

If any of us find the temptations of sexual immorality calling, recall God’s warning here in 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8. Forget how society glorifies sexual immorality. To God, it is neither romantic nor loving. Instead, to engage in sexual immorality is to take advantage of the other parties involved and wrong them. And the Lord will avenge this—He will come after you (1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 1:8)!

Let us reevaluate our entertainment sources and the way we interact with others. If we are in dangerous situations for our holiness, if we find ourselves celebrating the passion of lust, flee these lusts immediately (2 Tim 2:22) and turn to our holy God for help to stay holy.