1 Thessalonians 4:1-7: "1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."
Last Sunday we declared that we would call upon the Lord, so that He could deliver us from trial and temptation. Today, we cry to our Lord to remember us. This is why the ancient name of today, taken from the antiphon of the Introit, is Reminiscere. We call upon our Lord to remember His tender mercies, and His lovingkindnesses. He remembers us by making us holy, by sanctifying us, and making us His children. This is what the Blessed Apostle, St. Paul writes in his first Epistle to the Church at Thessalonica. "The will of God, your sanctification." That is, that by the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the Sacraments, you are made and kept holy by the Holy Ghost.
Fred H. Lindemann in his excellent work The Sermon and the Propers explains this beautifully regarding this pericope:
Indeed, we must guard the inlets of the soul, that is, what we put into our soul, or to say it another way, what we hear and listen too. This means purity of doctrine, and purity of our Lord's Sacraments, so that our soul is being properly fed. We eat healthily, for the most part, at least we try to eat healthy, eating a well-balanced meal, and not cramming our faces with junk food. We do this because we care about our physical health, not wanting our unhealthy eating to lead to sickness. The same should be true of our spiritual health, we should be careful about what we put into our souls. For when we eat "spiritual junk food" we drive the Holy Spirit away so that He is unable to make us holy.
St. Paul uses the example of sexual immorality. And we can assume that there were those among the Thessalonians who were living sexually immoral lives. Sexual immorality includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, and all manner of sexual sins, whether in marriage or out of marriage. The Thessalonicans were listening to the world and society which was telling them that it was okay to commit these acts, and do what they wanted as far as sexual behavior. St. Paul warns them however, that such behavior is driving out the Holy Ghost, so that their spiritual health was being damaged, so that they were unable to be sanctified, that is, made holy.
Our society and world teaches the same lies, and there are many within the Church who continue to do these things, rationalizing among themselves that the rest of society is doing so why not them. Or, they are thinking to themselves that they are not hurting anybody, so what can it hurt. Or, they are thinking that their body is their own, and they can do with it what they please. But this is dangerous thinking, for such behavior, such listening to the world, is starving one's soul, and leaving them on the path of spiritual death.
These temptations of our soul, and of society and the world, are the reason that today we cry out to our Lord Jesus, to remember His tender mercies and His lovingkindnessess. For they have been ever of old. We also pray that our enemies, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, might not triumph over us. And that He would redeem us out of all our troubles. This, of course, is what our Lord Jesus did for us on the cross of His death and our salvation; He redeemed us from our enemies. He destroyed the penalty of our sins, once and for all, and He bought us, so that we could live with Him for all eternity.
Therefore, be careful about what you put into your ears, and observe with your eyes, for these are the inlets to the soul. Put what is holy and good into your ears, and before your eyes, so that by the working of the Holy Ghost, you might be made holy and perfect in your Heavenly Father's eyes.
May God be with you!
Deacon Dulas
Fred H. Lindemann in his excellent work The Sermon and the Propers explains this beautifully regarding this pericope:
"The church at Thessalonica was one of St. Paul's favorite congregations. In motherly affection he writes: Be holy. That is the purpose and aim of redemption. That is the will of God. Our sanctification is also the purpose of the Lenten preparation for Easter. Holy Baptism, the Holy Communion, the contemplation of the Scriptures, the sermons, all means by which grace is bestowed, aim at our holiness. To be holy is to possess the grace of sonship, to have part in Christ's divine life, with God's help assured, the exhortation to 'do so more and more' will be inspiration and incentive to greater endeavor in living a God-pleasing life. Hindrances are many, and not the least are those our own humanity throws into the contest. We need to be reminded that we must guard the inlets of the soul."
Indeed, we must guard the inlets of the soul, that is, what we put into our soul, or to say it another way, what we hear and listen too. This means purity of doctrine, and purity of our Lord's Sacraments, so that our soul is being properly fed. We eat healthily, for the most part, at least we try to eat healthy, eating a well-balanced meal, and not cramming our faces with junk food. We do this because we care about our physical health, not wanting our unhealthy eating to lead to sickness. The same should be true of our spiritual health, we should be careful about what we put into our souls. For when we eat "spiritual junk food" we drive the Holy Spirit away so that He is unable to make us holy.
St. Paul uses the example of sexual immorality. And we can assume that there were those among the Thessalonians who were living sexually immoral lives. Sexual immorality includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, and all manner of sexual sins, whether in marriage or out of marriage. The Thessalonicans were listening to the world and society which was telling them that it was okay to commit these acts, and do what they wanted as far as sexual behavior. St. Paul warns them however, that such behavior is driving out the Holy Ghost, so that their spiritual health was being damaged, so that they were unable to be sanctified, that is, made holy.
Our society and world teaches the same lies, and there are many within the Church who continue to do these things, rationalizing among themselves that the rest of society is doing so why not them. Or, they are thinking to themselves that they are not hurting anybody, so what can it hurt. Or, they are thinking that their body is their own, and they can do with it what they please. But this is dangerous thinking, for such behavior, such listening to the world, is starving one's soul, and leaving them on the path of spiritual death.
These temptations of our soul, and of society and the world, are the reason that today we cry out to our Lord Jesus, to remember His tender mercies and His lovingkindnessess. For they have been ever of old. We also pray that our enemies, the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, might not triumph over us. And that He would redeem us out of all our troubles. This, of course, is what our Lord Jesus did for us on the cross of His death and our salvation; He redeemed us from our enemies. He destroyed the penalty of our sins, once and for all, and He bought us, so that we could live with Him for all eternity.
Therefore, be careful about what you put into your ears, and observe with your eyes, for these are the inlets to the soul. Put what is holy and good into your ears, and before your eyes, so that by the working of the Holy Ghost, you might be made holy and perfect in your Heavenly Father's eyes.
May God be with you!
Deacon Dulas
