It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; (NIV)

When you buy a car or a house, you're issued a certificate that names you as the owner of that asset. You have authority over that item. You set it apart to use as you please. In the same way, when you proclaimed your belief in Jesus Christ, you are no longer your own. You belong to God – a God who's purchased you with the blood of Jesus, a God who has set you apart for His purpose. That's what it means to be sanctified, and sanctification is God's will for you.

‍

That's the message in today's Bible reference. Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica around 51 AD, less than 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus. At the time, Thessalonica was a city of about 200,000 people and heavily influenced by the Roman acceptance of adultery and other immoral sexual practices. These influences lead to sin and sin leads to death. However, God's desire is for you to be set apart for His purpose.

‍

As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, God created us for this very reason: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

‍

The Creator of the universe has a perfect purpose for you. But with purpose comes a calling.

As I was prepping to write today's devo, a video popped up on my YouTube feed of a domino run of nearly 900,000 dominoes. All 900,000 dominoes fell in a chain reaction, which of course started with the fall of just one domino. It took 30 people two weeks to set up this massive formation and only 18 minutes for it to be destroyed. In some ways it was entertaining to watch, but overall, I was consciously aware that once the last domino fell, the experience would be over forever.

‍

Like that first domino, it's easy to see how introducing sexual sin in our life can set off a chain reaction that left unchecked will lead to death. A single sexually immoral encounter adversely affects at least two people, usually more. God in His perfection recognizes this and lovingly calls us to pursue self-control, a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” Our body is God's temple; a place of residence for the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is our calling to conduct our bodies in a way that is holy and honorable.

‍

However, we don't go it alone. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are born again. Our new self belongs to Jesus. God can now save us from our self-destructive tendencies. If we fall, we can confess that fall to Jesus and receive His forgiveness. God's will for us is to be sanctified, the ultimate goal of which is to be with Him for eternity. And God has provided the perfect plan to do so.

‍

So, strive to do as Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16). Remember, your body is God's temple, a residence of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged by God's will for your sanctification. Ask Him to help you pursue holiness through self-control.

Lord, thank you for creating me for your perfect purpose. I pledge to you Lord that living out this purpose is my ultimate desire. I acknowledge that I have been bought for a price, and my born again body does not belong to me. I confess to you my sexual immorality and thank you for your forgiveness. I invite you to dwell deep in my heart to help me learn self-control in a way that is holy and honorable to You. Lord, You are my Lord. With all my love, Amen.