QT 17/09/2026 Thu 1Thessalonians 4 Until He Comes: Living Holy, Grieving with Hope 直到祂来：过圣洁的生活，怀着盼望哀恸

QT 17/09/2026 Thu 1Thessalonians 4 Until He Comes: Living Holy, Grieving with Hope
READ https://www.esv.org/1+Thessalonians+4/

Can adultery really hurt more than just the people involved? And when someone we love dies, how can we grieve without losing hope? In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul gives us two powerful answers: live holy today, and hope in Christ forever.

(1) 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12 — Holiness in Our Relationships
Sexual immorality, including adultery, is not merely a private sin or a violation of God’s command. It is an offense against the Lord and a wrong committed against other people. It can deeply wound spouses, families, and others involved, while also bringing destructive spiritual and personal consequences upon the sinner.

Paul begins by reminding the Thessalonians that they already know how they ought to live in order to “please God” (4:1). His particular emphasis is sanctification: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (4:3).

Several important truths emerge:
*Sexual holiness is God’s will. Christian morality is not based merely on social convention or personal preference; it is rooted in God's command.
*Adultery and sexual immorality harm others. Sin that appears to involve only two people can affect spouses, children, families, churches, and communities.
*The body and relationships matter to God. Paul warns believers not to “transgress and wrong his brother” in this matter (4:6).
*Sexual sin is ultimately rebellion against God. Paul says, “the Lord is an avenger in all these things” (4:6), and reminds them that God has called believers “not for impurity, but in holiness” (4:7).
*The Christian response is sanctification, not merely self-control. The believer is called to live differently because he belongs to God and has been given the Holy Spirit (4:8).

Paul then broadens the subject from sexual purity to Christian love and responsible living. The believer is to “love one another” (4:9), live quietly, mind his own affairs, work with his hands, and conduct himself properly toward outsiders (4:10–12).

Devotional emphasis:
Holiness is not simply avoiding a forbidden act. It is learning to love God and others rightly. Sexual sin takes something that God designed for covenantal faithfulness and turns it into an instrument of selfishness, deception, and harm. Therefore, Christians are called not merely to ask, “What am I allowed to do?” but, “How can I live in a way that pleases God and genuinely seeks the good of others?”

(2) 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 — Hope in the Face of Death
The Christian response to grief is not the denial of sorrow, but hope grounded in the return of Christ and the certainty of eternal fellowship with Him.

Paul does not tell the Thessalonians not to grieve. Rather, he says that they should not grieve “as others do who have no hope” (4:13). Christian grief is real, but it is fundamentally different because it rests upon the resurrection of Jesus:

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (4:14)
Paul directs their attention toward “the coming of the Lord” (4:15). At Christ's return, those who have died in Christ will be raised, and believers who remain alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord.
The climax is found in verse 17: “And so we will always be with the Lord.”
That is the ultimate Christian hope. The comfort is not merely that our loved ones will live again, nor simply that death will be defeated. The greatest promise is eternal presence with Christ.

Therefore Paul concludes: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (4:18)

Take away:
When Christians grieve, Scripture does not require them to suppress their tears or pretend that death does not hurt. Instead, it calls them to look beyond the grave to Christ. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees the resurrection of those who belong to Him, His coming guarantees our gathering to Him, and His promise guarantees that we will always be with Him.

Because we belong to God, we are called to live holy lives that honour Him and do no wrong to others (4:1–12). Because Christ has died and risen and will come again, we can grieve with hope, knowing that those who belong to Christ will be with Him forever (4:13–18). Live faithfully now because Christ is coming, and grieve hopefully because Christ is coming.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word and for calling us to live holy lives that honour You and love others faithfully. When we face sin, temptation, and grief, help us to look to Jesus and hold firmly to the hope of His coming. Teach us to live faithfully today and to hope confidently for the day when we will always be with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

——

QT 17/09/2026 星期四 帖撒罗尼迦前书 4 直到祂来：过圣洁的生活，怀着盼望哀恸
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/1ts/4/

通奸真的会伤害到当事人以外的人吗？当我们所爱的人离世时，我们又该如何在哀恸中不失希望呢？在《帖撒罗尼迦前书》第4章中，保罗给了我们两个有力的答案：今日要过圣洁的生活，永远要寄望于基督。

(1) 《帖撒罗尼迦前书》4:1–12 —— 人际关系中的圣洁
淫乱（包括通奸）不仅仅是一种私下的罪，也不仅仅是违背了神的诫命。它是冒犯主的行为，也是对他人所犯的过错。它会深深伤害配偶、家庭以及其他相关人士，同时也会给犯罪者带来毁灭性的属灵和个人后果。

保罗首先提醒帖撒罗尼迦人，他们已经知道应当如何生活才能“讨神喜悦”（4:1）。他特别强调成圣：“神的旨意是要你们圣洁，远避淫行”（4:3）。

由此揭示出几个重要的真理：
*性方面的圣洁是神的旨意。基督徒的道德观并非仅基于社会习俗或个人喜好，而是植根于神的诫命。
*通奸和淫乱会伤害他人。看似仅涉及两人的罪，却会波及配偶、子女、家庭、教会和社区。
*身体和人际关系对神而言至关重要。保罗警告信徒，在这件事上不可“越界，亏负弟兄”（4:6）。
*性方面的罪归根结底是对上帝的叛逆。保罗说：“主在这一切事上都要报应”（4:6），并提醒他们，上帝呼召信徒“不是要他们行污秽，乃是要他们活出圣洁”（4:7）。
*基督徒的回应是成圣，而不仅仅是自我克制。信徒被呼召过不同的生活，因为他们属于神，并且已经领受了圣灵（4:8）。

随后，保罗将话题从性纯洁扩展到基督徒的爱和负责任的生活。信徒应当“彼此相爱”（4:9），安静度日，管好自己的事，亲手做工，并在外人面前行为端正（4:10–12）。

灵修重点：
圣洁不仅仅是避免做被禁止的事，而是学习正确地爱神和爱人。性罪将神为盟约的信实所设计的事物，扭曲成了自私、欺骗和伤害的工具。因此，基督徒被呼召的，不仅是问“我被允许做什么？”，更是要问“我该如何活出讨神喜悦、并真正寻求他人益处的生活？”

(2) 《帖撒罗尼迦前书》4:13–18 —— 面对死亡的盼望
基督徒面对悲伤时的反应，并非否认悲痛，而是怀有基于基督再来以及与祂永恒相交之确据的盼望。

保罗并没有告诉帖撒罗尼迦人不要悲伤。相反，他说他们不应“像那些没有盼望的人一样”（4:13） 。基督徒的悲伤是真实的，但它本质上截然不同，因为它建立在耶稣复活的基础上：
“我们若信耶稣死了，又复活了，照样，也应该相信那些靠着耶稣已经睡了的人，　神必定把他们和耶稣一同带来。”（4:14）

保罗将他们的注意力引向“主的降临”（4:15）。当基督再来时，那些在基督里睡了的人必复活，而活着的信徒也将与他们一同被提，去迎接主。

高潮出现在第17节：“这样，我们就要和主常常同在。”
这就是基督徒最终的盼望。这安慰不仅在于我们的亲人将复活，也不仅仅在于死亡将被战胜。最伟大的应许是永远与基督同在。

因此，保罗总结道：“所以，你们应该用这些话彼此劝慰。”（4:18）

要点：
当基督徒经历悲伤时，圣经并不要求他们强忍泪水，或假装死亡不会带来痛苦。相反，圣经呼吁他们将目光投向坟墓之外，仰望基督。耶稣的复活保证了属于祂之人的复活，祂的再来保证了我们必将聚集到祂那里，而祂的应许保证了我们必将永远与祂同在。

正因我们属于神，我们被呼召要过圣洁的生活，以此尊荣祂，且不伤害他人（4:1–12）。正因基督已经死而复活，并且必将再来，我们才能怀着盼望哀恸，深知属于基督的人将永远与祂同在（4:13–18）。因基督必将再来，我们如今要忠心生活；因基督必将再来，我们哀恸时也要满怀盼望。

祷告

天父，感谢祢赐下祢的话语，并呼召我们过圣洁的生活，以此尊荣祢并忠心爱人。当我们面对罪、试探和悲伤时，求祢帮助我们仰望耶稣，并坚定持守祂再来的盼望。求祢教导我们今日忠心生活，并满怀信心盼望那日——那时我们将永远与祢同在。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。