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04 Living in the Last Days - Living Right
Living in the Last Days
Pt. 4: Living Right
By Louie Marsh, 3-15-2026
TWO HALLMARKS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE
· SELFLESSNESS
· CONTINUED GROWTH
"1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more."…"10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more," (1 Thessalonians 4:1, 10, ESV)
LIVING RIGHT MEANS…
1) I am to PLEASE GOD first.
"1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, ESV)
2) I stay within God's SEXUAL BOUNDARIES.
"3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you." (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, ESV)
ESV, NIV, NLT, MESSAGE all say Body, Wife- LB and GW, Vessel – NAS, ASV, NKJ.
Greek is vessel – Paul either means spouse, or body – there's equal weight for each one. I'm going to follow marriage, because it seems best and it speaks to our national situation today.
· God's Sexual Context – HETEROSEXUAL marriage
"24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, ESV)
Christian belief in heterosexual marriage and that homosexually is wrong, does not stem from the Law or Paul – but from the very creation of mankind. Moses and Paul simply follow what Jesus shows us – that it was from the beginning that we were made that way.
"2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (1 Corinthians 7:2–9, ESV)
· God's Sexual Style – HONOR.
"4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;" (1 Thessalonians 4:4–5, ESV)
The Christian view of sex within marriage is that BOTH spouses put the pleasure of their spouse before their own – thus ensuring fulfillment for both IF they keep this ideal! You don't just demand your own way or wishes – that's wrong even in marriage.
3) I live a life of LOVE.
"9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more," (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10, ESV)
4) I SUPPORT MYSELF with God's help.
"11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, ESV)
View all episodes
By Lewis MarshLiving in the Last Days
Pt. 4: Living Right
By Louie Marsh, 3-15-2026
TWO HALLMARKS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE
· SELFLESSNESS
· CONTINUED GROWTH
"1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more."…"10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more," (1 Thessalonians 4:1, 10, ESV)
LIVING RIGHT MEANS…
1) I am to PLEASE GOD first.
"1Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:1–2, ESV)
2) I stay within God's SEXUAL BOUNDARIES.
"3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you." (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, ESV)
ESV, NIV, NLT, MESSAGE all say Body, Wife- LB and GW, Vessel – NAS, ASV, NKJ.
Greek is vessel – Paul either means spouse, or body – there's equal weight for each one. I'm going to follow marriage, because it seems best and it speaks to our national situation today.
· God's Sexual Context – HETEROSEXUAL marriage
"24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24, ESV)
Christian belief in heterosexual marriage and that homosexually is wrong, does not stem from the Law or Paul – but from the very creation of mankind. Moses and Paul simply follow what Jesus shows us – that it was from the beginning that we were made that way.
"2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (1 Corinthians 7:2–9, ESV)
· God's Sexual Style – HONOR.
"4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;" (1 Thessalonians 4:4–5, ESV)
The Christian view of sex within marriage is that BOTH spouses put the pleasure of their spouse before their own – thus ensuring fulfillment for both IF they keep this ideal! You don't just demand your own way or wishes – that's wrong even in marriage.
3) I live a life of LOVE.
"9Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more," (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10, ESV)
4) I SUPPORT MYSELF with God's help.
"11and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, ESV)