The Nugget:
1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (KJV)
1Th 4:3 It is God’s will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to him. (GW, God’s Word translation)
1Th 4:3 God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality. (GNB, Good News Bible)
1Th 4:3 God wants you to be holy, so don’t be immoral in matters of sex. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
1Th 4:3 For it is God’s will that you should keep pure in person, that you should practice abstinence from sexual immorality, (Williams New Testament)
My Comment:
This is the second of four New Testament passages that explicitly declare God’s will for you and me. God’s guidance and direction and answers to prayer are hindered, if not blocked, if we do not follow God’s already revealed will. This passage addresses a sensitive but very important subject: absolute moral purity. In the words of Young’s Literal Translation, we are to “abstain from the whoredom,” or in the words of the Lavender’s Translation, “[2] Now you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. [3] For this is the will of God–your holy living: that you keep yourself away from every kind of sexual immorality.”
Cross Reference Bible study for 1 Thessalonians 4:3 from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
1 Thessalonians 4:3
the will of God. 1Th 5:18, **Lev 21:7; **Lev 21:13; **Lev 21:14 note. *Psa 40:8; Psa 143:10, +Mat 6:10; Mat 7:21; Mat 12:50; Mat 21:31, Mar 3:35, Joh 4:34; +*Joh 7:17, Rom 1:10; +*Rom 12:2; Rom 15:32, 2Co 8:5, *Eph 5:10; *Eph 5:17; Eph 6:6, Col 1:9; *Col 4:12, 2Ti 2:26, *Heb 10:7; *Heb 10:36; *Heb 13:21, 1Pe 2:15; 1Pe 3:17; 1Pe 4:2, 3; 1Pe 4:19, **1Jn 2:17.
your sanctification. Gr. hagiasmos (S# G38, Rom 6:19). 1Th 4:4; 1Th 4:7, +*1Th 5:23, Lev 15:18; Lev 20:7, 1Sa 21:5, *Psa 17:4; +*Psa 119:9, *Joh 17:17, 18, 19, *Act 20:32; +*Act 26:18, Rom 6:19; Rom 6:22 g. +*1Co 1:30; +*1Co 6:11, **Eph 5:26; **Eph 5:27, *2Th 2:13, 1Ti 2:15, *Tit 2:14, +*Heb 12:14, 1Pe 1:2; 1Pe 1:15, 16.
abstain. Gr. apechomai (S# G567: Middle Voice. To hold oneself off, that is, refrain). 1Th 5:22 g. **Eze 33:9, **Act 15:20 g, Act 15:29 g. +1Co 6:18, 1Ti 4:3 g. **1Pe 2:11 g.
from fornication. +Mat 5:32; Mat 15:19, +**Act 15:20, +*Rom 1:29; Rom 13:13, 1Co 5:9, 10, 11; +**1Co 6:9; +**1Co 6:10; +**1Co 6:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; 1Co 7:2, 2Co 12:21, *Gal 5:19, *Eph 5:3, 4, 5, +*Col 3:5, Heb 12:16; +*Heb 13:4 note. +*Rev 21:8; Rev 22:15 g.