We have been studying 1st Thessalonians 4 where Paul addresses the issue of being sanctified, especially in the area of your sexuality. In verses 3-5 he is focusing on sexual purity in general.
In verse 6 he takes his teaching a step further by saying, “that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.” Here he is specifically addressing adultery. “Brother” should not be limited to brother in Christ. It has reference to fellow man as well.
When he adds, “or take advantage of him,” he is expanding his instruction to include taking advantage of someone else in any way. In other words, we are to be sanctified socially as well as sexually. We are not to use other people for our own advantage. We should recognize they, like we, are created by God and are important to God. They have value. What is theirs is to be respected as theirs.
When you wrong your brother by having an illicit relationship with his wife God will punish you. You would not be appreciating nor treating with dignity your body, her body, your brother’s body and your wife’s body. The same would be true about taking advantage of anything that is his. We should treat others and what belongs to them with dignity. In this way you would be living in a holy and honorable way.
Sadly, society is deteriorating because of this disrespect for one another and what is theirs. Even sadder, this is increasingly being done by Christians. Do a reality check concerning the way you relate to and treat others around you.
