1 Thessalonians 4:3

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, etc.] Which is another reason to enforce the above exhortation. “Sanctification” is internal or external. Internal sanctification is the work of the Spirit of God, and is a principle of spiritual life in the soul, a divine and spiritual light in the understanding, a flexion of the will to the will of God, and a settlement of the affections on divine things, and is an implantation of every grace in the heart. External sanctification arises from this, and lies in holiness of life and conversation; and is what is chiefly designed, as appears both by what goes before, and follows after: and this is “the will of God”; the will of his purpose…”

“For--enforcing the assertion that his "commandments" were "by (the authority of) the Lord Jesus" (Th1 4:2). Since "this is the will of God," let it be your will also. fornication--not regarded as a sin at all among the heathen, and so needing the more to be denounced (Act 15:20).”

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification - It is the will or command of God that you should be holy. This does not refer to the purpose or decree of God, and does not mean that he intended to make them holy - but it means that it was his command that they should be holy. It was also true that it was agreeable to the divine will or purpose that they should be holy, and that he meant to use such an influence as to secure this; but this is not the truth taught here. This text, therefore, should not be brought as a proof that God intends to make his people holy, or that they are sanctified. It is a proof only that he requires holiness. The word here rendered “sanctification” -…”

“Sanctification - Entire holiness of heart and life: particular branches of it are subjoined. That ye abstain from fornication - A beautiful transition from sanctification to a single branch of the contrary; and this shows that nothing is so seemingly distant, or below our thoughts, but we have need to guard against it. 1 Thessalonians 4:4”

“4:3 God’s will is for you to be holy: The foundation of Christian ethics is not philosophical speculation about virtue but doing God’s will (Rom 12:1-2; Eph 6:6; Heb 10:36; 13:20-21). Holiness (1 Thes 4:4, 7) embraces all of a person’s life (5:23); here it involves staying away from sexual sin (Greek porneia, any sexual union outside marriage).”

“this: Th1 5:18; Psa 40:8, Psa 143:10; Mat 7:21, Mat 12:50; Mar 3:35; Joh 4:34, Joh 7:17; Rom 12:2; Eph 5:17, Eph 6:6; Col 1:9, Col 4:12; Heb 10:36, Heb 13:21; Pe1 4:2; Jo1 2:17 your: Th1 4:4, Th1 5:23; Joh 17:17-19; Act 20:32, Act 26:18; Rom 6:22 \*Gr: Co1 1:30, Co1 6:11; Eph 5:26, Eph 5:27; Th2 2:13; Tit 2:14; Pe1 1:2 that: Mat 15:19; Act 15:20, Act 15:29; Rom 1:29; Co1 5:9-11, Co1 6:9, Co1 6:10, Co1 6:13-18, Co1 7:2; Co2 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 5:3-5; Col 3:5; Heb 12:16, Heb 13:4; Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15 \*Gr. 1 Thessalonians 4:4”