1 Thessalonians 4

A Life that Pleases God

1 Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to live that way even more.2 You know what we told you to do by the authority of the Lord Jesus.3 God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual sins.4 He wants each of you to learn to control your own body 5 Don’t use your body for sexual sin like the people who do not know God.6 Also, do not wrong or cheat another Christian in this way. The Lord will punish people who do those things as we have already told you and warned you.7 God called us to be holy and does not want us to live in sin.

8 So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is disobeying God, not simply a human teaching. And God is the One who gives us his Holy Spirit.
9 We do not need to write you about having love for your Christian family, because God has already taught you to love each other.

10 And truly you do love the Christians in all of Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, now we encourage you to love them even more.
11 Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business, and do your own work as we have already told you.

12 If you do, then people who are not believers will respect you, and you will not have to depend on others for what you need.

The Lord’s Coming

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope.14 We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died.15 What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died.16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, 17 After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.18 So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4

1 Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more.2 For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God;6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.8 Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.9 But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;11 and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you;12 that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.