1 Thessalonians 4

Living to Please God

1 Fam, we taught you all how to live to please God. You are doing it, but we are telling you to do even better.

2 You know the instructions we gave you from the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you all to be holy, staying away from sexual sin.

4 Each of you should learn to control your body in holiness and honor,

5 not wilding out like the world that does not know God.

6 Do not cheat or take advantage of your brother or sister, because the Lord does not play, He will handle it.

7 God did not call us to be shady but to live holy lives.

8 If you reject this, you are not rejecting us; you are rejecting God, who gave you His Holy Spirit.

9 About loving each other, you all already know God taught you that.

10 You are showing love to all God’s people in Macedonia. But we encourage you to step it up even more.

11 Make it your goal to live quietly, mind your business, and work with your hands, just like we told you.

12 That way, outsiders will respect you, and you will not have to depend on anybody.

13 We do not want you all confused about those who died, so you do not grieve like people with any hope.

14 We believe Jesus died and rose again, so we believe God will bring with Him those who died in Jesus.

15 When the Lord comes back, those alive will not go ahead of those who died.

16 The Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then, those of us still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord. We will be with Him forever.

18 Encourage each other with these words.