Chapter 4
1 Finally then , brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus , that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God , that you abound more and more .
2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus .
3 For this is the will of God : your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality ,
4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honour ,
5 not in the passion of lust , even as the Gentiles who don’ t know God ,
6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this 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 who rejects this doesn’ t reject man , but God , who has also given his Holy Spirit to you .
9 But concerning brotherly love , you have no need that one write to you . For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another ,
10 for indeed you do it towards all the brothers who are in all Macedonia . But we exhort you , brothers, that you abound more and more ;
11 and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life , and to do your own business , and to work with your own hands , even as we instructed you ,
12 that you may walk properly towards those who are outside , and may have need of nothing .
13 But we don’ t want you to be ignorant , brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep , so that you don’ t grieve like the rest , who have no hope .
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again , even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus .
15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord , that we who are alive , who are left until the coming of the Lord , will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep .
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel and with God ’ s trumpet . The dead in Christ will rise first ,
17 then we who are alive , who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever .
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words .