Daily Bible Reading (Monday, September 18th)

3

1 Thessalonians 4 (ESV)

 

A Life Pleasing to God

Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification:[b] that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body[c] in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And 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, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 1013
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
  3. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
  4. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord

3 Comments

"Therefore encourage one another with these words." I am encouraged today by this reminder that the Lord will soon take us all to be with Him. I hope that you are encouraged today as well and that the result will be that you will live all out for Him - walking in holiness and love knowing that soon we will forever be with our Lord.

Reminded again how our Christian walk is continuous and progressive. We are to walk to please God, and do so more and more (vs. 1). But what joy awaits as we look forward to His coming to get us 'so we will always be with the Lord' (vs. 17). Maranatha!

From a life pleasing unto the Lord to His second coming. What encouraging words. And of course a warning, (verse 6). May we not disregard God. Thank you Father for your Spirit. Guide me and help me in aspiring more and more in brotherly love to follow your commands. Come Lord Jesus!

Leave a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.