1 Thessalonians 4

1Finally, then, brothers, we entreat and urge you in the Lord Jesus, as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God—even as you walk—that you may abound more.

2For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3For this is God's will: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality.

4Each one of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor.

5not in lustful passion, as the Gentiles who do not know God.

6that no one should transgress and exploit his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things, as we also foretold and solemnly testified to you.

7For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

8Therefore whoever rejects does not reject a human but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9Now about brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

10For indeed you do it toward all the brothers in all Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to abound even more.

11and aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12so that you conduct yourselves decently toward outsiders and need nothing.

13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve as the others do who have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, God will also bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

15For by the Lord's word we tell you this: we who are alive and remain until the Lord's coming will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, an archangel's voice, and God's trumpet, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17Then we who are still alive and remain will be snatched up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord.

18So encourage one another with these words.