1 Thessalonians

4 For the rest, then, brothers, we request you and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you had word from us how you have to walk and please God, just the way you are walking, you will do better and better. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification, your keeping clear of unchastity, 4** your each knowing how to get his own mate in a dedicative and respectful spirit, 5 not in passion of desire just the same as do the nations who do not know God, 6 so as not to encroach and victimize one’s brother in the business, because the Lord is an avenger of all those things, as we told you beforehand and admonished you. 7 For God did not call us on terms of uncleanness but in sanctification; 8 consequently the disregarder is not disregarding a man but that same God who puts his Holy Spirit in us. 9 But as to brotherliness you are in no need of being written to, for you yourselves are taught by God to love each other— 10 for you do, all the brothers in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do better and better, 11 and to make it your ambition to keep quiet and attend to your own affairs and work with your own hands, as we instructed you, 12 in order that you may behave creditably toward outsiders and not be in want of anything.

13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant about those who have gone to their rest, brothers, in order that you may not grieve the same as the others do, who do not have a hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and arose, so also will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have gone to their rest. 15 For we tell you this on the Lord’s word, that we the living who survive till the Lord’s coming shall not be ahead of those who have gone to rest, 16 because the Lord himself will come down from the sky with a word of command, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and first the dead in Christ will rise, 17 then we the living who survive shall together with them be snatched up in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and thus we shall be with the Lord always. 18 So cheer each other on with these words.