August 30, 2013, Reading

First Thessalonians 4:1-8

¹ Finally, brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus; we instructed you how to live in the way that pleases God, and you are so living; but make more progress still.

² You are well aware of the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ God wills you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from sexual immorality,

⁴ and each one of you to know how to control his body in a way that is holy and honourable,

⁵ not giving way to selfish lust like the nations who do not acknowledge God.

⁶ He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; theLord always pays back sins of that sort, as we told you before emphatically.

⁷ God called us to be holy, not to be immoral;

⁸ in other words, anyone who rejects this is rejecting not human authority, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.