God Speaks
1-2 Let me add this, dear brothers: You already know how to please God in your daily living, for you know the commands we gave you from the Lord Jesus himself. Now we beg you—yes, we demand of you in the name of the Lord Jesus—that you live more and more closely to that ideal. 3-4 For God wants you to be holy and pure and to keep clear of all sexual sin so that each of you will marry in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion as the heathen do, in their ignorance of God and his ways.
6 And this also is God’s will: that you never cheat in this matter by taking another man’s wife because the Lord will punish you terribly for this, as we have solemnly told you before. 7 For God has not called us to be dirty-minded and full of lust but to be holy and clean. 8 If anyone refuses to live by these rules, he is not disobeying the rules of men but of God who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But concerning the pure brotherly love that there should be among God’s people, I don’t need to say very much, I’m sure! For God himself is teaching you to love one another. 10 Indeed, your love is already strong toward all the Christian brothers throughout your whole nation. Even so, dear friends, we beg you to love them more and more. 11 This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work, just as we told you before. 12 As a result, people who are not Christians will trust and respect you, and you will not need to depend on others for enough money to pay your bills.
13 And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died.
15 I can tell you this directly from the Lord: that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and with the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the believers who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord. 17 Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. 18 So comfort and encourage each other with this news.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: The first thirteen verses of 1 Thessalonians chapter four are about everyday Christian living, especially the area of sexual purity. The rest of the chapter discusses the death of believers especially regarding Christ’s return. Paul urges the Thessalonians (and all believers) to live increasingly to please God–not themselves. How we need that in our day! How different our society would be if people would ask themselves every morning, “How could I please God and/or another person today?” We cannot, however, live out the holiness God wants for us apart from Christ and the Holy Spirit working us. As we cooperate with Him, we will be able to resist temptations to sin such as inappropriate sexual urges. Then we will be able to live the pure lives God wants us to have. In regard to physical death and Christ’s return, those who belong to God and have died will not be abandoned in the grave. When Jesus returns, they will be raised first. Then we who are alive and remain on the earth will join them and Jesus forever. Believing this fact should give us all hope.
Prayer: Dear loving Father God, thank You that You come alongside Your children to help us live righteously, including in sexual purity. Please help me to appreciate and take good care of this body You have given me. Please also teach me and other believers to improve continually in how we demonstrate Your love to people. I’m learning from Your Word how to stay calm, mind my own business, and do a good job at whatever I do. Hopefully this will gain the respect of those around me, and they will want to follow You, too. I want to be dependable, not dependent on others or the government. Thank you that if I should physically die before You return, Jesus, I won’t be abandoned in the grave. My body and those of other believers will be raised first. Then come the Christ-followers who are still alive. We will all get to be with You forever. Help me to encourage others with these words. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will daily ask God how I can please Him, then watch how things come about.
- I will seek the Holy Spirit’s help in avoiding any kind of sexual sin.
- I will thank God for the body He has given me and honor Him by taking good care of it.
- I will use the concepts of this chapter to encourage someone today who may be grieving a death or considering their own demise.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.